Introduction to Function-Based Problem Solving

1. NJ PBSIS Helping Schools Build Systems of Support Introduction to Function-Based Problem Solving NJ PBSIS is a collaboration between the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and The Boggs Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. NJ PBSIS is funded through the I.D.E.A. 2004, Part B Funds.

2. PBSIS Helping Schools Build Systems of Support NJ • The purpose of the NJ PBSIS initiative is to build capacity among school personnel to create proactive and positive school systems that • increase available instructional time; • encourage and support pro-social student behavior; • use a continuum of function-based problem solving to address behavior and conduct issues; and • create environments conducive to including students with disabilities and behavior support needs.

3. PBSIS Helping Schools Build Systems of Support NJ • PBSIS is a collaboration between the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and the Boggs Center at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. State Training Team:

4. To encourage a respectful learning environment: Ask questions & make constructive comments Participate in activities and discussions Refrain from conversations while the presentation is occurring If folks are talking in your area respectfully ask them to stop 4

5. Electronic devices are an integral part of our life. We understand you need to attend some matters occurring back at the school. Please make and take calls out in the lobby area. Please respect the learning environment and put devices aside. www.njpbs.org Please put me on silent!

6. CST Comprehensive individualized planning using function based problem solving to result in students being successful in general education programs Tertiary Intervention Tier • Early intervention for at risk students: • Articulate at-risk indicators • Link Office conduct decisions & intervention planning • Use function based problem solving to guide intervention development Secondary Intervention Tier I & RS • All staff will: • Use consistent expectations • Increase giving positive feedback • Consistently apply the Office Conduct Referral procedures • Effectively redirect occurrences of behavior • Use function based problem solving to • Constructively reflect on behavior incidents • Independently problem solve to address emerging behavior issues ALL STAFF Universal Intervention Tier

7. Intended Training Outcomes:Teacher Level Practices The school institutes a systematized teacher level problem solving step into planning for students with behavior issues: All teachers will receive training on how to map out emerging behavior issues with students in their class All teachers will receive training on how to use the F-BIT, select and document interventions prior to I & RS referral 7

8. Intended Training Outcomes:School Level Practices At the I & RS level: A systemized function-based problem solving process is used to select and document interventions including: Use the F-BIT and other key tools Facilitated behavior pattern mapping Documenting baseline and response to intervention Implementation of a Check-in Check-out system Use of Function-Based interventions to address social and behavior patterns 8

9. Shifting Our PracticeReactive to Proactive • Fundamental Practice Change: • How can we prevent problem behavior and promote positive social behaviors INSTEAD of reacting when a behavior occurs

10. How Much time do We Lose?Taken from the Maryland PBIS Initiative Student Instructional Time: • Number of referrals you have • Multiplied by the average number of minutes a student is out of class for the referral • = Instructional Time Missed Administrator Time • Number of referrals you have • Multiplied by the average number of minutes it takes an administrator to process a referral • = Administrator Time Lost

11. Quickie CalculationTaken from the Maryland PBIS Initiative Instruction Time Example • If your school has 2912 office conduct referrals and on average students are out of class for 40 minutes you are loosing 116,480 minutes of instructional time (1,941 hours, 323 days) Administrator Time Example • 2912 x 15 minutes of AT = 43,725 minutes (728 hours, 121 days of administrator time)

12. NJ PBSIS Helping Schools Build Systems of Support Behavior Patterns: The Foundation of Function-Based Problem Solving

13. Understanding Behavior Patterns Understanding how to map out behavior patterns is the fundamental skillfor behavior intervention This training will provide you with the language and process needed to understand how to map out behavior patterns However, fluency is only developed with practiceyou have to apply the process to develop proficiency 13

14. Understanding Behavior Patterns All staff at your school need to receive 45(ish) minutes of training on mapping out behavior patterns and using the F-BIT How to constructively talk about behavior and specific behavior incidents How to ask the right questions How to piece together information in a constructive framework The role and importance of function Your PBSIS liaison will help you to develop a plan for providing this training 14

16. Understanding Behavior Patterns Most behaviors serve one of two functions: To get something (obtain) Such as: attention, objects, sensory regulation To get out/ away from something (escape) Such as: tasks, embarrassment, people To be effective we need to use combinations of strategies that address each of the contributing variables & the function of behavior 16

17. Setting Events: global life influences that undermine our ability to • cope and self manage emotional responses • Reinforcement history with people or settings • Medical-physiological Issues • Structure & organization of the environment • Relationships & social support with adults • Peer networks • Social & cultural influences • Antecedent Trigger • What happens • right before the • behavior • Behavior • What the student • says & does • Verbs not • adjectives Immediate Response What adults & peers say & do in the moment in response to the student’s behavior Delayed Response What adults & peers say & do as a result of the behavior at a temporally delayed time Function: what the student is trying to ‘get’ or ‘get out of’ and explains why that outcome is important or relevant to the student

18. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns Facilitation Questions to Guide Mapping Out Behavior Patterns Handout in your packet of specific examples of questions to ask for each of the behavior pattern parts 18 18

19. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns What does the student say & do that is a concern? Discuss & record behaviors in observable and measurable terms using verbs (hits) instead of adjectives (aggressive) Redirect or reframe team member subjective statements with actionable words Ask team members to describe an example 19 19

20. Questions for Mapping Out Defining Behavior Will the target be a single discrete behavior or group of related discrete behaviors? Ex: Not working is characterized by the following group of discrete behaviors: drops materials (e.g., pencil) on floor; looks around or away from teacher; puts head on table; slides out of chair onto floor; crawls under table; or pushes materials away from her. 20 20

21. Questions for Mapping Out Defining Behavior What is the escalation sequence of behavior? Pace of escalation: Slow escalation (stewing over time) Rapid escalation ( explosive response) Pace of Recovery Slow recovery (ready to reignite) Rapid recovery (like it never happened) 21 21

22. Questions for Mapping Out Defining Behavior 22 22

23. Behavior Definition for Jason 23 23

24. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns What typically happens right before an incident occurs? Help team members recognize antecedents by “picking through” scenarios. Use flip chart to map out scenarios and help team members recall potential antecedents Have team members recount moment by moment what happened Use pivotal questions such as: If you had to guarantee that the behavior did or didn’t occur, what would you do? 24 24

25. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns What setting events may be influencing or underlying the occurrence of behavior? Setting events are global influences in our life that create a ‘life quality’ context and impact our behavior by: Altering reinforcement value Predisposing us to act in “atypical” ways Reducing our ability to tolerate non preferred conditions Increasing our anxiety 25 25

26. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns Examples of types or categories of setting events to ask about when conducting FBPS: Effective Management of Class and Non Class Settings Relationships and social networks Emotional stressors and burdens Social and coping skill deficits Academic deficits and challenges Underlying medical or physiological conditions 26 26

27. Questions for Mapping Out Behavior Patterns What do adults and peers say or do in response to occurrences of behavior? What do adults say and do in response to the behavior? What do other students say and do in response to the behavior? What is the chronological order of how people respond? What reinforcement might the student derive from the consequence? Does the student get something they want (e.g., attention)? Does the student get out of something they don’t want (e.g., work assignment)? 27 27

28. Example of a Behavior Occurrence ‘Mapped Out’ Jason, 8th Grade student Mix of single teachers and co-teachers classes Off task: Stops working; puts head down; does not initiate following a prompt; waves at teacher; makes comments during instruction Disruptive: Cursing; rude comments; calling out; persistent with trying to have the last word; leaves assigned area/wander; blames others; argues when actions are addressed 28 28

29. Setting Events: • Hard time letting go after incidents (let’s things brew/stew) • Peers do not want to work with him • Lost friends over the course of school year • Self-conscious • Inconsistent with medication • Poor Social skills • Large / unstructured settings (e.g. hallway, cafeteria) • End of day • Antecedent Trigger • Time work Behavior Didn’t initiate work sat doing nothing Immediate Response Peer went and got his work for him Behavior Fidgeted with papers Immediate Response Teacher “why aren’t you working?” Behavior “I don’t want to…I don’t care…” Immediate Response Teacher “why aren’t you working?” Behavior Curses – makes rude comments Gets out of seat Immediate Response Teacher “why aren’t you working?” Peers back teacher up Delayed Response Call parent Assigned detention Behavior Walks out Punches door Immediate Response Calls security Escorted to office

30. FBPS Process • Teacher observes the student is not responding to typical class management strategies • The teacher documents a baseline, completes the F-BIT and uses the information in the F-BIT to select strategies to try • The teacher tries the strategies for 3 weeks* and documents response to intervention • if successful the teacher continues to implement the strategies. • If there is no change or behavior worsens the teacher requests to the next level of intervention: • House or team discussion OR I & RS request

31. Function-Based Information Tool (F-BIT) Short, easy to fill out checklist Includes a place to document a baseline (tally count) of behavior occurrence Helps organize their experiences with the student within the behavior mapping framework Links to the intervention planner so the teacher can select strategies to try prior to I & RS request 31

32. Review the list of behavior expectations and select the behaviors that typically problematic for the student Over 2 weeks document the number of times the behaviors occur

33. Guidelines for Documenting a Baseline • Baseline: a quantified summary of behavior that reflects the average pattern of occurrence. • To make objective and factual decisions about the function of behavior • To develop reasonable incremental criteria for improvement • To make decisions about interventions and intervention schedules 33

34. Documenting a Baseline Document a baseline over a two week period Teacher has a to develop an operationalized definition of behavior Easy strategies for tracking frequency tallies during class: Move paperclips from pocket to pocket Rubber bands (silly bands, bangle bracelets, etc.) from one wrist to another Tally on a post it note or pad of paper Stick a post it on the desk for each occurrence Keep track of the daily tallies on the tally form 34 34

35. Guidelines for Documenting a Baseline • Vary data collection across routines, activities, locations, time of day, and days of the week • Behavior is context related so different settings may have different sets of variables • Behavior can vary day to day • Time of day may be an influential factor • A brief snapshot may be misleading and guide the team to make inaccurate decisions 35

36. Review the list and check those antecedents that most typically trigger behavior

37. Review the list of consequences • Select the responses and the column that represents how you and other students most often respond to occurrences of behavior

38. Synthesize the information you checked off into a when/what/in order to statement This gives you a short, straight forward way to sum up what is going on with the student

39. Given your when/what/in order to statement, why do you think the student is engaging in problem behavior?

40. Classroom Environment Reflection Checklist Checklist with key indicators of a respectful classroom environment Can help identify class level triggers for problem behavior Possible use # 1: teacher(s) to complete along with the F-BIT Possible use # 2: complete as part of observing the student Possible use # 3: Have all teachers complete as part of a school-wide intervention effort 40

41. 41

42. NJ PBSIS Helping Schools Build Systems of Support Using the Intervention Planner to Select Strategies

43. Sample 43

44. All resources and tools can be obtained at: www.njpbs.org Click on the resources tab Select individual student planning at the top of the page Scroll down – all tools, samples, and resources are posted 44