Chapter 8: Behavior and Discipline

Supplemental Information >

Information for Parents: 10 Steps to Conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment and Write a Behavioral Intervention Plan

Note: Within this article the term “IEP team” is what we in Maine refer to as the PET.

A Functional Behavioral Assessment helps schools determine the underlying cause or function of a child’s problem behavior. A child may be eligible for a Functional Behavioral Assessment if the child’s behavior interferes with his or her learning and/or the learning of other students.

1. Identify the Child’s Behavior. The first step is to identify the behavior that causes learning or discipline problems and define it in very specific terms. Vague behavior descriptions are hard to measure. Instead of saying “Tanya is hyperactive” say “Tanya calls out without raising her hand,” or “Tanya leaves her seat without permission.”

2. Define the Problem Behavior. In this step the IEP team pinpoints when, where, with whom, or under what conditions the behavior does or does not occur.

3. Collect Information on Possible Functions of the Problem Behavior. This phase asks why and under what circumstances and conditions the problem behavior occurs. The IEP team uses a variety of techniques to measure the problem behavior under different conditions. This helps the team identify patterns in behavior problems.

4. Analyze the Information. The IEP team analyzes the information and identifies patterns associated with a child’s problem behavior.

5. Create a Hypothesis Statement. A hypothesis statement looks at everything learned in Steps 1-4 and then takes a guess at the likely function of a child’s behavior.

6. Test the Hypothesis. The IEP team tests their hypothesis by implementing program changes and continuing to collect data to see if there are any changes in the behavior.

7. Develop and Implement a Behavioral Intervention Plan. The team selects strategies and supports to address the causes of the problem behaviors and states how to use those interventions. The plan should be implemented consistently and accurately over time.

8. Monitor the Behavioral Intervention Plan’s Implementation often. Teams might use a checklist or other monitoring tool to make sure that the child is receiving the strategies, modifications, and supports stated in the plan.

9. Evaluate the Behavioral Intervention Plan’s Effectiveness. Parents, students, and educators will want to know how well the plan is addressing a child’s problem behaviors. The team should regularly measure changes in a child’s behavior using the same techniques used in Step 3.

10. Modify the Behavioral Intervention Plan, if needed. By law, a Behavioral Intervention Plan needs to be reviewed once a year, but it should be reviewed more often if there is a reason. Perhaps a child has reached his or her behavioral goals and objectives, is not improving, is in a different setting, or has a new teacher.

Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice Improving Services for Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Problems CECP
American Institutes for Research
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20007
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