Chapter 8: Assessment of Behavior

1. Chapter 8: Assessment of Behavior

2. Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Support Systems Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Support Systems are proactive strategies defined by school staff and based on behavioral principles.

3. These systems have been conceptualized as a 3-tier system, with Tier 1 representing school-/classroom wide systems for all students, Tier 2 including small group interventions for at-risk students, and Tier 3 supporting specialized individualized systems for students with high-risk behavior.

4. Key Terms from IDEA 1997 and 2004 Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPs)—a plan designed to increase positive behaviors and decrease negative behaviors before they become problematic. Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)—a multi-component assessment to determine the purpose of target behaviors.

5. Manifestation Determination—a hearing to determine if a student’s behavior is the result of the student’s disability. Necessary before a student in special education can be suspended for more than 10 days.

6. When an FBA Should be Conducted When a student’s problem behavior impedes his or her learning or the learning of others. When a student’s behavior presents a danger to him-/herself or others. When a student’s suspension or placement in an interim alternative educational setting approaches 10 cumulative days.

7. When an FBA Must Be Conducted When suspensions or placements in an alternative setting exceed 10 consecutive days or amount to a change in placement. When a student is placed in an interim alternative educational setting for 45 days when his or her misconduct involves weapons or drugs.

8. When a due process hearing officer places a student in an interim alternative educational setting for behavior that is dangerous to him-/herself or others.

9. Functional Behavioral Assessment When a student displays behaviors that interfere with learning, a functional behavioral assessment should be completed. Federal law requires that functional behavioral assessments be completed when a student receiving special education services has a pattern of behavior that impedes academic progress.

10. A functional behavioral assessment should include multiple methods to determine what function the behavior serves for the student. Multiple methods should include both direct and indirect measures of behavior. Direct measures involve the student, including direct observations and interviews with the student. Indirect methods include teacher and parent reports, interviews with persons who know or work with the student, and evaluation of work samples.

11. Direct Observation Terminology Target behaviors—specific behaviors that require intervention by the teacher to promote optimal academic or social learning. Replacement behaviors—prosocial behaviors that are taught to students and positively reinforced. They are incompatible or competitive with the student’s negative behaviors.

12. Antecedents—events that trigger a student’s target behaviors. Consequences—events that occur after a student’s target behaviors. These may be teacher initiated or they may serve a purpose for the student (e.g. attention getting, avoidance). Baseline—the measure of a student’s behavior before an intervention is implemented.

13. Methods of Direct Observation Anecdotal Recording—observations of behavior in which the teacher notes all behaviors and interactions that occur during a given period of time. Event Recording—assesses the frequency with which behaviors occur. Time Sampling—when the behavioral observation samples behavior through the day or class period.

14. Interval Recording—a period of time is subdivided into equal intervals and the teacher notes whether the behavior is occurring or not occurring during each interval. A percentage is then computed. Duration Recording—the length of time a student engages in a behavior is recorded.

15. Latency Recording—the length of time it takes a student to comply with a directive. Interresponse Time—assesses the length of time between behaviors. Structured Classroom Observations Child Behavior Checklist: Direct Observation Form, Revised Edition

16. Other Techniques for Assessing Behavior Checklists and rating scales ASEBA—Achenbach System of Empirically Based Behavior Assessment Parent, Teacher, and Youth Report Forms Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) Behavior Rating Profile-2 Conners Rating Scales-Revised

17. Questionnaires and Interviews Child Behavior Checklist: Semistructured Clinical Interview Sociograms—graphic representations of the social dynamics within a group. Ecological Assessment—analysis of the student’s total learning environment.

18. Projective Assessment Techniques—techniques used to analyze a student’s feelings by what the student projects into the story card or other stimulus. Sentence Completion Tests Drawing Tests Apperception Tests Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) Roberts-2

19. Computerized Assessment of Attention Disorders Continuous Performance Test (Gordon) Conner’s Continuous Performance Test

20. Emotional Disturbance Students with behavior problems may or may not be identified with emotional disturbance. For example, students with ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome may have behavioral difficulties but will be identified under the category of Other Health Impairment.

21. In addition, students may have emotional problems and not qualify for special education services as a student with emotional disturbance (e.g., when the emotional problem does not affect educational performance). Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbance

22. Matt, a 4th grade student, seems to react in a negative manner toward his peers. During his reading class, he pushed another student and said a sarcastic remark to his teacher when he was instructed to get his reading homework out to pass toward the front of the class. Follow This Case

23. During this reading class, Matt’s teacher requested that the special education teacher observe to assist her with figuring out why Matt seemed to be having difficulty. The special education teacher completed an anecdotal recording.

24. Anecdotal Recording of Matt’s Behaviors Matt entered the classroom. He went to his desk and talked to the student sitting next to him. The student responded. When the teacher requested that the students prepare for their oral reading period, Matt continued talking with his peer. The peer asked Matt to leave him alone.

25. Matt continued talking to the student and the student replied “Leave me alone. Stop talking. We are going to get into trouble.” At this point, Matt shoved the student. Peer repeats request. The teacher instructed the students to hand in their reading questions that were assigned for homework.

26. The peer told Matt, “Pay attention. Get your homework out.” At this point, Matt replied, “I didn’t do the stupid homework.” The peer laughs.

27. Analysis of Anecdotal Records Once the anecdotal recording is completed, the teacher analyzes the behavior to determine the sequence of the behaviors and the consequences for those behaviors. Review the anecdotal recording on the previous slide. Determine the antecedents (what occurred before the behavior), the behaviors, and the consequences of the behaviors.

28. Write each in the following format: Antecedents Behaviors Consequences

29. AntecedentsBehaviorsConsequences Matt talks to his peer. Matt enters the room. The peer responds. Teacher gives command. The peer responds. Matt talks to his peer. Peer tells Matt to stop. Matt pushes peer. The peer responds. Peer tells Matt to get homework out. Matt talks to peer. The peer responds (laughs).

30. Event recording—Recording the frequency of a target behavior; also called frequency counting. Methods of Direct Observation (cont.)

31. Using Event Recording with Matt Matt’s teacher and the special education teacher reviewed the anecdotal recording. They determined that Matt’s talking was being reinforced by the responses of his peer. In other words, talking to the peer served the function of receiving peer attention.

32. The special education teacher asked Matt’s teacher if Matt behaved in the same manner during other classes. The teacher decided to complete an observation for other classes and other days to see if the behavior was consistent. The next slide illustrates the data.

33. Event Recording for Matt Target Behavior: Talking to Peers Monday Tuesday Wednesday Reading 1111 11 1111 1111 1111 1111 11 Spelling 111 11 11 Writing 11 1111 11 Math 1 11 1

34. Review the frequency count presented on the previous page and discuss the following questions. Is Matt’s behavior consistent in all of the other periods observed? When does the behavior seem the most problematic?

35. 3. Is the behavior the same across the three days of the observations? 4. What hypotheses can you generate or, in other words, what other information would you want to find out to help you understand the behaviors?

36. Special Education and General Education Teacher Discussion The teachers discussed the data and made the following observations: Matt’s talking is consistently more problematic during reading class. His talking seems to increase through the week in reading class.

37. The questions that the teachers decided they wanted to answer were: How is Matt achieving in reading? How does Matt feel about the reading tasks he is required to do? For example, does he dislike the oral reading time or the written homework for the stories read in class?

38. Other questions they considered were: Does Matt have friends in his other classes? (The peer he talked with is only in his reading class.) Are there factors outside the classroom that prevent him from completing his homework for reading? Because reading is the first class of the day, are there factors that occur in the mornings before school or on the way to school that impact his behavior (setting events)? Does Matt use his time in class to complete his work?

39. Methods of Direct Observation (cont.) Latency recording—Observations involving the amount of time that elapses from the presentation of the stimulus until the response occurs.

40. Using Latency Recording with Matt One intervention that Matt’s teacher implemented was a change in seating arrangement. Matt was no longer sitting next to the same peer. He continued to have some difficulty in reading class. As the teachers discussed Matt’s behaviors, one of the factors that seemed to influence Matt’s ability to make academic progress was the length of time it required Matt to complete his assignments.

41. His teacher noted that Matt seems to take a long time getting organized and getting to work. His teacher decided to complete a latency recording. For comparison, the teacher also completed a latency recording for 2 peers sitting beside Matt.

42. Latency Recording Stimulus Time to Respond Instruction Get reading Books out Take out Paper Begin Chapter questions Matt 145 seconds 90 seconds 120 seconds Peer 1 20 seconds 15 seconds 18 seconds Peer 2 5 seconds 12 seconds 10 seconds

43. As you can see, Matt seems to take significantly more time responding to requests in reading class. Can you suggest some strategies or interventions that might be beneficial to try? Analyzing the Data

44. Matt’s teacher analyzed Matt’s permanent products in his academic subjects. His teacher noted that Matt’s skills seemed to be somewhat weak in the areas of reading decoding, reading comprehension, and writing.

45. Discuss the impact of his academic skills on his behavior and the impact of his behavior on his academic achievement. Review the other types of informal academic and behavioral assessment that should be used next.