Gathering Data

Amanda Zbacnik; Staci Gilpin

2 Gathering Data

Introduction

When a student engages in problem behavior, it is crucial to understand the underlying reason behind it. The Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)/Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) process is a systematic approach to understanding the function of behavior and developing effective interventions. In this chapter, we will delve deeper into the FBA/BIP process, focusing on identifying the target behavior, collaboration, data collection, ethical considerations, and types of assessments.

We will follow the story of Ed, a middle school student, and examine how the FBA/BIP process was implemented to address his problem behavior. Doing so will help us better understand how this process can be applied in real-world scenarios. So, let’s dive in and explore the FBA/BIP process!

Meet Ed

Ed (he/him) is a white 13-year-old 7th grader whose preferred pronouns are he/him. His primary disability is Other Health Impairment (OHD) per his Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and due to a medical diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He receives services specifically related to his behaviors, organization, and math. He lives in a suburb of Madison, WI., with his biological mother, stepfather, and two high school-age siblings. His biological father is in and out of prison, yet he spends time with Ed when he can. Ed enjoys playing on his computer, watching tv, and spending time with his family- specifically his cousins, as they are closer to his age. Ed often talks about his desire to attend college and be a police officer or doctor.

In school, Ed’s teachers report he has strengths in his comprehension of material and ability to provide insights in class discussions. But Ed’s math ability is much lower than his reading ability, likely impacted by his medical conditions. These medical needs manifest in an unwillingness to complete undesirable activities and a consistent level of distractibility likely caused by deficits in social and executive functioning skills. Further, Ed struggles with friendships as he can be irritable and argumentative. His teachers shared that he completes only about 50% of his homework. To support these needs, he has received special education support since preschool. First as a student with a Developmental Delay, then as a student with OHI due to his diagnoses of ADHD – combined type, anxiety disorder, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder. Despite his struggles, Ed spends most of his day in the general education classroom. Below are highlights of Ed’s IEP:

Areas of Need:

Ed needs to increase his social skills.
Ed needs to increase his executive functioning skills, such as regulating attention and emotions and organizing and completing assignments.
Ed needs to increase his math calculation and problem-solving skills.

Special Education Supports:

Resource math with Mary (she/her) working on math calculation and organization.
Social skills classes with Annette (she/her) to work on self-regulation and problem-solving
One-to-one meetings with Annette (she/her), the school social worker, four times a month.

Accommodations/Modifications:

Ed can take a break to regulate his emotions or talk with a trusted adult.
Ed will have access to repeated and visual directions.
Ed will have access to preferential and alternative seating.
Ed will be given subtle redirection if he is observed to be off-task.
Ed will have access to fidgets.
Ed will be given extended time to finish assignments or tests.

Think, Write, Share 1

Using information from this chapter, previous chapters, and your research, respond to the following prompts about Ed:

What are his strengths and interests? Area(s) of need?
What school, community, and cultural factors might be impacting him?
How does Ed’s behavior differ from typical development regarding the following aspects: (1) Cognitive, (2) Social-emotional, (3) Communication, (4) Motivation, and (5) Learning? Provide a rationale for your assertions.
Critique the supports that are in place for him. Provide a rationale.
What are your initial thoughts about how the existing support might be improved, and what additional supports should be added? Provide a rationale for your recommendations.
What questions do you have?

FBA/BIP Process

It’s important to note that the FBA process is ongoing and may need to be revisited periodically to ensure that the interventions are effective and the student’s needs are met. Collaboration and communication among the FBA team members, parents, and other stakeholders are crucial for the success of the FBA process and the implementation of effective interventions. Table 2.1 provides an overview of the five steps. The steps involved in the FBA/BIP process are:

Prioritize the problem and define the challenging (target) behavior based on its severity and impact on the student’s educational and social experiences.
Convene the FBA team, which should include individuals who know the student with challenging behavior well and have expertise in FBA and function-based intervention strategies.
Collect FBA data, which systematically gathers information about the problem behavior, its antecedents, and its consequences to develop a hypothesis statement about the environmental contingencies likely maintaining the behavior.
Form a hypothesis statement that summarizes the information gathered from the FBA process and identifies the function or purpose of the problem behavior. This helps in developing function-based interventions that modify the challenging behavior.
Develop function-based interventions that reduce or prevent the problem behaviors, aiming to improve the individual’s quality of life and remove barriers to success in home, school, and community settings. Check to ensure the interventions you selected will provide an alternative way to access the need defined in the function.
Regularly reviewing and updating plans is crucial to ensure strategies remain effective and relevant. If a student’s environment changes, it’s important to gather new information to determine how the behavior may have changed and what new strategies may be necessary. It’s also better to implement a few carefully selected interventions with fidelity than to try many strategies inconsistently.

*Table 2.1 “FBA /BIP Process”*
Action	Document	Description
1. Identify the target behavior	FBA	-Determine whether an FBA is needed -Understand and follow legal mandates and procedural guidelines for FBA -Prioritize and define challenging behaviors
2. Convene the IEP team	FBA	-Gather the student/s critical stakeholders -Secure expert team members, as appropriate -Meet to discuss initial thoughts about target behavior -Plan data collection
3. Collect data	FBA	-Collect data on the problem behavior, its antecedents, and its consequences -Direct & Indirect sources
4. Form hypothesis statements	FBA	-Develop concise statements about environmental contingencies for each behavior based on the data
5. Develop function-based interventions	BIP	-Develop strategies to modify motivations, stimuli, and consequences. -Check to ensure the interventions you selected will provide an alternative way to access the need defined in the function.
6. Implement & Monitor	BIP	-Plans should be reviewed and updated regularly (approximately every 6 weeks). -If a student changes environments, new information should be gathered to determine if & how the behavior has changed and, thus, what new strategies could be considered. -It is better to implement 1-2 carefully selected interventions with great fidelity than it is to implement many strategies inconsistently.

Step One – Identify the target behavior

In this first step, we prioritize and define the challenging (target) behavior based on its severity and impact on the student’s educational and social experiences. To learn more about this crucial step, revisit the IRIS Center Module: Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan (2024). Complete the readings, viewings, and other activities on page 5. Add to your notes.

Think, Write, Share 2

Using information from this chapter, previous chapters, and your research, respond to the following prompts about Ed:

Create at least one target behavior. Share three non-examples that can be included in the definition of his target behavior.
Write a definition of a possible replacement behavior for Ed. Be sure to include at least one example and one non-example.
What questions do you have?

Step Two – Convene the FBA Team

Ed’s teachers have been unsuccessful in supporting him with his challenging behavior. So, they set up an IEP team meeting to include Ed (who attended for a few minutes in the beginning), caregivers, a special education teacher, a math teacher, a science teacher, a school psychologist, and an assistant principal. Ed’s teachers explain the various behavior management techniques they have implemented so far, and his special education teacher reviews the behavioral data she has collected. The special education teacher suggests that—when basic classroom management techniques and behavioral interventions are ineffective at addressing challenging behaviors—it is often helpful to take a closer look at a student’s behavior. The IEP team discusses whether conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) would be appropriate and decides unanimously to proceed to the data collection phase. During Step Three, data will be collected to determine the function of the target behavior and used to design supports for Ed.

Step Three – Collect FBA Data

There are two primary strategies for collecting FBA data: indirect and direct. Indirect data collection involves interviewing people who know the student with challenging behavior to generate hypotheses about the behavior’s possible reinforcers. Direct data collection involves observing and recording the behavior in the natural environment to identify environmental contingencies that may maintain the behavior.

Several methods for conducting direct data include scatterplot, A-B-C recording, functional assessment observation, and conditional probability analysis. Using indirect and direct data collection tools is essential to identify variables that maintain the target behavior. Finally, specific behavior intervention strategies can be developed based on data analysis.

Let’s revisit the IRIS Center Module: Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan (2024). Complete the readings, viewings, and other activities on pages. 6-7. Add to your notes.

Think, Write, Share 3

Using information from this chapter, previous chapters, and your research, respond to the following prompts about Ed:

Create a data collection plan. Include both indirect and direct data collection types/tools.
List the names of people you would collect indirect data from and the environments where you would like to collect direct data.
Based on a target behavior you created for him, which direct data collection method could you use for his problem behaviors?
Based on the replacement behavior you created for Ed, which direct data collection method could you use for his replacement behaviors?
How have you addressed cultural and contextual factors that might impact his behavior or others’ perceptions?
What questions do you have?

Ethical Considerations

Gathering assessment data is a critical piece of a larger process that, if implemented correctly, will reduce the student’s challenging behavior and improve his or her quality of life. And with that data collection and analysis, there are also specific ethical considerations educators need to keep in mind. Ethical considerations are crucial throughout the process, including informed consent, confidentiality, and minimizing potential harm to the student. Educators should explain the FBA process and potential outcomes, keep data confidential, and avoid physical or emotional harm.

Informed consent means that educators must explain the FBA process, the data that will be collected, and the potential outcomes of the intervention to the student and their parents. Educators must ensure that the student and their parents understand the process thoroughly and have the right to refuse to participate in the FBA.

Confidentiality is also a crucial ethical consideration in the FBA process. All data collected during the FBA should be kept confidential and only shared with individuals with a legitimate need to know. Educators should also ensure that the data is securely stored and disposed of properly when no longer needed.

Finally, educators must minimize potential harm to the student during the FBA process. This means avoiding any physical or emotional harm that could result from the data collection or the intervention itself.

It is also important to note that under certain circumstances, school professionals are required by law to conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) for students with disabilities who engage in challenging behavior that interferes with their learning or the learning of others. This is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and may vary based on state or local regulations. The FBA is used to identify the function of the behavior and develop a behavior intervention plan for the student.

In the next chapter, we will continue through the FBA/BIP process as we learn about analyzing the data collected and determining the function of behavior.

Summary

In conclusion, the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)/Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) process is a valuable tool for educators, parents, and professionals to understand the function of behavior and develop effective interventions. Through the story of Ed, we have seen how the FBA/BIP process can be applied in real-world scenarios to address challenging behavior. The process involves identifying the target behavior, collaboration, data collection, ethical considerations, and types of assessments. By implementing the FBA/BIP process, we can better understand the underlying reasons behind problem behavior and develop effective interventions that can lead to positive behavioral change in students. As we continue to prioritize the social-emotional well-being of our students, the FBA/BIP process will continue to be an essential tool in promoting positive behavior and academic success.

Reflect, Apply, & Connect

Find out more about policies and procedures in your district related to ethics and functional behavioral assessment. Ask questions of leadership in your district as needed. This will prepare you to work with a student in this course as you practice FBA/BIP and provide you with knowledge for future use.