Guide to Special Education in Maine

Functional Behavioral Assessment

What is Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)?

FBA is a problem solving process that attempts to determine the reasons (from a behavioral perspective) for a child’s behavioral difficulties. In other words, it’s a systematic attempt to understand the FUNCTION of misbehavior and/or what the child is attempting (in a maladaptive manner) to communicate through the misbehavior.

The Five Assumptions of FBA:

1. Behavior is purposeful. Behavior problems never exist in a vacuum. There is some definite purpose to all behaviors children exhibit. The most common purposes of misbehavior among children are as follows:

To escape/avoid school work or an undesired social activity
To obtain attention from adults and/or peers
To receive some type of autonomic reinforcement (i.e.: emotional or physical stimulation)
Multiple functions (combinations of the other three factors)

2. Behavior is learned. Although children are born with varying potentials to develop different emotional and behavioral difficulties i.e.: some children are born with particularly challenging temperaments or a tendency towards very low frustration tolerance), all students must learn (in some manner) their different styles of misbehavior. Most children acquire negative behaviors by seeing these behaviors first in others, and then are often reinforced (by getting their way) when they exhibit the behaviors. Just as negative behaviors have been learned through the learning trial process (modeling followed by reinforcement); these behaviors can be ‘unlearned’ through the same process.

3. Behavior is predictable. We know that students establish patterns of behavior (both appropriate and inappropriate), and will generally exhibit a behavior pattern in response to certain predictable situations (when X or Y happens, student exhibits Z behavior). Because behavior problems almost always follow the occurrence of some antecedent events, the FBA assumes that a fundamental aspect of the behavior plan development process is to attempt to identify the triggers of misbehavior.

4. Behavior is interactive and communicative. The FBA assumes that all behavior is communication, and that another fundamental aspect of the analysis process is to determine what the child is trying to say through the misbehavior (i.e.: “this work is too hard,” “I’m feeling threatened by those kids,” “I hate being bad at math but can’t stand admitting it to myself,” “If you let me just sit here and not do my work, I’ll not make trouble for anyone,” etc.).

5. A student will exhibit negative behaviors as long as the behaviors achieve the desired function. That is, students will continue to employ their maladaptive strategies as long as they’re being reinforced in some way for doing so.

The Primary Questions Targeted by the FBA Process:

When is the student most likely to engage in the problem behaviors?
What specific events appear to be contributing to the student’s problem behaviors?
What function(s) does the problem behavior serve for the student?
What might the student be trying to communicate through the problem behaviors?
Where is the student most successful and, therefore, less likely to engage in the problem behaviors?

When Should an FBA be conducted?

The legal answer: When a student identified with special education needs has been suspended from school for at least 10 cumulative days in one school year (according to Section 615(k) (1)(B)(i) of IDEA, ’97).

The best practice answer: Whenever a student presents significant behavioral difficulties (particularly in those cases where placement in a more restrictive setting is being considered).

Who Should Conduct an FBA?

Although any educator could conduct some FBA activities in trying to determine the possible function of a student’s misbehavior, a systematic FBA process (including the multiple stages discussed below) is usually best completed by a school-based team comprised of the following specialists:

The PET including:

The student (when appropriate)
Parent(s)
Student’s regular education teacher (two if the student is in middle or secondary school)
Special education teacher or learning strategist
School counselor or social worker
School psychologist or psychological examiner
School administrator

Stages of the FBA Process:

Stage 1: Problem Definition (What are the problem behaviors of concern?)

Stage 2: Data Collection (i.e.: student interview, parent(s) interview, staff interviews, classroom observations, teacher rating scales, classroom data collected over time)

Stage 3: Problem Analysis (What is the function of the problem behaviors and what events are related to them?)

Stage 4: Development of the Individual Behavior Plan (What should be done to address the behaviors? What environmental modifications are necessary?)

Stage 5: Monitoring Progress Through Follow-up Meetings (Did the interventions and supports work? How should the IBP be adjusted to increase chances for success?)