Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans: Legal Requirements and Professional Recommendations

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren W. Collins ◽  
Perry A. Zirkel
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Behavior Intervention ◽  
Legal Requirements ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Functional Behavior Assessments ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
And Behavior

Functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are critical components in the education of students with, or at risk for, emotional disturbance (ED). The purpose of this article is to compare the legal requirements with the professional requirements for FBAs and BIPs. The comparison is first according to the procedural dimension (e.g., the when and how questions) and then on the substantive dimension (the what question). The results reveal a dramatic difference between the legal requirements under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the professional recommendations for best practice. Our recommendation for both scholars and practitioners is not to fuse or confuse these two levels: one representing the mandatory minimum and the other representing the professional desideratum. Rather, due differentiation provides a proper framework for proposed additions to federal and state laws, strategic opportunities for advocacy in the litigation process, and ample latitude for effective choices for prophylactic practice.

Understanding Motivating Operations and the Impact on the Function of Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122
Author(s):  
Doris Adams Hill ◽  
Theoni Mantzoros ◽  
Jonté C. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Motivating Operations ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Special Education Professionals ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Special educators are often considered the experts in their school when it comes to developing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP), yet rarely are they trained much beyond basic antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC). This column discusses concepts that will expand special education professionals’ knowledge to make better decisions regarding interventions for the students they serve. Specifically, the focus is on motivating operations (MO) and function-based interventions and the implications of these on behavior. Knowledge of the concept of MOs can enhance a teacher’s ability to provide evidence-based interventions and more fully developed behavioral interventions for students in their purview.

Commentary on Zirkel: Judicial Rulings Specific to FBAs or BIPs Under the IDEA and Corollary State Laws—An Update

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Horner ◽  
Mitchell L. Yell
Keyword(s):  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Physical Growth ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
And Behavior

The authors discuss the journal article by Perry Zirkel on legal action in regard to functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs). They contend that the Zirkel article opens larger questions that will be central to ongoing discussions at the national, state, district, school, and family levels. Such issues include the role of legal standards to guide quality education, specifically special education; the response of families, communities, and school personnel to problem behaviors; and a focus on the development of a full set of accommodations that result in academic, social, and physical growth rather than just FBA and BIPs.

An Update of Judicial Rulings Specific to FBAs or BIPs Under the IDEA and Corollary State Laws

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perry A. Zirkel
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Special Education Professionals ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior

Exemplifying the insufficient treatment of legal issues in refereed journals in special education and related fields, the limited legal coverage of functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) tends to view the applicable case law through normative lenses. This skewed view characterizes the case law as requiring FBAs and BIPs rather broadly in terms of entitlement and rather rigorously in terms of appropriateness. In stark contrast, this systematic analysis of 91 recent judicial rulings concerning FBAs and BIPs reveals that, aligned with the trajectory of previous court decisions, the outcomes favor the defendant districts on almost a 7:1 ratio and that the pronounced prodistrict trend applies to entitlement as well as appropriateness. Special education professionals need careful differentiation of legal requirements from professional norms to make informed choices about FBAs and BIPs that balance the individual interests and the competing priorities within limited resources of school districts.

Barriers to Implementing Behavior Intervention Plans: Results of a Statewide Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-155
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Robertson ◽  
Anastasia A. Kokina ◽  
Debra W. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Minority Students ◽  
Student Behavior ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Functional Behavior Assessment ◽  
Behavior Intervention ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
Home Life ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Student Problem Behavior

Behavior intervention plans (BIPs) based on a functional behavior assessment are supported by a large body of research showing their potential for positively impacting student behavior; however, research also indicates that many classroom teams struggle to implement BIPs with fidelity. We conducted a statewide survey of over 600 teachers to examine teacher-reported experiences with BIP implementation, including 13 implementation barriers previously identified in the literature. Selecting from the list provided, teachers reported the most prominent barrier to be “the cause of student problem behavior cannot be addressed through a BIP.” In written comments, teachers stated that many behavior problems were at least partially caused by factors beyond teacher control, such as a difficult home life, and perceived BIPs as less effective in these cases. Teachers from urban schools and schools with higher percentages of minority students reported encountering this barrier significantly more frequently. In general, teachers from schools (a) in urban settings, (b) with higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and (c) with higher percentages of minority students reported significantly greater challenges to BIP implementation as well as lower fidelity and effectiveness of BIPs. Other prominent barriers identified by teachers included inconsistent implementation of BIPs across staff, inadequate resources to implement BIPs, and ineffective BIPs. Implications for improving implementation of BIPs in schools are discussed.

Functional Behavior Assessment and Function-Based Intervention Planning: Considering the Simple Logic of the Process

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrance M. Scott ◽  
Justin T. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Functional Behavior Assessment ◽  
Behavior Assessment ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Big Ideas ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Function Based Intervention ◽  
Simple Logic ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
And Function

While functional behavior assessment (FBA) has been a part of special education law and embedded in Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since 1997, a precise definition of what actions or processes constitute a legal FBA has never been adequately addressed in the law. This article provides an overview of the underlying logic of FBA leading to effective function-based intervention. When focusing on a simplification of the logic behind FBA, there are three big ideas that serve as a foundation for considering the intersection of effectiveness and practicality: function matters, FBA requires repeated observations of behavior, and the only purpose of an FBA is to develop an effective intervention. These big ideas are discussed, leading to a conclusion as to how logic and simplicity must share priority in the process.

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