FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS

Technically, FBA is required only when students with disabilities become the subjects of school disciplinary proceedings.   Best practice is to use the process throughout the Special Education decision making process   If there is a behavioral concern, an FBA should be part of a comprehensive evaluation Positive behavioral interventions and supports are precisely the purpose for which FBA is developed.   Core of Positive Behavioral Interventions/support is the inclusion of student with "high spirited" behavior in general curriculum as much as possible and allowing student to manage his or her own behavior.

  FBA helps to describe a problem and also describe or help to explain why it is occurring.   FBA describes the function served by the behavior. In other words why is the child behaving as he or she is.

  EXAMPLE

Child with significant skill deficits (ability/achievement) may inappropriately misbehave to remove instructional demands.   Bottom Line:: FBA asks 1) What’s the problem
2) Why is it happening
3) How do we fix it
4) Did the intervention work?
If it did, GREAT. If it didn’t, start the process over!!!!