Functional Behavior Assessment

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Functional Behavior Assessment
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What is the function of an FBA?

• Process for identifying
• The purpose or function of the behavior.
• The variables that influence the behavior.
• Components of an effective behavioral
  intervention plan.

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The function of the FBA

• A system for gathering data about the antecedents
  and consequences of specific behaviors,
  developing a hypothesis about the function of the
  behavior, and implementing and evaluating a
  behavior intervention plan.

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Why do we need to complete an FBA?

• Prediction of future problems
• Helps with programming for the student
• Better understand the behavior
• Supplies data to write Behavior Intervention Plan
• Allows us to have data to report progress
• Tool when current guessing why approach is not
  working
• Legal requirement

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When do we need to complete an FBA?

• When the student continuously exhibits
  challenging behaviors that probably will not
  improve and most likely will continue to
  deteriorate/escalate.
• Is the misbehavior occasional or pervasive?
• How does the behavior compare with peers?
• Is the students behavior responding to typical
  classroom interventions?
• Can you predict the behavior, are there special
  circumstances for the recent behavior, do you
  expect the behavior to naturally diminish over
  time?

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When do we need to complete an FBA?

• When what we are currently doing is not working.
• The student or others are at risk for harm or
  exclusion.
• Due to repeated and serious problem behaviors.
• If the students behavior is interfering with
  his/her learning or that of others.
• When it is legally required.

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What do we want answered from the FBA?

• Useful questions to guide the discussion.
• What happened-describe the behavior
• What happened right before the behavior?
• Is there a pattern
• What are the facts?
• What do you think?
• What does the student say? Ask
• What part does the disability play?
• What does the student get from the behavior?
• What part do adults play in maintaining the
  behavior?

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To summarize, an FBA

• It is about the analysis of the relationship
  between the behavior and the environment.
• To understand the reasons or functions for the
  behavior
• Arranging consequences to promote the learning of
  replacement skills
• Act upon the information and write effective
  goals.
• If the students behavior is interfering with
  his/her learning or that of others, the IEP must
  address that behavior.
• An FBA supplies data for appropriately addressing
  a students behavioral needs.