FBA in Special Education: Understanding & Addressing Challenging Behavior

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a process that aims to understand the reasons behind a student’s challenging behavior and provide a plan to alleviate the problem that is typically applied to children with disabilities that receive special education. While not all students with IEPs need to undergo this analysis, it is crucially important for those whose behavior is believed to be associated with their disability, is preventing positive educational outcomes, is particularly disruptive, or is considered unsafe for the child, peers, or school staff.

This article provides all the information that districts, schools, and parents need to know about the FBA process, from what it is, through when it is required, to how it is used to address problematic behavior.

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What FBA in Special Education Is

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a concept that is traditionally used in special education. It refers to conducting a structured analysis of the causes of challenging behavior exhibited by K-12 students. The assessment collects data and information about the behavior of the student to provide a hypothesis about the function that the behavior serves to the student. The analysis also looks at the external (environmental) factors and conditions preceding and potentially triggering the behavior and the consequences following and maintaining the behavior.

The ultimate goal is to use the understandings resulting from the functional behavioral assessment to develop a behavior intervention plan (BIP) that improves or eliminates the behavior.

In most cases, FBA is performed on children with disabilities that qualify for an IEP or a 504 plan. However, it is important to note that not all children that qualify for an IEP or a 504 plan require an FBA, as long as their behavior is not considered as problematic, disruptive, and dangerous. Moreover, in some cases, FBAs can be done on students who do not receive special education if their behavior is disrupting the education process or causing troubles at school.

When an FBA Is Required by Law

Functional behavioral assessments are typically associated with students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) though they can also apply to students with 504 plans and even to students without disabilities. Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which forms the legal basis for IEP, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which establishes the basis for 504 plans, offer provisions for functional behavioral assessment for students with different disabilities impacting their education or life activities.

Under federal law, an FBA is a must when a child with a disability is expelled or suspended from school for more than ten consecutive or cumulative days for behavior that is a manifestation of the student’s disability. A manifestation of the disability refers to behavior that is directly related to and/or caused by the child’s disability. An assessment is specifically needed in case of behavior that involves a weapon, illegal drugs, infliction of serious bodily injury, or law enforcement. Even if the behavior is not determined to be a manifestation of the disability, an FBA can be recommended though it’s not obligatory from a legal point of view.

In brief, children with IEPs need to undergo a functional behavioral assessment if they exhibit behavior that is disruptive to the education process, poses a threat to the student, other students, or school staff, or requires a change in educational placement for behavior-related reasons.

An FBA can be requested by individuals who are closely related to the student and involved in their education, in a number of different roles, including:

• Parents/legal guardians: Parents can request an FBA by sending an official letter to the school.
• General education and special education teachers, instructors, and teacher aides
• School admins and staff including principals, counselors, and support staff
• School psychologists
• Behavior specialists
• Members of the IEP team or 504 plan team

Parent consent needs to be given before an assessment can be initiated.

Who Performs an FBA

Functional behavioral assessment is conducted by an FBA team, which is a school team with many members coinciding with members of the IEP team. The team needs to be led by an individual trained in understanding, interpreting, and analyzing behavior, such as a school psychologist or a behavior specialist. In some states, the process has to be headed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Members of the FBA team include:

• School psychologist or behavior specialist
• Teachers
• School staff
• Service providers
• Therapists
• Parents/guardians
• Student

The exact makeup of the team depends on the child and their disability, the type of behavior, and other factors.

How to Perform an FBA Step by Step

To serve its purpose, functional behavioral assessment requires a multi-method approach that has a few components.

The four main components of an FBA are:

• Identification of target behavior(s): Defining the problematic behaviors exhibited by the student that are disrupting the education process
• Antecedent analysis: Finding out the situation or event that happens right before the onset of the problematic behavior
• Behavior description: Observing and recording the exact behavior that is deemed inappropriate in the school environment and problematic
• Consequence analysis: Figuring out what happens immediately after the behavior occurs

In other words, an FBA follows the ABC model in psychology, where the ABC abbreviation stands for Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence.

Additional components of the assessment include:

• Hypothesis development: Establishing a hypothesis that explains the function of the behavior
• Data collection: Gathering data and information about the behavior using different methods and approaches
• Direct observation: Observing the student behavior and recording it in a systematic, organized manner
• Behavior intervention plan development: Working out a plan that aims to address and correct the problematic behavior

Based on these components, the step-by-step process of performing functional behavioral assessment covers:

1. Identifying the behavior that’s raising concern: The first step in the FBA process is to define the problematic behavior of the student. This has to be done in an objective and specific manner, using measurable language. The behavior definition needs to explain what exactly it is that the student does that is posing a problem, a challenge, or a threat at school as well as when it occurs.
2. Collecting direct and indirect data: The second step in the functional behavioral assessment is data and information gathering. This step requires the use of different data collection methods, including but not limited to interviews with teachers, school staff, parents, and the student themselves; review of records such as the IEP document, discipline reports, and teacher notes; and using behavioral rating scales or behavioral checklists. In addition, direct observation of the student needs to be applied using the ABC model to identify the antecedent to the behavior, the behavior itself, and the consequence of the behavior. All gathered data and information should aim to identify the frequency of the behavior, the intensity, the factors/events affecting it, the antecedents, and the consequences as well as the assumed function of the behavior.
3. Analyzing the data: Once sufficient direct and indirect data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed with the aim of identifying patterns in the behavior as well as triggers of the behavior. The data analysis should establish when the behavior occurs, what triggers it, what happens before and after the behavior, and what role(s) adults and peers play in incidents. In other words, the analysis of data should try to address the function of the behavior.
4. Formulating a hypothesis: The next step in the FBA process is developing a hypothesis about the function of the behavior. This means understanding why the student misbehaves at times and what they hope to achieve with this type of behavior. This can refer to academic or behavioral skill deficit or performance deficit. This explanation of the reasons behind the challenging behavior is key to preparing a plan that helps address the issue.
5. Developing a BIP: As soon as the team understands why the child behaves in the way that they do, they can put together a behavior intervention plan (BIP). The behavior support plan should cover strategies that address antecedents, offer replacement behaviors, and establish consequences in case the problematic behavior continues.
6. Implementing the plan: Once the plan has been created, it should be applied.
7. Monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting the plan: As soon as the implementation of the plan starts, the team needs to start monitoring the degree of implementation and the behavior of the student. It should be monitored whether the problematic behavior is changing and whether the student is using the provided replacement behaviors. If progress is not achieved as expected, the team needs to reevaluate the plan, formulate a new hypothesis, and adjust the BIP accordingly.

Functional behavioral assessments are multi-step processes that might need to be repeated a few times until the behavior of concern is correctly identified, explained, and modified to improve academic and non-academic outcomes for the student.

Types of FBAs

There are three main types of functional behavioral assessments regarding the different methods in which data and information about the challenging behavior can be collected. These three methodologies need to be applied together in order to provide a comprehensive assessment that can lead to optimal results for the student, their peers, teachers, and parents.

The three types of FBAs include:

Indirect FBA Procedures

Indirect FBA, also referred to as informant methods, relies on the collection of indirect data about the student’s behavior. In other words, these are all the strategies that involve third-party sources and do not directly involve observation of the student.

Popular examples of indirect FBA procedures include:

• Interviews with the child’s parents/guardians, general education teachers, special education teachers, school staff, related service providers, therapists, and the student themselves
• Questionnaires distributed among teachers, school staff, and parents
• Review of discipline records
• Behavioral rating scales
• Behavioral checklists

These methods help identify patterns in the behavior and start understanding the potential triggers and the possible function of the behavior. While indirect FBA is a good starting point, it is not enough to get a clear picture.

Direct FBA Procedures

Direct FBA, also known as descriptive assessment or direct observation, refers to real-time observations of the student who is being assessed. This observation needs to be conducted over a period of time, covering different settings and times, and should be guided by the ABC method.

Direct observation aims to clearly identify and define the antecedents to the behavior, the behavior, and the consequences of the behavior. It should take note of when the behavior occurs, how often it occurs, in what settings and situations, what triggers it, what happens after it, how different adults and peers are involved, how they react to the behavior, and what role they play in it.

While this type of FBA is crucially important for understanding patterns, it is not enough to specify the function of the behavior.

Functional Analysis

Finally, functional analysis, also referred to as experimental analysis, is a controlled type of FBA that aims to test the hypothesis of the FBA team. Qualified, trained members of the team purposefully manipulate different variables in a controlled setting to test working hypotheses and understand the exact impact of various factors on the student’s behavior. Both antecedents and consequences get manipulated to observe their direct impact on the behavior.

Functional analysis produces the most accurate results in terms of understanding and confirming the behavior function. However, it needs to be done in a controlled environment by trained specialists to avoid negative effects. Moreover, it cannot be conducted on its own as direct and indirect methods are required to form the basis for the hypotheses that get tested under experimental analysis.

Role of Parents and Students in the FBA Process

Parents play a major role in functional behavioral assessments as they are key figures in the education of their child.

In specific, parents have the following functions:

• Parents can request an FBA from the school in writing if they are concerned by certain types of behavior exhibited by their child.
• Parents need to provide written consent before an FBA can be done.
• Parents provide valuable information during the data gathering stage. They can participate in interviews and questionnaires to share insights into their child’s behavior at home and outside school which other members of the FBA team don’t have. Parents’ contributions are crucial for understanding the whole child and not only the student at school.
• Parents participate in FBA meetings to discuss and review the findings of the assessment, identify antecedents and consequences, look for triggers, hypothesize about the function, and work out strategies that can help address the behavior.
• Parents collaborate with the rest of the FBA team on developing a behavior intervention plan. They can contribute to strategies that are likely to be effective with their child, rewards and motivations that might work best, consequences that are expected to have the biggest impact, and methods that can be applied at home.
• Parents contribute to the implementation of the BIP by applying specified strategies at home. It is important to ensure consistency in implementation at home and at school to achieve the best possible results.
• Parents help monitor progress by observing behavior at home, noting what works and what doesn’t, and sharing observations with the rest of the team.
• Parents can request a review of the plan in case it doesn’t produce the expected results.

Students also have a major role in the FBA process though its importance is sometimes overlooked and undermined.

Students are directly involved in the following manners:

• The student is a member of the FBA team.
• The student participates in the indirect data gathering process via interviews, questionnaires, and other methods. In specific, the team needs to do everything possible to understand the student’s perspective as they can provide crucial information about the triggers of the behavior and the function that it has.
• The student is the subject in the direct observation step.
• The student can attend the FBA meetings to understand and discuss the findings, explain the behavior, and look for effective ways to change it.
• The student can contribute to the formulation of the BIP by sharing their thoughts on what would work best and what would not bring the desired results.
• The student can help monitor progress as this contributes to developing self-awareness and accountability.

For functional behavioral assessments to work effectively, all stakeholders should work together as partners who have the common goal of helping the child with problematic behavior correct this behavior in the most appropriate manner, based on their specific situation.

FBAs vs BIPs

Functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are two related, yet different concepts in special education that are frequently confused or even used interchangeably when they refer to two distincts notions. In specific, FBA is the multi-step process that evaluates and aims to explain a student’s behavior to lead to the creation of a BIP that strives to address and correct this behavior. In a way, the behavior support plan is the product or the output of the assessment process.

What a BIP Is

A behavior intervention plan (BIP) is a written document that is based on the findings of an FBA and designed to reduce incidents of problematic behavior by teaching positive alternatives and providing consequences. BIPs are highly personalized and individualized as they are created in line with the specific needs and requirements of each student. While there are general BIP templates to follow in terms of required sections and elements, there is no one-size-fits-all model that can be applied to all children.

The purpose of a behavior intervention plan, sometimes referred to as a behavior support plan, is to improve the student’s behavior for better academic and non-academic outcomes at school, more positive relationships with teachers, school staff, and peer students, and smoother processes outside school.

What Goes Into a BIP

Despite the need for personalization based on the specific conclusions of the functional behavioral assessment, all BIPs need to cover the following:

• Target behavior: A BIP starts out by describing the problematic behavior(s) the incidents of which need to be decreased or entirely eliminated via the strategies included in the rest of the plan. In addition, the plan might list desired behavior(s) the frequency of which should be increased.
• Function of the behavior: Next, the plan outlines the function of the problematic behavior as identified and understood by the FBA team. This explains the reasons behind the behavior.
• Antecedents to the behavior: These are a few bullet points that explain the specific events or situations that usually happen right before the onset of the behavior. These are considered to be the triggers of the behavior.
• Consequences to the behavior: These are a few bullet points that list the events that typically occur immediately after the behavior.
• Replacement behaviors: These are positive behaviors that aim to replace the problematic behavior by offering the same function and fulfilling the same need for the student. This is what the child should aim to do instead of engaging in the challenging behavior under circumstances that usually trigger it.
• Preventive strategies: Preventive strategies, or proactive strategies, are interventions and changes to the environment that are continuously applied by the FBA team or the student themselves to reduce the risk of episodes of the problematic behavior. In other words, these are specific actions that aim to remove the triggers from the environment.
• Skill-building strategies: Skill-building strategies, or teaching strategies, are targeted interventions that aim to teach the student new skills or behaviors that can achieve the same outcomes (function) as the problematic behavior in a more positive and constructive way. These new skills should support the implementation of the replacement behaviors.
• Reinforcement strategies: Reinforcement strategies provide specific positive reinforcements or rewards that the student will be awarded for using appropriate behavior/replacement behavior. These rewards need to be meaningful and valuable to the child in order to be effective.
• Reactive strategies: Reactive strategies, or response strategies, are interventions or reactions that are applied by adults when the problematic behavior occurs in order to minimize the behavior and to prevent it in the future. Reactions should eliminate the positive function of the negative behavior as perceived by the student so that they refrain from resorting to this behavior again and look for replacement behavior options.
• Emergency intervention strategies: Emergency interventions, or a crisis plan, refer to actions that need to be taken in case the situation with the problematic behavior reaches a dangerous level, posing a threat to the student, teachers, school staff, peers, parents, or anyone else. This usually refers to restrictive procedures to control incidents of physical aggression.
• Responsible parties: The BIP should specify the persons who are responsible for implementing each part of the plan by assigning specific roles to FBA team members and other involved parties.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Finally, the plan needs to describe how progress will be tracked and monitored, what methods will be used, and how often reporting will be done. In addition, the plan should specify how often the FBA team needs to meet and review the BIP.

Behavior intervention plans might be anything between a single page and a multi-page document, depending on the findings of the functional behavioral assessment and the necessary strategies and interventions. Once the plan has been finalized, it needs to be reviewed by the FBA team members and agreed upon by all of them in order to provide for an effective implementation.

Bottom Line

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) provides the mechanisms to help students who receive special education deal with problematic behaviors that originate from their disability and disrupt the education process. This assessment requires a team of professionals and caregivers, including a trained psychologist or behavior specialist, to analyze the behavior, identify the antecedents and consequences, find out the function, and create an effective behavior intervention plan (BIP) that offers the necessary strategies and interventions to address and change the negative behavior with more positive alternatives that fulfill the same function.

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