Functional Behavioral Assessments

WELCOME! Paul Knight Nancy Lindahl September 24, 2010 Functional Behavioral Assessments

Your Trainers Paul Knight Principal-Lakeside Academy 3rd year and at Valley Center School for 25 years PBLS Specialist: Specialty Schools School Psychologist Croyden Ave School for 5 years Ph.D. Applied Behavior Analysis

Your Trainers Nancy Lindahl Positive Behavior Support Coach-KRESA 20 years as a middle school Special Ed Teacher MI & NY 10 years as founder and Behavior Specialist of Kalamazoo Advantage Academy

Kresa The Instructional Center, working in collaboration with local districts, state agencies, universities and other intermediate school districts, is involved in all aspects of curriculum and instruction, focused on assisting local districts and school buildings in improving and enhancing student achievement.

Listen Norms Turn off or vibrate cell phones Share Limit Sidebars

Breaks • Lunch • Computer • Bathrooms • Misc.

Review Questionnaire • Why (Rationale and background)

Today’s Agenda • Group Activity: Case Study • The Science of Behavior • Functional Behavior Assessment • Completing your own Assessment • Functional Analysis—The Rest of the Story • F-BSP Teaming • Packets of resources

Task 1a: Case Study Please write a paragraph introducing us to a student whose behavior is problematic. This should be a student you know well enough to describe behavioral issues. Do not use the student’s real name in your description. Share problems within group and then class.

Introduce you to and practice a process to increase your likelihood of developing interventions that will change behavior in the desired direction. Objective for Today • Organize Your Analysis/Thinking • Precision in Language/Communication • Organize the Process • Increase Confidence

School-wide Positive Behavior Support Systems Classroom Setting Systems Nonclassroom Setting Systems Individual Student Systems School-wide Systems

School-wide Systems 1. Common purpose & approach to discipline 2. Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors 3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior 4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior 5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior 6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

Classroom Setting Systems • Classroom-wide positive expectations taught & encouraged • Teaching classroom routines & cuestaught & encouraged • Ratio of 6-8 positive to 1 negative adult-student interaction • Active supervision • Redirections for minor, infrequent behavior errors • Frequent precorrections for chronic errors • Effective academic instruction & curriculum

Nonclassroom Setting Systems • Positive expectations & routines taught & encouraged • Active supervision by all staff • Scan, move, interact • Precorrections & reminders • Positive reinforcement

Individual Student Systems • Behavioral competence at school & district levels • Function-based behavior support planning • Team- & data-based decision making • Comprehensive person-centered planning & wraparound processes • Targeted social skills & self-management instruction • Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations

Summary • Create systems-based preventive continuum of behavior support • Focus on adult behavior • Establish behavioral competence • Utilize data based decisions • Give priority to academic success • Invest in evidence-based practices • Teach & acknowledge behavioral expectations • Work from a person-centered, function-based approach • Arrange to work smarter

Get into groups of 5. Assign a number to each person in your group, 1-5. Find the blue page titled: “Technical Adequacy of the Functional Assessment Checklist.” Read it. Answer the question on the next slide corresponding to your number. Report to your group on your information. Report to whole group and compare responses. Task 2a: Read and Report`

What is functional behavior assessment? What are the sources of data used in an FBA? Is it a research based practice? What is the potential success rate of interventions not using an FBA? Why is a functional analysis less practical or not useful? Task 2b: Read and Report

Some working definitions • Behavior – what someone does (an observable and measurable action) • Behavioral Function – As key aspects of the environment change so does behavior. • Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) - A systematic team process for determining the environmental variables that impact the behavior. • Functional Behavior Analysis – A scientific process for determining the environmental variables that impact behavior (ABC’s, setting events, etc.)

Behavioral Science 101General Concepts

In a function based approach effective solutions to problem behavior focus on environmental events that trigger and maintain behavior. Changing the Way We Think(about problem behavior) • Change the environment rather than fixing the person. • Rarely can problem behaviors be impacted by focusing on within-person pathologies. • This can be a dramatic shift in thinking for many school personnel.

At the foundation of FBA are three major tenets about behavior Changing the Way We Think • Human behavior is functional • Human behavior is predictable • Human behavior is changeable

Human behavior is functional • People behave the way they do for a reason – behavior serves a purpose Changing the Way We Think • The purpose is to obtain something • or • The purpose is to avoid or escape something • Students use effective strategies more often than ineffective strategies

Human behavior is functional • Students use effective/efficient strategies more often than ineffective or inefficient strategies Changing the Way We Think • Students sometimes learn that problem behavior is more efficient for obtaining what they want • Students sometimes learn that problem behavior is more effective for obtaining what they want

Human behavior is predictable • Behavior is a function of the environment (and does not occur in a vacuum) Changing the Way We Think • Environmental conditions can • Set up • Set off • Or, maintain student behavior

Human behavior is changeable • FBA switches the focus from “treatment of within-child pathology” to Changing the Way We Think • Design of effective environmental routines • These routines focus on changing the conditions that set up, set off or maintain problematic behavior • These routines make the problem behavior irrelevant, inefficient, or ineffective``

In An Effective Environment… • Problem behaviors are irrelevantwhen Child doesn’t need to escape anymore Child has access to positive events more commonly • Problem behaviors are inefficientwhen Alternative behavior is available Alternative behavior is taught • Problem behaviors are ineffectivewhen Problem behavior NO LONGER works- it does not get the child what they want to obtain or what they want to avoid.

“Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Definition of Insanity AlbertEinstein

Science of behavior has taught us that students…. • Are not born with “bad behaviors” • Do not learn when presented contingent aversive consequences ……..Do learn better ways of behaving by being taught directly & receiving positive feedback….consider function

Precision in Communication I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. Robert McCloskey, State Department spokesman (attributed)

Interventions in schools should focus on changing behaviors, not treating diagnostic labels, categories, or conditions. Lesson learned through the science of behavior

Task 3: Trait or Behavior • Although people usually view others in terms of personality traits, this model looks at behaviors. See whether you can differentiate between the types of descriptions in the following paragraph. • It may be helpful to use the following: • Behavior = what person does • Trait = what person is

Task 4: Observable Behavior • First work individually and then compare your answers with your tablemates • Complete the Observable vs. Unobservable worksheet

When doing an FBA, using precise language is necessary to complete the assessment, and it helps later in intervention planning. • The numbers we use to describe behavior (frequency, duration, latency, time-of-day) Precision Communication • The words we use to describe human actions (action verbs, topography) • The sequence in which we describe things (patterns of actions, what occurs 1st, 2nd, etc.) • Precise problem statements include info about the core “W’s”: What, Where, Who, and When

Task 1b: Case Study Continued Rewrite/revise the paragraph introducing us to a student whose behavior is problematic. See if you can make your description more precise. You will share revisions within group and then class.

Behavioral Science 201Specific Terminology

Behavior is the result of the interaction between the individual and their environment Antecedent Behavior Consequence Motivation

The A-B-Cs of Behavior Science Antecedent Consequence Behavior Conditions under which behavior is likely to occur Event that maintains the occurrence of behavior Behavior The Three-Term Contingency

“Antecedent” events • What sets off his/her behavior? • Occurs before behavior • When told to get ready for bed, Darius brushes his teeth • When Sally sees a commercial for potato chips, she goes to the kitchen to get a snack • When Andrew sees the police car, he hides in the bushes.

More examples of antecedent or“triggering” events • When a peer teases her walk, Cologne uses verbal profanity • The parent’s directions are triggers for Demetri’s display of verbal noncompliance • When her sister sits next to her, Tristen screams.

Task 1c: Case Study Continued In your case study determine any antecedent or triggering events for your student’s problem behavior. Report to the group/class.

Setting Events • Unique situations/conditions that, when combined with the antecedents/context, increase or decrease in likelihood of the behavior • May not be present • May not be obvious • Need to examine patterns to determine if an event sets up a condition • Examples include: • hunger • social conflict • adequate sleep

Setting events may include medical and health issues • Failing to take regularly delivered medication increases the likelihood that John will yell at his children. • When Susie has physical discomfort associated with sitting for long periods of time, she is more likely to throw down her books and cry.

Other Examples of Setting Events Activity Patterns • When the chore has little variety and involves repetitive tasks, Mary is more likely to ignore her parents when asked to do the work. • Following a change in routine or schedule in Michael’s day, Michael will refuse to leave his assigned table when asked to line up. • On many days, as the time for math class nears Jamal gets sent to the office. Relationships with Others • Kevin is more likely to put his head down and close his book when he has been reprimanded by a teacher earlier in the day. • When Carla has spent the weekend at her father’s house, and her morning routine has been hurried, she is more likely to talk back to teachers and refuse to do what she is asked.

Task 1d: Case Study Continued In your case study determine any setting events for your student’s problem behavior. Report to the group/class.

Consequence events • What happens immediately after the behavior occurs Could be • Environmental • Provided by adult or peer • Internal etc.

Behaviors that result in desirable consequences for the student are more likely to occur in the future Behaviors that result in undesirable consequences are less likely to occur in the future Learning

Functional Behavioral Assessments