A FBA is typically requested when a student's problem behaviors don't seem to make sense and/or we cannot figure out WHY the student is engaging in that behavior despite interventions and accommodations.
- Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is a collaborative, systematic, team-oriented data collection process for describing and understanding problem behavior(s) so that more effective, efficient, and relevant behavioral intervention plans can be developed which reduce or eliminate problem behavior(s).
- FBA’s guiding principal is that all behavior is learned, purposeful (serves a basic function), context-specific (i.e. varies depending on environmental, situational, and setting-related variables), and modifiable.
- Click here to access Wicomico County's current Functional Behavior Assessment Form!
What is in a Fba ?
|
WHen is one necessary?A FBA is considered whenever a student has been removed from school for more than 5 school days during a school calendar year, and has never received a FBA prior to this point.
|
Who is involved?Since, by definition, FBA is a collaborative process, no one person or discipline should be given the exclusive task of conducting a FBA. Rather, team members share a mutual responsibility for problem identification as well as intervention planning, which includes implementation, evaluation, modification, and accountability for outcomes.
Team members responsible for data collection and analysis could include, where appropriate:
|
how is a functional behavior assessment done?
Obtain parental consent and decide, as a team, the target behavior(s) (no more than 3!) and decide how the team will collect data.
Once the team agrees upon a plan, a variety of assessment methods can be used in the FBA data collection process. Specific strategies, in addition to record reviews, may include structured interviews with students, parents, and staff; frequency counts; direct observations; questionnaires, checklists, and rating scales.
Here are some sample data collection sheets to get you started.
After a period of 4 - 8 weeks of data collection, the team reconvenes to discuss the data, outcomes, and determine if the formation and implementation of a behavior intervention plan (BIP) is necessary.
Once the team agrees upon a plan, a variety of assessment methods can be used in the FBA data collection process. Specific strategies, in addition to record reviews, may include structured interviews with students, parents, and staff; frequency counts; direct observations; questionnaires, checklists, and rating scales.
Here are some sample data collection sheets to get you started.
After a period of 4 - 8 weeks of data collection, the team reconvenes to discuss the data, outcomes, and determine if the formation and implementation of a behavior intervention plan (BIP) is necessary.