behavior

Introduction on Behavior

A student's disruptive behavior has widespread impact upon students, educators, and families. A student's negative behavior results in lost
instructional time for all students. Consistent negative behavior can lead to chaos and alienation between home and school, student and
peers, student and teachers, etc. Repeatedly reacting to negative behavior drains time, money, resources and energy.

It is common for children to exhibit inappropriate behaviors that are due to the nature of their disability. Oftentimes these behaviors can lead
to various challenging situations. Inappropriate and disruptive behaviors can interfere with the learning process of the child, as well as his/her
classmates. The behaviors can be harmful and/or dangerous to the child and to others. The inappropriate behaviors can also alienate the
child from his/her classmates.

Sometimes a child cannot control his behaviors, as in the case of a tic, or other involuntary behaviors associated with certain developmental
disabilities. Sometimes a child cannot interact with others due to depression or anxiety. Other times, child has simply not yet learned positive
strategies to interact with their environment. Regardless of the explanation for the behaviors, they interfere with the child's learning process,
and can prevent the child from progressing and succeeding in school and life.

When a child begins (or continues) exhibiting such behaviors in the classroom, it is very common for the parents to blame the teachers, or the
teachers to blame the parents. Alternatively, it is equally common for the parent or teacher (or both) to blame the child. What everyone
should do is study the behaviors. Parents and educators should make every effort to understand the child's behaviors. It is very possible that
the child is trying to have a particular need met, but does not know an appropriate way to do so. It is also possible that the child is using the
behavior to convey a message to the people in his/her environment. While the behavior is unacceptable, the child simply has no alternative. I
often explain it as, "The child simply has no other tool in her toolbox."

WE need to provide the child with more tools! WE need to teach the child appropriate ways to have their needs met.

Parents and teachers must find ways to teach the children appropriate behaviors. Families and schools must work together to understand
the problem behaviors. The Team must determine the "whats," "hows," "whys," and "whens" of the behaviors, in order to teach the child to
manage the behaviors, and ideally, develop appropriate replacement behaviors.

IDEA and Behavior

All school districts must have policies and procedures for students with disabilities who need behavioral interventions. The policies should
incorporate the following factors, among others:

application of positive behavioral interventions;
strategies in accordance with generally accepted behavioral interventions practices;
criteria to determine under what circumstances a student with disabilities needs a behavioral intervention plan;
procedures for creating and implementing a behavioral intervention plan, and including it in the IEP;
plan for professional development and staff training; and
procedure for parental involvement (Illinois State Board of Education, Parents' Guide to the Educational Rights of Students With
Disabilities, 2001)

As a general rule, positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) should be implemented before any student is removed from school due
to disruptive behavior. PBIS will be further addressed below.

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

Whenever a student's behavior interferes with his education, or the education of others, the school should conduct a functional behavioral
assessment (FBA). IDEA regulations state that a child with a disability who is removed from his/her current placement due to a behavioral
violation, must receive an FBA and BIP designed to address the particular behavioral violation. (34 CFR Sec. 300.530) The goal of this
procedure is, of course, to prevent the recurrence of the behavioral violation.

A functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is "an assessment process for gathering information regarding the target behavior, its antecedents
and consequences, controlling variables, the student's strengths, and the communicative and functional intent of the behavior for use in
developing behavioral interventions." (23 Illinois Administrative Code Sec. 226.75)

The Georgia Department of Education regulations defines an FBA as the, "process for analyzing the cause of a specific behavior exhibited by
a student. This technique records observed events that take place before (antecedents) and after the behavior occurs (consequence). Also
recorded in a systematic data collection method are environmental components that could contribute to the occurrence of the target
behavior. The purpose of the FBA is to determine the reasons for the behavior and to develop a comprehensive behavior treatment plan as
part of the IEP for students with disabilities." Georgia Department of Rules and Regulations for Exceptional Children, Section 160-4-7-.01(3)
(g).

This FBA process is aimed at problem-solving. An FBA is a team's effort to really understand the child's "bad" behavior, and determine
what specific purpose it might be serving for the child. By understanding why a child behaves in a disruptive manner, the team can then move
forward in trying to end the negative behavior.

The FBA is typically conducted by a licensed behavioral specialist. (To view Illinois State Board of Education standards for LBS II/Behavior
Intervention Specialist, click here.)   The professional conducting the FBA must determine student-specific factors related to the occurrence
and/or nonoccurrence of certain behaviors. The factors may be environmental, social, emotional, academic, affective, and/or cognitive.

The professional gathers data about these factors by observing the student, utilizing assessment instruments, and/or interviewing the student,
parents, and/or teachers (including specials teachers and related service personnel). The professional should also analyze the student's
medical records, academic records, and a work sample. All data should be corroborated by two additional observers. The information-
gathering process typically involves recording the targeted behavior, the antecedent event (what happened right before the behavior), and the
consequence (what happens right after the behavior). The information should be gathered over the course of several weeks in a variety of
settings (i.e. classroom, therapy sessions, large group, small group, "specials classes," playground, cafeteria, etc.).

The data analysis should address a number of factors. First, the data should be with such specificity that a second observer would develop
the same behavior results. Second, the data must distinguish between "isolated incidents" and "patterns of behaviors." Third, the data should
include a thorough description of the environment (i.e. where the student is, who else is present, what is happening in the area, what time of
day it is, etc.). Fourth, the data must accurately state what occurred precisely before the target behavior; in other words, "What triggered the
behavior?" Finally, the data must comprehensively describe the disruptive behavior.

Based upon this data, the behavioral specialist then develops a hypothesis about the cause of the student's behavior. The specialist may
determine that the target behavior is fulfilling a certain function for the student. For example, the student is misbehaving in order to generate
attention for himself, or to avoid doing certain assignments. On the other hand, the specialist may determine that the student's misbehavior
comes from a skill deficit. In other words, the student is simply unable to perform the appropriate behavior.

Each step of the FBA must be completed accurately in order for the Team to develop an appropriate and effective BIP.

The Team's next step is to use the FBA data as the basis for developing a comprehensive Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP).

Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)

IDEA states that whenever a child's behavior impedes his/her learning, or that of others, the IEP Team must consider implementing positive
behavioral interventions and supports that address that negative behavior. 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1414(d)(3)(B)(i) Positive behavioral supports are
strategies that help the student more fully understand the causes and effects of his/her behavior. These supports should assist the student in
communicating his/her needs and wants to others.

IDEA further states that the "regular education teacher of the child...shall...participate in the development of...appropriate positive behavioral
interventions and supports, and other strategies...." 20 .S.C. Sec. 1414(d)(3)(C) Positive behavioral supports involve the utilization of
positive behavioral interventions, in order to achieve positive behavioral changes. The supports should be implemented in a variety of
forums: school, classroom, related services, hallway, playground, lunchroom, "specials," extra-curricular, home, etc. These positive
behavioral supports and strategies may include related services such as speech social work, and psychological services.

In development a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP), the Team transforms FBA observations into a concrete behavior-management plan.
The resulting document stipulates the child's "target" behavior, or, the behavior the Team is attempting to eliminate. The BIP also identifies
antecedent events ("triggers") to targeted behavior, as well as strategies to re-direct the target behavior. Additionally, the document contains
an intervention plan that reinforces "positive" behavior, and provides consequences for "negative" behavior.   The BIP also includes strategies
to teach positive replacement behaviors. Further, it may incorporate program modifications, and supplementary aids and services to address
the problem behavior. Finally, the BIP incorporate a criteria for success, as well as method by which to evaluate the plan's degree of
success/failure. Once the Team reaches consensus on a BIP, the school staff is legally required follow it.