FBAs and BIPs

This article sought to discover how schools were doing with regard to completing an accurate FBA, and then implementing an accurate BIP based off of data from the FBA.
This study was done in Wisconsin and the data that came back from the schools participating showed that there are many concerning points when it comes to how IEP teams and/or educators carry out the requirements of FBAs and BIPs.

First of all, schools in Wisconsin were given a 1 day inservice on how to implement an FBA, and then create a BIP.  The criterion were listed, and were exactly mirroring the requirements we just read about in our screencast.  The main purpose of the FBA is to identify the function of the behavior.  The BIP should seek then to teach an appropriate replacement behavior, or just in general, use positive behavior supports.

One factor that was very concerning was the fact that the majority of the FBAs submitted for their review failed to include any strategies to verify the hypothesized function prior to the development of the BIP (Van Acker et. al, 2005).  This is so fundamental to even the creation of a legal BIP that I felt it should be mentioned. 

Another important detail to note is how important it is to be able to identify the variables that support the target behavior.  If these variables are able to be identified within the context of the situation, then it's only yields a clearer perspective to the educator who is choosing the replacement behavior to teach.  When the antecedents to the behavior are unknown, it can be a challenge to develop a truly ideal BIP.  82% of the FBAs submitted to the study did include these details and gave information about antecedent behaviors across educational contexts and settings (Van Acker 2005).

What was interesting to note in this study was that only 15% of teams that submitted FBAs for review noted any kind of antecedents related to the teacher's behavior.  Very few noted that behavior of peers served as a function for the behavior.  It was also noted that direct observation was a way that all these observations were made in just under half (49%) of the cases submitted.

I found this study to be helpful because it lists how several schools in a neighboring state are doing at keeping legal provisions for students with disabilities up to date.  In the beginning of the article, the study creators noted that several districts found it extremely difficult to keep up with all the documentation for FBAs that would lead to BIPs.  IDEA's provisions for this right of students with disabilities has been something that has been poorly funded.  Teachers have been given some training in the way of professional development, but a limitation of the study noted that many teachers would really have to receive training in applied behavior analysis for them even to be able to complete a truly successful and correct FBA/BIP.

This article serves as another way to show teachers that there is more work to do.  The goal of the FBA should be to document everything it requires fully, and to make sure that the target behavior is listed with positive behavior supports.  The BIP should address a replacement behavior, and include any required provisions necessary to help the student be successful.

Van Acker, R., Boreson, L., Gable, R. A., & Potterton, T. (2005). Are we on the right 
     course? Lessons learned about current FBA/BIP practices in schools. Journal of 
     behavioral education, 14(1), 35-56.