Understanding Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) in Special Education

Student behaviors can sometimes interfere with learning, presenting challenges for educators and families alike. A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) offers a systematic approach to understanding the reasons behind these behaviors, paving the way for effective intervention strategies. This article delves into the definition, process, and significance of FBAs in special education, emphasizing their role in fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments.

What is Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?

A functional behavior assessment (FBA) is a systematic set of strategies used to determine the underlying function or purpose of a behavior so that an effective intervention plan can be developed. The Department of Education (Department) believes that the use of evidence-based practices organized within an implementation framework, such as a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), can help schools and early childhood programs shift toward implementing positive, proactive, and preventative approaches to address student behaviors that interfere with learning.

Key Components of an FBA

FBA consists of describing the interfering or problem behavior, identifying antecedent or consequent events that control the behavior, developing a hypothesis of the behavior, and testing the hypothesis. By considering the antecedent-behavior-consequence relationship, the FBA documents the function, or purpose, an interfering behavior serves. Data collection is an important part of the FBA process.

Describing the Behavior

An FBA should include a clear, specific, measurable, observable, and objective description of the behavior that interferes with learning. The description of the interfering behavior should be sensitive to cultural and linguistic differences and be written using objective observations free from bias and judgment. An FBA starts by defining the student’s behavior in a specific and objective way. For example, instead of saying the student is "defiant," the team might say the student "rips up worksheets and doesn’t respond when asked to show work in math class."

Identifying Antecedents

Finding out the situation or event that happens right before the onset of the problematic behavior.

Identifying Consequences

Figuring out what happens immediately after the behavior occurs.

The Importance of Data Collection in FBA

Collect and analyze direct data (e.g., classroom observations) to record when the behavior happens and when it does not happen (referred to as occurrence and non-occurrence). Collect and analyze indirect data (e.g., interviews with teachers) on when the behavior happens and when it does not happen.

Common Intervention Strategies

Often, educators use functional communication training (FCT), differential reinforcement, response interruption/redirection, extinction, and stimulus control/environmental modification to address these behaviors in learners with autism.

The Evolving Role of FBAs

While FBAs have traditionally been used to support students with disabilities who receive services through an individualized education program (IEP), the use of FBAs has evolved, and they are now widely seen as helpful to students with and without disabilities. The Department believes that FBAs can and should be used as a strategy to support any student whose behavior interferes with learning. By using FBAs, educators can gain a better understanding of a student’s needs by identifying factors that contribute to the behavior’s occurrence.

Why are FBAs Important?

Student behaviors that interfere with learning and overreliance on exclusionary discipline continue to be among the top concerns of educators and families. It is critical that we better understand student behavior, including how students’ lived experiences, such as peer pressure, poverty, social media, discrimination, and trauma, may impact behaviors that interfere with learning in the classroom. When students are removed from their learning environments, students miss critical opportunities to receive the academic and behavior support they need. These negative impacts affect some groups of students more than others. This is also why our efforts must focus on implementing evidence-based practices that support students’ needs.

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Addressing Exclusionary Discipline

A common response to student behavior that interferes with learning has been to remove the student from their learning environment through exclusionary discipline, such as through the use of suspensions, expulsions, or informal removals.

Federal Support for FBAs

Numerous federal funding sources, including the IDEA, Titles I, II and IV of the ESEA and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Grant Program, for example, can support the professional development of educators and broader implementation of FBAs, as long as all applicable program requirements have been met. Additionally, the Department and its technical assistance partners provide free, high-quality, evidence-based, practical resources on a range of topics, including FBAs, that help address the behavioral needs of students with and without disabilities.

The FBA Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The FBA process involves several key steps, ensuring a thorough understanding of the behavior and the development of effective interventions.

Step 1: Define the Challenging Behavior

An FBA starts by defining the student’s behavior in a specific and objective way.

Step 2: Gather and Analyze Information

Next, the team pulls together information and data about the behavior. It may look at school records, interview staff who know and work with the student, and screen or test the student. The goal is to answer questions like:

When and where is this behavior happening?
Where is it not happening?
How often is the behavior occurring?
Who is around when it occurs?
What tends to happen right before and right after the behavior?

The student can provide this information, too. Only kids know how they feel in the moment. Asking them to keep track of feelings and emotions helps the team. The team might also note how classmates react.

Step 3: Find Out the Reason for the Behavior

Using the information collected, the team makes their best guess about what’s causing the behavior. It may be that the student is trying to escape or avoid something, for example.

Step 4: Make a Behavior Intervention Plan

Finally, led by the school psychologist or a behavior specialist, the team creates the behavior intervention plan (BIP). The plan helps teach and encourage positive behavior by the student. Often, as the team learns more, it will need to adjust the plan.

Developing a Behavior Support Plan (BSP) or Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

Following the completion of an FBA, often a behavioral support plan (BSP) or behavioral intervention plan (BIP) is created to support the student and assist educators in developing a learning environment that addresses the student’s needs. Typically, the creation and implementation of a BSP or BIP is a collaborative effort which may include the student’s teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, school leaders, school counselors, psychologists or other mental health personnel, parents and, if appropriate, the student. Some schools have student assistance or support teams that could assist with developing and monitoring such a plan. This plan includes strategies for redesigning the student’s current learning environment, implementing behavioral and instructional supports and strategies, and focusing on educator decision-making and responses that can support inclusive educational environments. Each educator who is responsible for implementing the behavioral plan should have access to, and an understanding of, the behavioral plan to enable effective implementation. As described above, an FBA and function-based approach to teaching and learning inform the development of a BSP/BIP and can address how educators respond to and implement strategies that anticipate and mitigate behaviors that interfere with learning.

Skill Development

After analyzing the data, educators utilize the information to identify what social, emotional, or academic skills must be further developed to support the student in using the new skills at appropriate times.

Examples of FBA in Action

An FBA may show that a student who repeatedly calls other students inappropriate names during recess may be doing so because the student wants to develop friendships but is unaware of how to get the attention of peers in a positive way. An FBA may reveal that a student who repeatedly talks during silent, independent writing time is doing so to avoid a task that the student finds difficult (writing). With this information, educators can develop a plan that uses strategies to address the challenges the student has with writing for extended periods of time. These strategies may include breaking a longer assignment into smaller segments, scaffolding writing assignments, and teaching the student appropriate strategies for how to approach a difficult assignment and feelings of frustration.

Who Benefits from FBAs?

An FBA can be useful for any student whose behaviors interfere with learning. Students with and without disabilities may exhibit behavior that interferes with their ability to access and participate in their learning environment. This interfering behavior may include externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression or speaking out-of-turn) and internalizing behaviors (e.g., withdrawing or excessive sadness).

The Role of Professionals in FBA

The planning and implementation of an FBA and behavioral plan benefits from professionals who are adequately prepared and skilled. An effective FBA and behavioral plan can occur when professionals who have the necessary skills, training, and knowledge to identify, analyze, and address the interfering behaviors of students collaborate and actively engage parents and students in the process. Examples of such professionals may include general and special educators, early childhood education providers, specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, school counselors), behavioral specialists, administrators, and community-based professionals. These professionals provide a unique and valuable contribution to better understand the purpose of a student’s behavior and to design and implement a plan that responds to the behavior (e.g., BSP or BIP).

Collaborative Partnerships

Collaborative partnerships between educators, parents, and students during the planning, implementation, and review of an FBA and BSP/BIP are important. Developing collaborative partnerships between school or early childhood program-based personnel and parents can contribute to the successful creation, implementation, and review of an FBA and subsequent development of strategies and supports. An effective FBA is developed by a team that includes professionals with technical expertise, school staff who are knowledgeable about the curriculum and the environment, and parents who know their student’s unique learning history to ensure strategies are contextually and culturally relevant. Parents can provide valuable insight and feedback about the student’s behavior to help inform the FBA process. Additionally, including the student (as appropriate) in an FBA process can improve the likelihood of success in implementing the BSP or BIP and provide additional insight and information.

A Problem-Solving Approach

An FBA and BSP/BIP are strategies that should support a student’s access, participation, and engagement in their learning environment. An FBA should be approached from a problem-solving perspective that focuses on identifying factors that contribute to the student’s behavior. This approach should emphasize the notion that through a better understanding of factors influencing the student’s behavior, changes can be made to the student’s current environment to support greater access, participation, and engagement.

FBAs and Students with Disabilities

The cornerstone of the IDEA is that each eligible student with a disability receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that provides special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications or supports for school personnel, designed to meet the student’s unique needs and prepares the student for future education, employment, and independent living. For years, data have demonstrated clear disparities in the use of discipline for students with disabilities. To address these disparities, OSEP has emphasized the importance of creating safe and supportive learning environments that use evidence-based practices and strategies to support and respond to the needs of students with disabilities. As with any student whose behavior interferes with learning, FBAs for students with disabilities may be conducted as a screening for instructional purposes or as a review of existing data, including classroom observations, which may be part of the school’s overall MTSS or PBIS. As noted above, FBAs are conducted for students whose behavior interferes with learning and should be individualized and relate to the environmental and behavioral circumstances by using data sources that include observation and interviews.

Example Scenario: Morning Transition Challenges

During morning transition periods of the school day, such as moving from class to class, a student with an IEP engages in name-calling of other students, cursing, and intentionally bumping into peers. The school’s hall monitor provided all students with reminders of appropriate behaviors and expectations, and teachers facilitated class discussions about the importance of using kind words and treating each other respectfully when transitioning between classes. The IEP Team, which includes the student’s parents, convened and decided to conduct an FBA. Together, the IEP Team created a description of the behavior that is objective, clear, specific, measurable, and culturally and linguistically responsive. Then, the IEP Team determined the indirect and direct data the school-based IEP Team members would collect. The school-based IEP Team members - which consisted of a school counselor, special education and general education teachers, and a paraprofessional - collected data on when the student’s behavior occurred, when it did not occur, and how frequently the behavior occurred. After collecting the data, the IEP Team reconvened to analyze the data, which also included reviewing the student’s attendance records, reflecting on conversations with the student, and listening to and discussing insight from the student’s parents. The IEP Team determined that the student’s behaviors occurred only during morning transition times and on days when the student arrived late to school. The IEP Team hypothesized that the function of the student’s behavior was to obtain adult attention. With this information, the IEP Team, which includes the student’s parents, developed a behavioral intervention plan (BIP) to support on-time arrival to school, including strategies to support the student on late arrival days, such as check-ins with a trusted adult within the school, teaching the student appropriate ways of asking to meet with an adult, and intentional relationship building between selected adults (e.g., the hall monitor) and the student.

Parental Rights

As with all evaluations, the parents of a child with a disability have the right to an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense if the parent disagrees with the evaluation obtained by the public agency.

When Parental Consent is Needed

As noted in this document, an FBA may also be used in situations when an LEA is not evaluating or reevaluating a child for eligibility or continued eligibility for special education and related services, and identifying academic and functional needs, under the IDEA. In such circumstances, the IDEA does not require parental consent, but parents, and the student as appropriate, may provide important information related to the FBA, and any subse…

The Role of FBAs in Addressing Problematic Behavior

FBAs help the IEP team understand the cause of problem behaviors, such as hitting, disrupting class, refusing to do work, etc. The FBA should guide the IEP team in the development of positive behavior interventions that will help the student replace his/her problem behaviors with more appropriate ones.

Determining the Function of Behavior

Trying to figure out the motivation for the student’s behaviors is a difficult task. The particular setting or activity the student is in when the behavior occurs (e.g., the classroom vs. Specific conditions when the behavior occurs (was the student alone? working in a group? Direct assessments, such as observing the student in different settings should be used. Indirect assessments are also informative and should be used. Indirect assessments include a review of records, interviews with teachers, parents, resource/special education teachers, and the student. Many times the behavior serves a function that is not directly observable, e.g., the desire to appear smart or being insecure about certain social situations can affect behavior. After collecting the information, the function of the behavior must be determined. Keep in mind, there may be several reasons why a student engages in poor or inappropriate behavior. It could be a means for avoiding a bad outcome. It may be a result of frustration or anger over the lack of a particular skill. For example, suppose reading is James’ weakness. Observation notes may show that most of his misbehavior occurs during “read along” time. Problem behavior could also be a result of performance weaknesses, where certain conditions cause the student to behave poorly.

Developing a Written Description

Once the problem behavior is identified, it should be described as specifically as possible. When as much information has been gathered about the problem behavior as possible, a written description of the behavior and the function it serves should be developed. For example, “Andi disrupts reading circle by blurting out answers and coughing loudly.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs)

Once the FBA is complete, the IEP team develops (or revises) the student’s BIP. The BIP should be written so that it focuses on positive interventions, strategies, and reinforcements. These should be individualized to the needs of the student. Punishment has negative consequences without teaching the student how to modify his/her behavior. The BIP should include a number of different strategies for each identified behavior. Strategies are plans that identify skills needed to help students behave properly. The strategies identify ways to teach the student how to get what he/she wants or needs through acceptable behavior.

Key Components of a BIP

Teaching acceptable replacement behaviors that serve the same function as the improper behavior.
Changing the events or activities that often occur just before the inappropriate behavior happens.
Improving the outcomes of the desired behavior.
Program changes include changing the setup of the classroom, instructional techniques, or curriculum.
Additional aids and services include supports designed to address factors beyond the school setting where the misbehavior occurs.

The Importance of Praise

Praise for the desired behavior is critical for maintaining positive behavior. Praise or encouragement techniques should be based on information from the FBA. If the student was singled out for improper behavior, i.e., was called down when blurting out answers, then the student should be praised twice as much for the desired behavior.

Reviewing and Changing BIPs

It is important to remember that BIPs can be reviewed and changed as necessary. If a student with a disability already has a BIP, but faces a suspension of more than ten days, the IEP team must hold a meeting to discuss any changes that may be necessary for better behavioral outcomes. Functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans are preventive medicine in the IEP process.

FBAs and Section 504 Plans

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) should be a part of a student’s Section 504 Plan if the student’s behavior substantially interferes with the ability to learn in the regular classroom. This includes students who are frequently suspended, including “in-school” suspensions. 504 Committees should use strategies and procedures similar to those described in this fact sheet for IEP teams under IDEA.

Three Situations When the FBA Process is Completed

As part of a special education evaluation: The evaluation team will look at all aspects of a student’s learning. This may include an FBA if the team thinks behavior is getting in the way of the student’s learning or their classmates’ learning.
If new behavior concerns arise: If a child already has an or a , the school may do an FBA if new behavior concerns come up. By law, schools have to do an FBA whenever not doing one would deny kids a free appropriate public education.
In certain school discipline situations: If a student is disciplined for behavior that is caused by or had a direct relationship to their disability, then an FBA is required. It’s also required when law enforcement, weapons, drugs, or serious injury are involved.

Who Leads the FBA Process?

A member of the school team or Area Education Agency (AEA) who has experience and training in writing FBAs leads this process. The team may interview parents for the FBA. Parents can provide insight on what has been tried in the past and what strategies work or don’t work at home. They can also share recommendations from a therapist or other outside providers.

What if You Disagree with the FBA?

If you disagree with the FBA, there are formal and informal options available for parents to address concerns.

The Four Main Components of an FBA

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

Additional Components of the Assessment

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

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.

Indirect FBA Procedures: Relies on the collection of indirect data about the student’s behavior.
Direct FBA Procedures: Refers to real-time observations of the student who is being assessed.
Functional Analysis: A controlled type of FBA that aims to test the hypothesis of the FBA team.

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

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