Sheldon Loman, Doctoral Candidate

sloman@uoregon.edu

University of Oregon, Special Education

From www.publicagenda.org

Federal legislation mandated the use of FBA in schools over a decade ago (IDEA, 1997).

Despite gallant efforts, schools continue to struggle to use FBA in supporting students with behavior problems

(Blood & Neel, 2007; Hawken, Vincent, & Schumann, 2008; Scott et al., 2005; Van Acker et al., 2005)

The field has voiced concerns as to if schools are adequately equipped to conduct effective FBAs

Drasgow & Yell, 2001; Ervin et al., 2001; Sasso et al., 2001

FBA is used mainly as a reactionary approach.

opportunity is lost to utilize FBA technology to develop interventions that address minor behaviors that usually precede more serious problems.

FBA is restricted to set of procedures used by “experts”

The rich supply of information from people with whom the student interacts with the most is lost.

FBA is restricted to rigorous procedures that are unrealistic for public school settings.

Disincentive for using FBA technology.

Cynicism as to the practicality of FBA .

FBA conceptualized by Scott et al. as a proactive pre-referral routine that uses the most parsimonious procedures required to create an effective behavior support plan.

Given the time & resource constraints in schools, we must encourage schools to “work smarter” to develop capacity to implement technology to effectively support more students.

Use Practical FBA procedures to develop capacity within a school to utilize FBA technology.

School-wide Positive Behavioral Supports

80% of Students

Secondary Group

Supports10-15% of Students

Individualized Supports

5% of Students

Behavior Specialist responsible for 25 FBAs in school of 500

Personnel with “flexible” roles conduct proactive Practical FBA to expand the scope of FBA, prevent intensive problem behaviors, & decrease reliance on specialist.

To determine if staff with flexible roles in schools (e.g., counselors, administrators) can be trained to conduct functional behavior assessments (FBA) for students with mild to moderate behavior problems (i.e., students with recurring problems that do not involve physical aggression or violent behaviors).

To determine the efficacy and acceptability of a “practical” training on FBA methods and tools with school personnel.

Is there a relationship between the Practical FBA training and valid summary statements generated from FBA conducted by school professionals?

A training and manual, Practical FBA training, designed to teach FBA methods delivered to school professionals.

The school professionals will utilize the practical tools/methods from this training to develop a hypothesis (summary) statement of student problem behavior.

The FBA hypothesis statements generated by the trained school professionals will be validated by functional analyses conducted by trained behavior specialists.

Suggest that school personnel can conduct “valid” FBAs for students with mild to moderate behavioral problems.

Suggest the utility and acceptability of practical FBA training methods to train school personnel in schools to conduct FBA.

It may be possible to train school personnel within the constraints of professional development in schools.

Suggest the utility of the FACTS interview tool to guide FBAs.

Phase 1- Practical FBA training on FBA tools & methods provided to 12 school professionals.

-Demographic Information and Pre- & Post-Tests of FBA knowledge provided before and after Practical FBA training.

Phase 2- The 12 trained participants conducted an FBA according to procedures they were taught for one student within their school.

-Interview results with staff, observations of the student, and a summary statement based upon these will be generated by each school professional.

Phase 3- Functional analyses conducted by researcher to test each participant’s hypothesis/summary statement

-The percentage agreement between the functional analyses and summary statements calculated to determine the efficacy of the Practical FBA training .

12 School professionals with a flexible role (i.e., not directly responsible for instruction of students) in an elementary school (K-5) were recruited to participate in the study.

7 Counselors/ 2 Special Educators / 2 Principals/ 1 V.P.

1. Participated in four 1-hour Practical FBA training sessions (over the course of 4 weeks)

2. Completed tests of FBA knowledge before and after the Practical FBA training program.

3. Completed a Practical FBA using the tools & procedures from training (Phase 2).

-FACTS, ABC Observations, Summary Statement

4. Completed a Time Expended Log & Acceptability Rating Profile

Practical Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) Training Series

• 4 training sessions on conducting functional behavioral assessments (FBA) for students with mild to moderate behavioral problems in schools.

• The training series teaches participants to conduct interviews and observations in such a way as to precisely determine the relationship between student problem behavior and the context:– What the problem behaviors are.– When, Where, & Why a student’s problem behaviors occur.

• A summary of this information will help an individual student team develop effective behavioral supports that:

-prevent problem behaviors from occurring -teach alternative behaviors-& effectively respond when problem behaviors occur.

13

Practical FBA vs Comprehensive FBA

Practical FBA Comprehensive FBA

For: Students with mild to moderate problem behaviors (behaviors that are NOT dangerous or occurring in many settings)

Students with moderate to severe behavioral problems; may be dangerous and/or occurring in many settings

What: Relatively simple and efficient process to guide behavior support planning

Time-intensive process that also involves archival records review, family-centered planning, and collaboration with agencies outside of school

Conducted by whom: School-based personnel (e.g., teachers, counselors, administrators)

Professionals trained to conduct functional assessments with students with severe problem behaviors (e.g., school psychologists, behavior specialists) 14

Focus of this training series

Requesting a Practical FBA

• Teachers & school teams can complete a Request for Assistance form to refer a student for a Practical FBA

• Talk to school on obtaining parent permission to conduct a Practical FBA with a student

• Request for Assistance should give a broad picture of the student and their behaviors

15

Objectives

Review

Activities

Checks for Understanding

Comments/

Questions

Tasks

Key Points

16

Overview of the practical FBA training series and introduces concepts, examples, and practice opportunities for participants to learn how to:

(a) Define behavior (WHAT),

(b) Identify events that predict WHEN & WHERE the specific behavior occurs

(c) Identify the function of behavior (WHY), and

(d) Construct functional behavioral summary statements

TASK: Find someone at their site whom they may conduct a practice interview with next week.

Practical FBA processD.A.S.H.

Define behavior in observable & measurable terms

Ask about behavior by interviewing staff & student-specify routines where & when behaviors occur-summarize where, when, & why behaviors occur

See the behavior-observe the behavior during routines specified-observe to verify summary from interviews

Hypothesize: a final summary of where, when & why behaviors occur 18

Today’s Training

Session #2

Session #3

Session #4

ABC’s of Understanding Why students engage in problem behavior:

Finding out the Pay-off or Function of Behavior

A= Antecedent(s). Find out the events that occur

right before the behavior. – Allows you to predict: Where (During routine)? & When (Trigger event)?

B=Behavior. Find out what is the observable problem behavior?

C=OutCome/ Consequence. Find out what happens after the behavior occurs? WHY?

A B C 19

Practical FBA Always start with the behavior

Despite the ABC concept, the behavior (B) is our starting point!

20

2Antecedent/Trigger:

When _____ happens….

1 Behavior:

the student does (what)__

3Consequence/OutCome

..because (why) ______

Defining Observable Problem Behaviors

• Definitions of behaviors need to be:– Observable: The behavior is an action that can be

seen.

– Measurable: The behavior can be counted or timed.

– Defined so clearly that a person unfamiliar with the student could recognize the behavior without any doubts! 21

Remember: Always start with the Behavior

1- Once you have defined the behaviors (the What)

2- & know the Where & When the behaviors occur #2 (Routine & Antecedents)

3- Then want to find out WHY (the outCome of the behavior…what happens right afterwards)

22

2Antecedent/Trigger:

When _____ happens….

1 Behavior:

the student does (what)__

3Consequence/OutCome

..because (why) ______

Functions that behaviors serveProblemBehavior

Obtain/GetSomething

Escape/Avoid

Something

SocialTangible/Activity

Adult

Stimulation/Sensory

Peer

23

Create a Hypothesis Statement for Johnny’s Behavior

After interviewing Mr. Smith and conducting several observations of Johnny in the third grade classroom, the team determined that during less structured class time (free time, cooperative group art projects, etc.), Johnny tears up his paper and stomps his feet. After Johnny engages in this behavior his peers laugh at him.

Routine: During __(some routine e.g.: _______________

24

Antecedent/Trigger: “When ..”

Behavior: “Student does..”

Consequence/OutCome: “Because..”

Peers laugh at him

Therefore, the function of the behavior is to:

get/avoid Peer Attention

Less structured class time

Third grade classroom

Tears up paper & stomps feet

Review content from the first session

Instruction, modeling, and practice opportunities in conducting FACTS interviews with staff (modified from Borgmeier, 2005) and students.

Practice constructing behavioral summary statements from each interview.

TASK: Complete a practice FACTS interview with a staff member at school site.

Select #1 Ranked Answers to Insert into Summary

Have Teacher Rate the Statement

Review content from previous training sessions & practice interviews from week before

Instruction & practice opportunities (using videos) for participants to conduct ABC observations of students within routines identified as settings in which the problem behavior occurs most frequently (based upon the staff FACTS interviews).

Participants practice constructing summary statements based upon data from their observations to verify or modify summary statements derived from their FACTS interviews.

TASK: Complete a practice ABC observation at school site.

Review of concepts, skills from first three sessions.

Review practice ABC observations & summarizing results

Provide opportunities for participants to practice the skills that they have learned in conducting interviews, observations, and constructing behavioral summary statements;

Introduce the Competing Behavior Pathway and ideas for helping individual student support teams in designing function-based behavioral supports.

BEHAVIOR SUPPORTPLANNING

COMPETING PATHWAYS

Neutralize/eliminate

settingevents

Add relevant & remove irrelevanttriggers

Teach alternative

that is moreefficient

Add effective & & removeineffectivereinforcers

A statement of student behavior that provides a hypothesis of the:

Operational definition of problem behavior

Antecedent variables that trigger the problem behavior

Functions maintaining the problem behavior

e.g., Get/Avoid Attention/Activity

Accuracy of summary statements will provide a metric for the efficacy of the Practical FBA training

Setting Event Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Teacher/Staff InterviewAcademic Failure in previous class that day

Difficult tasks, any word problems & most math operations

Work refusal, doodling, not follow directives, yells at teacher, disruptive

Avoid math task, doodling, work refusal, sent to office

ABC ObservationNegative relationship w/ teacher???

Teacher confrontation

Work refusal, doodling, yells at teacher, disruptive

Avoid teacher confrontation, avoid math task, to office

Final Summary of Behavior (move to Behavior Plan)Negative relationship w/ teacher & previous academic failure

1. Teacher confrontation

2. Math task

Work refusal, doodling, yells at teacher, disruptive

Avoid math task & teacher confrontation

Experimental methodology in which motivating operations (ANTECEDENTS) and potential reinforcers (CONSEQUENCES) of a problem behavior are carefully arranged in a controlled manner to isolate the effects of potential sources of reinforcement that are often confounded through other observational methods (Iwata, Kahng, Wallace, & Lindberg, 2000; Mace, Lalli, & Lalli, 1991).

Can lead to causal rather than correlational outcome data with respect to the relationships between environmental events and behavior (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007)

Few studies have utilized experimental functional analysis to determine the accuracy of summary statements.

(Borgmeier & Horner, 2006; Bergstrom, 2003; Yarbrough & Carr, 2000)

Functional analyses conducted with each student to confirm the hypothesis statement developed by the trained school professional.

Purpose of Functional Analysis:

Experimentally determine the function of problem behavior

Uses at least 3 conditions: Control (baseline), Attention (provided when problem behaviors occur), Escape (removal of aversive when p.b. occur)

Should be conducted by individual trained in FA and how to deal with extreme problem behaviors

Individualized according to the functional hypotheses developed by the school professionals.

The functional analyses for all students consist of at least three conditions: control, attention, and escape.

Control Condition: baseline condition in which student has consistently exhibited little or no problem behavior. Reinforcement should be freely available and no demands placed on student

Attention Condition: will involve the contingent provision of attention following occurrence of the problem behavior.

Escape Condition: will examine the function of student behavior through the contingent removal of aversive tasks (e.g., difficult, long, or physically taxing tasks)

Trained data collectors collect observation data on the occurrence or non-occurrence of target behavior using a partial-interval recording system.

Each functional analysis condition consists of 10 trials and lasts a maximum of 5 minutes.

Between conditions, the student is offered a 1-minute break.

Before starting a new condition, the student will be provided with a verbal description of the procedures that will be used in that condition.

Following occurrences of problem behavior during each condition, the researcher will systematically follow through with the prescribed response (i.e., removal of task, providing attention, etc.).

Pre/Post Test Results

Acceptability Ratings

Time Log

Functional Analysis Results

Each participant rated their agreement or disagreement with statements concerning the training, tools, and process.

Likert Scale of 1 to 6:

1= Strongly Disagree

2= Disagree

3= Slightly Disagree

4= Slightly Agree

5= Agree

6= Strongly Agree

Results are based on first two cohorts as 3rd cohort still conducting FBAs

Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.84

2. I will use these FBA procedures again with another student for whom an FBA would be appropriate.

Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree

Average= 5.59

3. I would suggest this training to other school professionals needing to learn to conduct FBA.

Range & Average= 6 (Strongly Agree)

4. The tools used within this FBA process were relatively easy to use.

Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.71

5. I will use the FACTS interview with teachers when conducting my next FBA.

Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.84

6. I will use the student-guided FACTS with students when conducting my next FBA.

Range= 3 (Slightly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 4.88

7. I will use the ABC observation form when conducting my next FBA.

Range= 3 (Slightly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.17

8. I feel confident that I can conduct an FBA that will inform interventions for a student.

Range= 4 (Slightly Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 4.75

9. The time spent in completing the FBA was reasonable.

Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.71

10. Overall, the experience in using “Practical FBA” was beneficial for me. Range= 5 (Agree) to 6 (Strongly Agree)

Average= 5.84

Scheduling FACTS interview with teachers

Average time= 7 Minutes

Conducting FACTS interview with teachers

Average time= 33 Minutes

Observing Student Behavior using ABC Forms

Average Time= 40 Minutes

Completing Summary of Behavior Table

Average Time= 17 Minutes

Average Time to Complete Entire Practical FBA process for 1 student= 97 minutes (1 hour 37 min)

Designed to be used by someone well-versed in FBA and behavioral principles (e.g., behavior specialist, school psychologist) to train school personnel.

Designed for small group (5-10 people) trainings

Currently being used in Springfield Public Schools to train instructional assistants, teachers, and specialists from elementary, middle, and high schools (over 30 in attendance).

Soon to be used with principals within this district.

Thank you for your time!