Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Behavioral Supports

1. Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Behavioral Supports 2009 Inclusion Facilitator Network

2. Outcomes Participants will understand how the increase in challenging behavior is impacted by increasing school and student demands Participants will be able to discuss prevention strategies prior to referral for Functional Behavioral Assessment

3. Outcomes Participants will be able to articulate the necessary components of a Functional Behavioral Assessment and an Individualized Positive Behavioral Intervention Plan Participants will be able to share strategies with school teams based on specific functions

4. Think, Pair, Share… Turn to a partner and discuss: Why is your team or your school seeing such an increase in challenging behavior? Share back to the audience the top two reasons you and your partner are seeing an increase in challenging behavior.

5. Why so many challenging behaviors? Increased rigor Full day Kindergarten Auditory Instruction Limited movement breaks Needed professional development Differentiating instruction Collaboration

6. Increasing Demands for School Teams Rigorous curriculum Less flexibility in schedule Need to differentiate Reading interventions Multiple assessments

7. Considerations Look at the physical environment Too noisy? Too many distractions? Physical structure? Schedule need to be adjusted?

8. Considerations Look at the social environment Safety? Behaviors taught and reinforced? Each child valued? Choices?   Incentives? Class Individual Are children taught skills to replace typical “problems”?

9. Considerations Look at the curriculum Challenge level Too high? Too low? Pacing? Slow Fast Variety of learning modes? Variety of groupings?

10. Considerations Is motivation a factor? Is the child reinforced for incompatible behaviors? Individualized reinforcers? Student interests reflected? Activities Materials Is there home-school coordination of reinforcement?

11. Considerations Classroom management? Multiple students in a class are having difficulty? “Problem” student changes Confusing expectations? Noise level is frenetic, not “busy”

12. Priority? Only one child in the class having difficulty meeting social and behavioral expectations? Change in behavior? Is behavior problem in one setting? Which one or two “problem” behaviors to be addressed?

13. 3-2-1 Activity Think of 3 considerations you or your team would like to address and change before referring a student for an FBA. Think of 2 things you learned about how you might change the curriculum or how it is taught that will reduce challenging behavior in your school. Think of 1 social skill all the students in your class or school need further instruction about.

14. What to Do? Hierarchy of Intervention School-wide social skills training School-wide incentive programs Class-wide social skills instruction Class-wide incentive programs Individual student intervention

15. What to Do? School-wide Proactive Programs Character Education Check and Connect Program PBIS

16. What to Do? Class Wide Interventions PBIS Second Step TM Why Try TM Anti-bullying curriculum Class wide incentives Positive praise for all students Ignoring minor infractions Use of active learning

17. When all else fails…Try Individual Positive Behavior Support! Behavior support is the redesign of environments, not the redesign of individuals Pay as much, or more, attention to what happens between problem behavior bouts as to what happens during instances of problem behavior. (Edward Carr) Positive Behavior Support plans define changes in the behavior of those who will implement the plan.

18. First… Functional Behavioral Assessment Functional behavioral assessment is a process for… Operational definition Predictors of problem behavior Maintaining behaviors (function). What are they trying to communicate via their behavior?

19. What are Functions of Behavior? Get or Obtain Social Attention Peer Adult Things or Activities Preferred item Preferred toy Preferred Activity Sensory Stimulation Escape or Avoid Social Attention Peer Adult Things or Activities Non-preferred item Non-preferred activity Sensory Stimulation

20. What might the student be communicating? Given an instruction Prevented from doing something Not receiving any attention Something is taken away Transition to a new activity Has nothing to do Waiting for help or instruction Task given is beyond skill level Low Interest materials presented “I don’t know the answer” “I really want to do that!” “Pay attention to me” “Hey, Give me that it’s mine!” “Where am I going? I’m happy here.” “I’m bored” “I don’t know what to do” “This is too hard, I can’t do it” “This is boring”

21. Who is responsible for FBA? The Collaborative Team!!!

22. Effective Components of FBA Setting Events and Antecedents (what happens before the behavior occurs) • Personnel / peers • Location • Grouping • Activity • Auditory driven instruction • Active learning / Cooperative learning • Academic content

23. Effective Components of FBA • Challenging Behavior Event • (what actually happened) • Observable & measurable • How often (frequency); how long (duration); how long between (latency), or intensity? • What time(s)? • When is the challenging behavior not occurring?

24. Effective Components of FBA Consequence (What happens after the challenging behavior occurs)? Staff response Student response

25. Outcomes of a Functional Assessment Operational definitions of problem behaviors Identification of events that reliably predict occurrence and non-occurrence of challenging behavior Identification of what is maintaining functions Hypothesis statementbased on direct observation data

26. Support Plan Design Intervention Procedures (Positive Supports to Prevent the Behavior from Occurring) Prevention (Make problem behavior irrelevant) Schedule Use of a ‘break card’ Sensory input Choices around assignments Changes to physical environment Curriculum including content& sequence Meaningful instruction

27. Seeking Attention • Attention seeking behavior results when students aren’t getting the recognition they feel they deserve • Adult or peer attention • Positive behavior • on task • completing work • Negative behavior • Calling out • Refusing to work without teacher support • Asking irrelevant questions

28. Strategies for the Attention Seekers… Acceptable ways of gaining attention Earn time with desired or preferred person Provide a peer support or buddy Use reminders Reinforce the correct behavior frequently

29. Escape & Avoidance Students may engage in Escape/Avoidant behavior when he or she has: The need for movement Structure & organization of classroom is poor May need routine, predictability, and clear expectations Skill deficits Instructional demand doesn’t match ability Maintain status Feelings of inadequacy Refuse to participate Withdraw Request to be left alone

30. Strategies for Escape/Avoidance Opportunities for movement Increase predictable routines Break tasks into smaller parts Recognize achievement Provide choices Provide support

31. Seeking Sensory Stimulation A student displaying challenging behaviors to achieve sensory stimulation to: Reduce anxiety Focus and attend to task Relieve boredom or frustration Fulfill a sensory need May be over or under stimulated in certain environments

32. Strategies for the Sensory Stimulation seeker… Provide settings for over and under stimulating situation within the classroom Utilize social stories appropriately access student’s preferred reinforcers Decrease demands Teach students techniques to reduce stress

33. Support Plan Design Teaching New Skills / Replacement Behavior (Make problem behavior inefficient) Replacement skills Social stories Ask for assistance Self-management log / schedule Adaptive skills Not just what we want them to do but will serve the same function

34. Support Plan Design Consequence Interventions Prevent reinforcement of problem behavior Increase reinforcement of replacement behaviors Negative consequences Use of socially acceptable punishers Do not use negative consequences that result in pain, humiliation or tissue damage

35. Support Plan Design Safety Plan/Crisis Plan (if needed) Prevent damage to people, property Prevent reward of problem behavior Prevent “defining” events Members of team have assigned roles and responsibilities Evaluation and Assessment Define what information will be collected Identify who will collect the information Define when and how the information will be used for decision-making. Decide how often it will be reviewed.

36. Communication with Family Can provide valuable information during assessment May share effective strategies Home-school reinforcement

37. Why Do Interventions Fail? Bad data Outcomes not measurable Low quality plan Poor implementation Lack of monitoring Inadequate support Failure to implement/adopt function-based approach

38. Resources Carr, E., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J., Kemp, D., and Smith, C. (1994). Communication-Based Intervention for Problem Behavior: A User’s Guide for Producing Positive Change. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD. Crimmins, D., Farrell, A., Smith, P., Bailey, A. (2007). Positive Strategies for Students with Behavior Problems. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD. Froyen, L. and Iverson, A. (1999). School-wide and Classroom Management: The Reflective Educator Leader. (3rd Edition) Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

39. Resources Jackson, L. and Panyan, M. V. (2002). Positive Behavioral Support in the Classroom: Principles and Practices. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD McIntosh, K., Chard, D., Boland, J., and HornerR., (2006). Demonstration of combined efforts in school-wide academic and behavioral systems andincidence of reading and behavior challenges in early elementary grades. Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions Vol. 8 (3). Kern, L., Gallagher, P., Starosta, K., Hickman, W., and George W. (2006). Longitudinal outcomes of functional behavioral assessment-based intervention.Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions Vol. 8 (2).

40. Websites of Interest: http://rrtcpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/ http://www.pbis.org/ http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/ http://www.polyxo.com/documents/#fba http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/functional_behavior/