Efficient and Effective Process for Completing FBA within a 3-tiered Continuum

Teri Lewis-Palmer

July 11, 2008

Purpose

To describe the critical features of functional behavioral assessment-based behavior intervention planning (FBA-BIP) process.

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•High Intensity

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•Intense, durable procedures

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Universal Interventions•All students•Preventive, proactive

Universal Interventions•All settings, all students•Preventive, proactive

What is FBA?

A systematic problem solving process for developing statements about factors that: Contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of

problem behavior, and More importantly, serve as basis for developing

proactive & comprehensive behavior support plans.

Purpose of FBA

Increase efficiency, relevance, & effectiveness of behavior support interventions.

Improve consistency with which behavior support plans are implemented.

Increase accountability (legal & professional)

Use FBA when…

Students are not successful

Interventions need to be developed

Existing interventions need to made more effective and/or efficient

How do I know if I have done an FBA?

Description of problem behavior

Identification of conditions that predict when problem behavior will and will not occur

Identification of consequences that maintain problem behaviors (functions)

Summary statements or testable hypotheses that describe specific behavior, conditions, and reinforcers

Collection of direct observation data that support summary statements

FBA’s do not…

FBAs guide the development of BIP. They do not result in Eligibility Placement Manifest determination

Can provide information that is useful for all of these of procedures

FBA Misrules

Only one way to collect FBA information, FBA process is basically the same Decisions about methods for collecting data

may vary based on what information need to be collected

Must do everything every time. Base FBA activities on what you know. FBA is systematic behavior support planning process.

Everyone has to know how to do FBA. Small # of people must have high fluency. All people must know process & what to expect. Some individuals must work on sustainability.

FBA is it. One component of comprehensive plan of behavior support.

FBA is only for students with disability Process for behavior of all individuals across multiple settings

Power, authority, control, intimidation, bullying, etc. are functions

Two basic research validated functions Positive reinforcement (get/access) Negative reinforcement (avoid/escape)

Get/Access Avoid/Escape

Peer/Adult Social

Activities/Tasks

Tangibles

Sensory

WHAT ARE FBA STEPS (process)?

1. Collect Information to determine function.2. Develop testable hypothesis or summary statements and indicate

functions.3. Collect direct observation data to confirm summary statement.4. Identify desired and acceptable replacement behaviors.5. Develop behavior intervention plan.6. Develop comprehensive BIP to ensure high fidelity implementation. 7. Develop on-going monitoring system.

Step 1: Collect Information

Multiple sources Student, parent, teacher, etc.

Multiple settings Where it occurs & doesn’t occur

Strengths Reinforcers, goals, hobbies, social skills, academic

achievements, etc.

Step 1….continued

Multiple methods Archival review

Office discipline referrals, behavior incident reports, etc.

Checklist/inventory

FACTS, routine analysis Interview

Brief, student-guided, parent, teacher Direct observation

O’Neill et al., ABC, scatter plot. Etc.

Aaron

Teacher interview, student interview, record review

When Aaron sits next to preferred peers, he talks to them to gain peer attention.

Defining behavior

Must be in operational, observable, or measurable terms. To achieve high agreement between two people.

Aaron

Aaron whispers to three different peers during class instruction and independent and group work time. He will both initiate the interaction and respond to peer initiations. He talks more in science and social studies. Sometimes he talks about class topic.

STEP 2. Develop summary statement.

Testable hypothesis (“objective guess”). Write in observable terms. If not confirmable, collect more information

& restate. Developed from review of assessment

information. Composed of (a) problem behavior, (b)

triggering antecedent, (c) maintaining consequences, & (d) setting events.

Setting events

Factors that make problem behavior worse (more likely to occur, more intense) E.g., illness, fatigue, social conflict, change in

routine,……

Factors that change value of current reinforcers E.g., verbal praise less effective, peer attention more

influential,escaping work more desirable….

Setting Events TriggeringAntecedents

MaintainingConsequences

ProblemBehavior

Testable Hypothesis

Setting Events TriggeringAntecedents

MaintainingConsequences

ProblemBehavior

Testable Hypothesis

Peer proximity

Talks in class

Gain peer attention

None

STEP 3. Collect direct observation data to confirm summary statement

Testable hypothesis Multiple settings Measures of

problem behavior triggering antecedents, maintaining consequences, & setting events

Collect direction information to confirm summary statement.

Appropriate Talking

Preferred peer 55% 45%

Alone 98% 2%

Non-preferred peer 96% 4%

STEP 4. Developing “competing pathways” summary statement

Components Confirmed summary statements

Desired replacement behavior to be displayed in problem situation (behavioral objective)

Alternative replacement behavior that could achieve same outcome as problem behavior

Competing Behavior Pathway

Setting event

NoneAntecedent

Preferred peerProblem Behavior

Talking

Maintaining Consequence

GainPeer attention

Alternative Behavior

Peer helper

Existing Consequence

GradesMore work

Desired Behavior

Work quietly

STEP 5. Develop behavior support plan. Tactics for

discouraging problem behavior, teaching & encouraging desirable & acceptable

replacement behavior, preventing & responding to emergency/crisis situations, & monitoring implementation effectiveness

Emphasis on manipulation of (a) behaviors, (b) antecedents, (c) consequences, & (d) setting events

Guidelines

Design antecedent strategies to make triggering antecedents irrelevant. So they no longer serve as triggers.

Design behavior teaching strategies to make problem behaviors inefficient. So more acceptable behaviors are easier to do.

Guidelines

Design consequence strategies to make maintaining consequences ineffective. So they no longer are present or Are less reinforcing.

Design setting event strategies to eliminate or neutralize effects of setting events. So they have less impact on routines & reinforcers.

Aaron

None

Neutralize

Self-managementsheet

Choice of seating

Teacher precorrection

Irrelevant

Teach Aaron to:- self-assess-self-monitor-self-recruit

Inefficient

Praise/tokens for appropriate(self & peer)

Planned correction

Ineffective

Setting Events

Triggering Antecedents

Teaching Behaviors

Maintaining Consequences

STEP 6. Develop details & routines for full implementation of behavior support plan

Logistics E.g., schedules, people, materials, training,

monitoring Scripts for adults to

Modify structural/routine/environment “Neutralize” setting events Manipulate antecedent & consequence events Teach response/skills Respond to emergency/crisis situations

Setting Events

Antecedents Behavior Consequences

None -Give Aaron self-management sheet-Remind him to work quietly

-Provide choice of seating

-Teach Aaron to self-manage, record, and recruit

Appropriate-Check and initial if correct-Give VISA tickets & praiseInappropriate-Remind him of plan-Redirect to task Weekly-Debrief-Send plan summary home

Generic Plan TemplateBeginning of class -give Aaron self-management sheet

-Remind him to work quietly

When Aaron raises his hand

-check his self-management sheet-initial if accurate-give Aaron VISA tickets & praise

If Aaron talks during class

-Remind him of plan-Redirect to task

At end of class -collect self-management sheet from Aaron-give him praise for efforts/successes

At end of week -debrief on weeks progress-send plan summary home to parents

STEP 7. Monitor & evaluate implementation of behavior support plan.

Data Impact on

student behavior, lifestyle outcomes significant others

Fidelity of implementation

Consider contextual fit (Albin, Lucyshyn, Horner, & Flannery, 1996)

Characteristics of person for whom plan is designed.

Variables related to people who will implement plan.

Features of environments & systems within which plan will be implemented. (p. 82)

Aaron

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 3 6 8 10 12 14 17 20 22 24 26 28 32 34 36 37 39 41 43

Preferred Peer

Alone

Non-Preferred Peer

ABL

ABL

BFunctional Analysis

ABL

CIntervention

CSelf-management

Observations

Big Ideas FBA-BIP is a process designed to increase the

effectiveness and efficiency of individualized behavior support planning.

FBA-BIP is appropriate for all students and all types of problem behavior.

Intensity of FBA-BIP should match intensity of problem and needs of students.

Additional Resources

www.pbis.org Technical assistance guide #1

O’Neill et al (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical handbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole

Setting event

Job StressDeadlines

Antecedent

Family event (e.g., holiday)

Problem Behavior

Host all eventsDo all cooking

Maintaining Consequence

Control

Alternative Behavior

?????

Existing Consequence

Less work

Desired Behavior

Let others host Some events