Behavior Intervention Plans

Susanne OkeyWinthrop University

Purpose of FBA’s and BIP’s

To gather the necessary information so that we can “develop effective strategies to address those behaviors that interfere with learning and threaten safety.”

FBA’s and BIP’s

A team effort

FBA’s

Function of behavior To gain something To escape/avoid somethingFBA determines the function of the target behavior

FBA determines the context of the behavior Settings Conditions Types of activities

FBA results in an hypothesis regarding the function of the behavior

“When Adam is asked to complete word problems during math, he curses and throws his book on the floor.”

After completing a FBA the team determined that the function of Adam’s behavior was to avoid the task by being sent to ISS.The team also learned that Adam had difficulty with the language used in the math text book.

Positive Behavior Support

Interventions based on teaching rather than controllingSuppressing inappropriate behavior results in further attempts by student to meet his/her needs, usually in inappropriate waysTeaching new, appropriate behaviors addresses the source and the problem

BIP’s include strategies to:

Teach student more acceptable ways to get what he/she wants, e.g. Replacement behaviorsDecrease future occurrences of the misbehaviorAddress repeated episodes of the misbehavior

Replacement behaviors

Behaviors that serve the same function as the inappropriate behavior Asking to be left alone Using conflict resolution skills Using instructional strategies Tolerating delay Using self-management

techniques

Decrease future occurrences

Setting events that make behavior more likely to occur Physical arrangement of

classroom Management strategies Seating arrangements Sequence of academic

instruction

Decrease future occurrences

Manipulate antecedents Teacher instructions Instructional materials

Decrease future occurrences

Manipulate consequences Precise praise/feedback Principles of reinforcement

DROShaping (successive approximations)

Student contracts Group motivational strategies

Components of a BIP

Identify the function of the behaviorSelect a replacement behaviorDesign a teaching planArrange the environment Develop consequences for desired and undesired behaviorWrite behavioral objectives

Replacement behaviors

Make problem behavior Irrelevant Inefficient Ineffective

Selecting replacement behaviors

Problem: Attention seeking behaviorEffective interventions Keep student from engaging in

inappropriate behavior Teach replacement behavior Practice new behavior Reinforce new behavior

Behavior: Anne pushes other girls on

the playground.Function of behavior: She wants to play with

them.Replacement behavior??

Selecting replacement behaviors

Problem: Escape/avoidance behaviors Teach socially acceptable

replacement behavior such as, asking for help, signals

Provide more appropriate assignments (curricular accommodations)

Provide strategies and/or supports (instructional modifications)

Pair undesired activity with desired activity

Behavior: Sarah ignores teacher requests

to participate in group discussions

Function of behavior: Sarah does not want to look

dumb in front of her friends

Replacement behavior?

Positive interventions must:

Be aligned with assessment informationThere is no “one size fits all” when it comes to replacement behaviorsLearning outcomes must be complemented by: Teacher actions Instructional materials Monitoring systems

Skill deficitsPerformance deficits Motivation Discrimination

Which intervention:

Aligns with function of behaviorIs most appropriate given student needs and present levels of performanceDirectly teaches target behaviorIs least intrusive, least complexWill change behavior quickly and easilyUnlikely to produce negative side effects

Which intervention

Has evidence of effectiveness with targeted behaviorIs most acceptable to person responsible for implementationIs most acceptable to studentIs most likely to promote replacement behavior that occurs and will be reinforced in natural environmentHas most system-wide support