Developing Behavioral Plans For Aggressive Children in California

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Developing Behavioral Plans For Aggressive
Children in California

• Bruce M. Gale, PhD
• Clinical Psychologist PSY10598
• Santa Monica, CA
• April 7, 2006

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Note

• The information that follows is an excerpt from
  Diana Browning Wrights 2006 NASP talk.
• Diana gave me permission to incorporate this
  information into my talk and it represents an
  update from the 2005 information that was in the
  handout.
• You will be able to access this information in
  its entirety once it has been posted to the PENT
  web site at http//www.pent.ca.gov.
• If you are learning more about Dr. Gales
  presentations on managing aggression in schools,
  click here.

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Proven Methods of Teaching Staff to Write
Effective Behavior Intervention Plans
Presented by
Diana Browning Wright M.S., L.E.P., Behavior
Analyst CDE-Diagnostic Center, Southern
California Director, Positive Environments,
Network Of Trainers (PENT) NASP Convention
Anaheim, March 2006
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Diagnostic CentersCalifornia Department of
Education

• Diagnostic Center, South
• 4339 State University Drive
• Los Angeles, CA 90032
• [phone]
• www.dcs-cde.ca.gov

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Behavior Support PlansBehavior Intervention Plans

• Why?
• Its the law!
• It is best practice
• It improves outcomes
• It increases staff morale

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IDEA 97, and now 2004

• Special Factors
• Behavior impeding learning of student or peers
• Requires strategies, including positive
  behavioral
• interventions, strategies and supports
• Requires staff be informed of their specific
  responsibilities

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IDEA 97, and now 2004

• Discipline
• Requires FBA (and likely a plan) for
• suspensions past 10 days
• Requires FBA and MD for involuntary placement
  change (expulsion is an involuntary placement
  change) and likely a plan
• Interim Alternate Placements
• Requires services to prevent behavior from
  reoccurring, likely a plan

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Behavior Support Plans

• For whom?

Any student who needs one!
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Behavior Support Plans - Why?
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Behavior Support Plans

• MUST be done by a team
• Who makes up the team?
• Everyone relevant to the implementation
• Including the
• student when
• possible

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www.pent.ca.gov

• Forms
• Behavior Support Plan, Quality Evaluation Guide
  (BSP-QE)
• Materials to support teacher effectiveness
• PPTs of this training, and more! Plus, handouts
  for training Manual
• Tools to Develop, Implement and Score a BSP
  (under revision to match revised BSP-QE)
• And much, much more

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FBA Report (Disciplinary Context)
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Expanded Behavior Intervention Plans

• California first in nation with functional
  assessment based behavior plans for students
  with disabilities and severe behavior
• Use Supplementary Forms when
• the IEP team says the behavior is severe
• a behavior specialist has supervised or
• conducted a very extensive functional assessment
• When a highly data driven plan is
• required

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Coversheet Section 1
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FAA Data Collection Section 2
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Core Plan Section 3
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PBIP Data Collection Section 4
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Three Options for Using a BSP

• 1. IDEA/504 - Use the BSP as an attachment
• The BSP is used to designate the positive
  behavioral supports required when behavior is
  impeding learning under Federal I.D.E.A.
• This BSP attaches to an IEP or 504 plan for
  students with exceptional needs.

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Three Options for Using the BSP

• 2. Best Practices-Student Assistance Teams - Use
  the BSP as a stand-alone
• The BSP is used by the student assistance team
  to designate the positive behavioral supports for
  any student with behavior support needs.
• This BSP attaches to any
• team notes to be given to
• implementers.

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Use BSP as the Core Behavior Plan

• 3. High documentation required
• The Core Behavior Plan combines with the other 3
  sections to become a complete plan for serious
  behavior
•  
• Serious behavior likely to require a highly
  data-driven plan
• - Assaultive
• - Self- injurious
• - Severe property damage
• - Other Pervasive, Maladaptive Behavior

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Behavior Support Plans

• Focus on
• SUPPORT
• vs.
• Management

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Behavior Support Plans

• Focus on
• FUNCTION
• vs.
• Consequences

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Behavior Support Plans

• Focus on
• ANTECEDENTS
• vs.
• Consequences

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Behavior Support Plans

• Focus on
• TEACHING
• vs.
• Controlling

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QUALITY Behavior Plans

• All effective plans address both the environment
  and the function of the behavior
• Change environments to eliminate the need to use
  this behavior
• Teach alternative, acceptable behavior
  (functionally equivalent replacement behavior)
  which allow student to get or reject something in
  an acceptable
• manner.

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What IS the Positive Behavior Support Process ?

• A data-driven team approach with built-in
  accountability
• Follows a carefully look at the context of the
  problem behavior
• Hypothesizes why the behavior is occurring.
• Develops a plan to teach the student a
  replacement behavior and new skills
• Changes environments to match student needs
• Involves people who really care about the student
• Develops a written plan capturing the teams
  decisions and methods

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• Key Concept
• This behavior has worked in the past, or it is
  currently working to either
• GET something the student desires or
• REJECT avoid or protest something the student
  wishes to remove.

All behavior has a function!
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Method Observing the student in the problem
situation and interviewing others who are
frequently present when the problem occurs is
required. Focusing on the students facial
expression and the response of others often
yields cues as to what the function of the
behavior may be.
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Examples of functions of behavior   Billy  Bil
ly throws his work on the floor because it is
hard work for him. When he does this, his face
shows anger and frustration. His actions are a
protest, an attempt to reject.
Fictitious picture
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Examples of functions of behavior Dolores D
olores giggles and disrupts peers around her
because she enjoys the attention and
reactions she gets and her face shows
pleasure and excitement. Her actions are to
get social attention, even when that attention
from peers is one of displeasure and
disapproval.
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Examples of functions of behavior   Bruce  Bru
ce uses swear words not related to what is going
on around him. His face shows pleasure and
excitement and he uses these words as a method of
starting a conversation, e.g., his peers
immediately tell him not to use these words and
start conversing with him about the use of
appropriate language. His actions are to get
social interactions started.
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• 2. Positive Behavioral Support Principle
• Behavior is related to the context/ environment
  in which it occurs.

Key Concept Something is either present in the
environment, or NOT present in the environment
which increases the like- lihood the problem
behavior will occur.
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Requirement The behavior plan must identify
what environmental features support the problem
behavior. This is necessary in order to know
what environmental changes will remove the
students need to use the problem behavior to
achieve something he or she desired.
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Examples of context/environment impact on problem
behavior Billy Billy has NOT YET received
support to complete difficult work. He throws
math or reading worksheets that appear long and
hard to him on the floor.
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Examples of context/environment impact on
problem behavior Dolores Dolores has NOT YET
received direct instruction on how to
appropriately make and keep friends. Her peers
reinforce her behavior inadvertently by their
strong responses. Her peers have neither learned
how to reinforce her for appropriate behavior,
nor learned how to change their loud expressions
of disapproval in response to Dolores behavior.
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Examples of context/environment impact on problem
behavior Bruce Bruce has NOT YET received
instruction on how to initiate social
conversation without the use of his
attention-getting swear words. His peers have not
learned how to direct Bruce to use the
alternative method of attention-seeking rather
than giving him attention by correcting him for
his attention-seeking behaviors. They will be
important in shaping a new behavior.
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• 3. Positive Behavioral Support Principle
• There are two strands to a complete behavior
  planenvironment and function.

Key Concept Changing behavior requires
addressing both the environmental features
(removing the need for use of problem behavior to
get needs met) AND developing a replacement
behavior (teaching a functionally-equivalent
behavior that student can use to get that same
need met in an acceptable way).
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Examples of two strand, complete
approaches Billy Billys team decided, and his
teacher agreed, that she will alter his
assignments so that hard work will not appear
overwhelming to him (remove need to protest).
Billy will be taught an acceptable protest for
work that appears difficult, such as calling the
teacher over and telling her the work appears
long and hard (functionally- equivalent
alternative behavior).
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Examples of two strand, complete
approaches Dolores Dolores team, decided she
will receive instruction on how to make and
keep friends. Her peers will receive
instruction in how to calmly redirect her to use
appropriate interactions to achieve their brief
expressions of approval (remove need to get
social attention in maladaptive ways). Dolores
will learn brief interactions during work periods
that result in social approval from her peers,
yet do not disrupt others (get social attention
with functionally-equivalent alternative
behavior).
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Examples of two strand, complete
approaches Bruce Bruces teachers will provide
collaborative learning opportunities that allow
Bruce to be in sustained social interactions
with his peers (removes need to use swear words
to start a social interaction). Bruce will be
taught specific social interaction initiation
techniques and his peers will be taught how to
prompt him to use these techniques (functionally
equivalent ways of starting a social dialogue).
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• 4. Positive Behavioral Support Principle
• New behavior must get a pay-off as big or bigger
  than the problem behavior.

Key Concept To achieve maintenance of a new
behavior, it must be reinforced. Reinforcement
is actions we take, privileges or tangibles we
give, that the student really wants to get, and
therefore he/she does the behavior again and
again to get that reinforcement. Power,
Frequency, Variety, Immediacy
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Examples of Reinforcement of Replacement
Behavior Billy Billys teacher will praise his
use of the new form of protest behavior his
behavior plan suggests, i.e., calling her over
to tell the teacher the work looks hard.
(Efficacy evidence Billys classroom and home
behavior shows he is really pleased by any
positive attention from adults.) She will also
send home daily report cards describing his use
of the new behavior and Billys parents will
amply praise his new skill at home.
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• 5. Positive Behavioral Support Principle
• Implementers need to know how to handle problem
  behavior if it occurs again.

Key Concept The behavior plan must specify
reactive strategies across four
stages 1) Beginning stage Prompting the
alternative replacement behavior or reorienting
with supports
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Key Concept The behavior plan must specify
reactive strategies across four stages 2)
Mid-behavior stage The problem behavior is
fully present and now requires staff to handle
the behavior safely through an individualized,
careful deescalating of the behavior. This might
include specific techniques, calming words,
presenting of choices, distraction, and
redirection. Each technique will likely be unique
to the student. What has worked in the past is
important to discuss. Some staff deescalate the
student better than others and this should be
considered.
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Key Concept The behavior plan must specify
reactive strategies across four stages 3)
Problem-solving/Debriefing stage Debriefing
with the student is to review what happened,
practice the alternative behavior again, and plan
what to do next. 4) Required consequences
stage Clearly written consequences or other team
determined actions because of the behavior are
important, e.g., school and district disciplinary
required actions calling parents notifying
probation department attendance at special
seminars, detention, and so forth.
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Behavior Support and Correction
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Example of reactive strategies Billy Billys
Behavior Support Plan includes the four stages of
reactive strategies as follows
1. Beginning Behavior Stage Use gestures Billy
has been taught that are cues to Billy to use the
alternative protest, i.e., call the teacher over
to protest hard work. Follow the Stop and Think
gestural system taught to teachers and students
at this school.
Howard Knoff, Stop Think Social Skills Program,
www.sopriswest.com
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Example of reactive strategies Billy Billys
Behavior Support Plan includes the four stages
of reactive strategies as follows 2. Mid-behavio
r Stage Increase proximity to Billy, point to
the work on the floor, get on eye level, use calm
voice requiring work to be replaced on desk, wait
patiently for compliance and praise in accordance
with the teacher training on the reinforcement
sandwich. If Billy is too agitated to work,
invite him to take a Time Away in a specified
classroom area. Praise his return when he is
ready to work. (see www.pent.ca.gov for Time Away
article)
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Correction Strategies

• Reinforcement Sandwich

• Reinforce earlier behavior
• State inappropriate behavior with calm voice
  (Just now, you)
• State appropriate behavior with a dangling
  sentence
• Require response
• Require performance
• Reinforce compliance

Building Instructional Control
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Correction Strategies

• Time Away

(see www.pent.ca.gov for Time Away article)
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Example of reactive strategies Billy Billys
Behavior Support Plan includes the four stages
of reactive strategies as follows 3. Debriefing
Stage Ask Billy why he chose the old form of
protest rather than his new alternative. Have
Billy help fill out the daily report card
communicating the poor choice he made and what
Billy and the teacher will do next time to help
assure the new behavior to protest is selected.
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Example of reactive strategies Billys Daily
Report Card
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Example of reactive strategies Billy Billys
Behavior Support Plan includes the four stages
of reactive strategies as follows 4. Consequenc
es Stage If the behavior escalates to loud
swearing, Billy will be sent to the counselor to
complete a written process, My Inappropriate
Behavior, which may or may not result in a
suspension or other school disciplinary
procedures given by the Vice Principal for the
disruptive behavior.
See www.pent.ca.gov for My inappropriate
behavior form
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Example of reactive strategies Billys My
Inappropriate Behavior (see www.pent.ca.gov for
form)
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• 5. Positive Behavioral Support Principle
• On-going communication needs to be between all
  important stakeholders in the students life.

Key Concept The behavior plan must specify who
communicates with whom, how frequently about
what, and in what manner. Two-way communication
between message senders and recipients is
important.
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Requirement The communication needs to be
frequently enough to result in the continuous
teaming necessary to achieve success.
Method Communication ideas sent home in
writing, through messages on email or voice mail,
through posting on a teachers answering machine
in school (if information can be communicated in
codes to assure confidentiality) or face-to-face.
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Example of Communication between important
stakeholders Billy Billys team decided on the
following communication provisions 1. Communicat
ion between parents, teacher, school counselor,
therapist from Department of Mental Health,
school principal
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Example of Communication between important
stakeholders Billys team decided on the
following communication provisions 2. Frequency
a. Daily Report card on use of replacement
behavior will be sent home parents report
back on praise or other reinforcers for
accomplishment they gave Billy each
day. b. Weekly Teacher will send weekly
summary of Billys behavior to principal,
school counselor, parents and therapist through
email
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Example of Communication between important
stakeholders Billys team decided on the
following communication provisions 2. Frequency
c. Per Incident Episodes of protest that
include throwing furniture or loud swearing
will be reported to the school counselor, who
will debrief and send My Inappropriate
Behavior analysis sheet to the principal,
therapist, family, teacher. Therapist and
parents will communicate any discussions with
Billy about the incident which have yielded
important insights about future interventions
to counselor, who will inform others as needed.
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• Example of Communication between
• important stakeholders
• Billys team decided on the following
• communication provisions
• Manner
• a. Daily written report hand carried by Billy
  to parents
• b. Weekly email summaries using a report chart
• c. Per Incident paper copy to principal,
  teacher. Email scanned copy to therapist, family

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Research on Plans

• "None of us is as skilled as all of us"

www.pent.ca.gov
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How can we know when our plans are well-written?

• PENT Research Team
• Diana Browning Wright-PENT Director
• Dr. G. Roy Mayer PENT Leader/Collaborator-CSULA
  Professor
• Dr. Bonnie Rawlings Kraemer-SDSU Moderate/Severe
  Assistant Professor
• Dr. Bruce Gale PENT Leader/Technology Advisor,
  Private Practice
• S. Dean Crews PENT Researcher-UCR Grad Student
• Clayton Cook PENT Researcher and Leader-UCR Grad
  Student
• 150 Masters candidates, CSULA research
  associates
• See research www.pent.ca.gov

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What does the BSP QE measure?

• Extent to which this plan reflects a team
  developed plan in alignment with principles of
  behavioral change from the field of applied
  behavior analysis
• Those are the behavior
• change principles we just
• reviewed !

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What the QE does NOT measure

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What the QE does NOT measure

• Whether the new behaviors, interventions,
  environmental changes, and reinforcers fit
• the student
• Whether this plan is developmentally appropriate
• for this student

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Who is this student?

• Current developmental stage
• Skill mastery levels
• Personality, temperament, and
• other unique characteristics
• Team members must know the student well to
  develop an effective plan

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What the QE does NOT measure

• Whether the hypothesized function is correct

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What the QE does NOT measure

• Whether the plan was or will be implemented
  consistently and skillfully

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The BSP QE Analysis Areas
_____ A. Problem Behavior _____ B. Predictors
of Behavior _____ C. Analyzing What is
Supporting Problem Behavior _____
D. Environmental Changes _____ E. Predictors
Related to Function _____ F. Function Related to
Replacement Behaviors _____ G. Teaching
Strategies _____ H. Reinforcement _____ I.
Reactive Strategies _____ J. Goals and
Objectives _____ K. Team Coordination _____ L. Co
mmunication _____ Total Score (X /24)
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Fundamental Problem

• Writing a gold standard goal in the era of
  high accountability and progress monitoring
• 6 Key Components for Scoring A Complete Goal
• (can be in any order)
• By when
• Who
• Will do what? (must be measurable,
• camera ready description)
• Under what conditions?
• At what level of proficiency?
• As measured by whom and how?

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Example Goals Are these complete?

• 1. Mike will stop fighting on the
• playground
• 2. By 1.04.03 Mike will use appropriate
• behaviors on the playground

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Goals Structure

• SIX component structure general
• positive or decrease problem goals
• By when,
• who,
• will do what,
• 4. under what conditions,
• 5. at what level of proficiency,
• 6. as measure by whom and how

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What about Functionally equivalentreplacement
behavior goals?

• Commonly misunderstood concept
• Can be written with a six component format
• High level of errors likely in six format for
  FERB
• Use a 9 format alternative corrects for errors

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Goals Structure

• 9 component functionally equivalent
• replacement behavior
• 1. By when,
• 2. instead of X behavior
• 3. to achieve Y purpose,
• 4. Who
• 5. will do what Z behavior
• 6. To achieve Y purpose (repeated),
• 7. under what conditions,
• 8. at what level of proficiency,
• 9. as measured by whom and how

This structure corrects for common error writing
a replacement behavior that really is
student Just doing what we want
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Is this a FERB?

• By 1/06, Mary, instead of sitting with her head
  down, refusing to do seatwork, for the purpose of
  protesting hard work, will do her seatwork
  quietly, for all subject areas and assignments,
  at 80 proficiency as scored by teacher and
  recorded in record book.
• NO ! It is simply a general positive behavior
  we want!

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Is this a FERB?

• By 1/06, instead of refusing to do her seatwork,
  for the purpose of protesting hard work, Mary
  will verbally tell the teacher it is too
  difficult, for the purpose of protesting hard
  work. She will conditionally use this alternative
  for all subject areas and assignments she finds
  hard, using all steps in the verbal script taught
  and reinforced by the teacher (see IEP attachment
  for 4 steps) as observed by the teacher and
  recorded in the behavioral notebook on a daily
  basis.

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Question One How well is the field developing
behavior plans in California?
Superior
Good
Underdeveloped
Weak
Typical Team study 11 adequacy
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Question Two Can we increase plan quality
through training on key concepts?
Superior6
Good36
Weak30
42 adequate

Key concepts training, Without BSP-QE training
Pre-SummitPlans
58 inadequate
Underdeveloped28
All accepted CADRE were required to attend
training One Page Behavior Plans That Work.
that covered key concepts

• Slide prepared by Clay Cook, Dean Crews, Diana
  Browning Wright, 3/05

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Question Three Now that we have a scoring
rubric, can we increase plan quality through
training on this quantitative tool?
PENT Cadre training on BSP-QE 2003 VS
Training on the 6 key concepts without
BSP-QE Component (Typical training done on
behavior plans) 1999-2003

• Slide prepared by Clay Cook, Dean Crews, Diana
  Browning Wright, 3/05

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Training on BSP-QE Improves Plan Quality PENT
2003-2004
Inadequate 35
Inadequate 58
Adequate42
Adequate65
SUMMIT BSP-QE
Pre-SummitPlans
Post-SummitPlans
These changes are statistically significant!
?2 11.41 ODDS RATIO 2.1
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Comparison of plan quality with no training, Six
key concepts training, and training on BSP-QE
11 Adequate
42 Adequate
65 Adequate
6 Concepts Training
BSP-QE Training
No Training
58 Inadequate
89 Inadequate
35 Inadequate
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Implications What have we learned?

• Training on the six-key concepts is better than
  NO training at all.
• However, if we hope to produce the best plans
  possible, we need to train more specifically in
  the exact components of a legally defensible and
  educationally meaningful behavior support plan.
• Training using the BSP-QE is a means to this end.

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Should all behavior plans bebased on function?

• If the student responds to common classroom
  supports, no individual plan is needed
• If the student responds to simple contingency
  contracts, no individual plan is needed
• For challenging behavior, understanding the
  purpose served by the behavior is ESSENTIAL if we
  are to support change

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Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
1-5
1-5
5-10
5-10
80-90
80-90