Function - based Behavior Support at the Team, School and District Levels

Rob Horner, and George SugaiUniversity of Oregon and University of Connecticut

www.pbis.org

Question What happened to the woman with pica?

36

Questions How often do you recommend sending out

newsletters, and is it possible to get samples?

How can Mental Health agencies effectively collaborate with SWPBS?

Questions What you said about 8th grade students is true

with regard to “they don’t need it”…but what about teachers to think kids should already know how to behave…if we coddle them will they be ready for high school?

Goals Define the critical features of a team implementing

individual behavior support plans.

Define the role of functional behavioral assessment in the design of behavior support.

Define the features of individual student behavior support plans.

Define a system for monitoring behavior support efforts.

Positive Behavior Support Defined “Positive behavior support” is the rational

integration of: (a) valued outcomes, (b) behavioral and biomedical science, (c) validated procedures, and (d) systems change … to enhance quality of life, and minimize/prevent

problem behaviors.

A Context for PBS Behavior support is the redesign of

environments, not the redesign of individuals

Positive Behavior Support plans define changes in the behavior of those who will implement the plan. A behavior support plan describes what we will do differently.

Major Changes in Behavior Support Prevention

Teaching as the most effective approach Environmental redesign, Antecedent Manipulations

Function-based support Functional assessment Team-based design and implementation of support

Comprehensive Interventions Link Behavior Support to Lifestyle Plan Multi-component interventions Linking behavioral, educational, mental health strategies

Systems Change Intervention at the “whole-school” level Systems that nurture and sustain effective practices Systems that are durable

Primary Prevention:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for

All Students,Staff, & Settings

Secondary Prevention:Specialized Group

Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior

Tertiary Prevention:Specialized

IndividualizedSystems for Students

with High-Risk Behavior

~80% of Students

~15%

~5%

SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

SUPPORT

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“Reiko”

Assessments indicate that Reiko performs in average to above average range in most academic areas. However, her teacher has noticed Reiko’s frequent talking-out & asking & answering questions without raising her hand has become an annoying problem to other students & to teacher.

What would you do?

“Seth”

Seth is a highly competent student, but has a long history of antisocial behavior. He is quick to anger, & minor events quickly escalate to major confrontations. He has few friends, & most of his conflicts occur with peers in hallways & cafeteria & on bus. In last 2 months, he has been given 8 days of in school detention & 6 days of out of school suspension. In a recent event, he broke the glasses of another student.

What would you do?

“Mitch”

Mitch displays a number of stereotypic (e.g., light filtering with his fingers, head rolling) & self-injurious behaviors (e.g., face slapping, arm biting), & his communications are limited to a verbal vocabulary of about 25 words. When his usual routines are changed or items are not in their usual places, his rates of stereotypic & self-injurious behavior increases quickly.

What would you do?

“Rachel”

Rachel dresses in black every day, rarely interacts with teachers or other students, & writes & distributes poems & stories about witchcraft, alien nations, gundams, & other science fiction topics. When approached or confronted by teachers, she pulls hood of her black sweatshirt or coat over her head & walks away. Mystified by Rachel’s behavior, teachers usually shake their heads & let her walk away. Recently, Rachel carefully wrapped a dead squirrel in black cloth & placed it on her desk. Other students became frightened when she began talking to it.

What would you do?

Assumptions about problem behavior Problem Behavior (Aggression, Disruption,

Insubordination, Withdrawal, Defiance) is a major barrier to BOTH social and academic success in school.

Problem behavior arises from an interaction between biology, context and learning.

Problem behavior can be changed.

Assumptions about behavior support Context matters Combining social, behavioral, psychopharmacological,

and educational variables is appropriate All elements of a multi-component intervention need to

be consistent with assumptions about the mechanisms sustaining problem behavior.

Understanding behavioral function is essential Implement effective practices WITH the systems that

will support and sustain those practices

Steps in Building a Behavior Support Plan Defining the Challenge Assessment Design of support strategies Implementation of strategies Evaluation and adaptation

Behavior Support Elements

Problem Behavior

Functional Assessment

Content of Support Plan

Fidelity of Implementation

Impact on Behavior and Lifestyle

*Team*Specialist *Hypothesis statement

*Competing Behavior Analysis*Technical Adequacy of Plan * Contextual Fit

*Implementation Plan

*Monitor, Adapt*Person-centered planning

* Wraparound

Behavior Support Planning

Define the challenge Establish a functional team Define behaviors of concern Define outcomes (behavioral, educational, lifestyle)

Person-centered planning

Functional Assessment Support Plan Design Implementation Evaluation and modification

Defining the Challenge Valued outcomes

Not just reduction of problem behavior Focus on credible lifestyle, learning, social outcomes

Technical soundness of plan Procedures are consistent with (a) laws of human behavior,

(b) functional behavioral assessment outcomes Contextual fit of plan

Procedures are consistent with the values, skills, resources and administrative support of those who will implement the plan

Knowledgeable team process Team needs to be composed of people with the knowledge

needed to build an individualized intervention.

Technically Sound Plan of Support The elements of the plan are consistent with

basic laws of behavior The elements of the plan are consistent with

basic laws of physiology The elements of the plan are consistent with

the summary statement(s) from the functional behavioral assessment.

Contextual Fit The people who will implement a BSP:

Are knowledge about elements of the BSP Have the skills required to implement BSP Are comfortable with the procedures (Values) Have administrative support to implement BSP Have the expectation that the BSP will be effective Believe that BSP is in the best interest of focus person Have the resources (time, materials) to implement are

available and efficiently used.

Establish a Functional Team Knowledge about the individual

His/her behavior, interests, strengths, challenges, future

Knowledge about the context Instructional goals, curriculum, social contingencies,

schedule, physical setting.

Knowledge about behavioral technology Elements of behavior Principles of behavior Intervention strategies

Which team is more likely to bring the three sources of knowledge? Team A Child Parent Teacher Coordinator Behavior specialist Friend

Team B School Psychologist Counselor Teacher

Importance of Team Composition Leah Bennazi (University of Oregon)

How does the composition of a behavior support team affect:

(a) the technical soundness of the behavior support plan, and

(b) the contextual fit of the behavior support plan selected for implementation.

Leah

Functional Behavioral Assessment: Defined Functional behavioral assessment is a

process for identifying (a) observable problem behaviors, (b) the contexts or routines where the problem behaviors are most likely, (c) the specific antecedent events within a context or routine that reliably predict occurrence of problem behaviors, and (d) the consequences that appear to maintain the problem behavior.

Functional Behavioral Assessment:Purpose The primary purpose of a functional behavioral

assessment is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of a behavior intervention plan.

An FBA that does not affect the content of a BIP is not useful.

Multiple levels of FBA are needed. Most schools should have at least three approaches to FBA.

Defining Behavioral Function Define the behavior

Be specific, and operational (what you can count) Define the routine/context

Place the behavior in a context. In that context, that behavior, by that student

is most likely maintained by ???? Focus on the single most controlling consequence Use three-step logic model

Identifying Behavioral Function: Maintaining Consequences

Given a Problem Behavior and Routine

Get: Object, Activity, Sensation

Avoid: Object, Activity, Sensation

Social Physiological Social Physiological

Precise Event

Precise Event

PreciseEvent

PreciseEvent

Object/Activity

Object/Activity

PreciseEvent

PreciseEvent

Video Define Behavior

Define Context/ Routine

Define behavioral function Get/Obtain vs. Escape/Avoid Social/Object/Activity/Sensation? Specific Event

Using Behavioral Function School-wide/Classroom Prevention

Targeted Interventions

Individual Student Interventions Functional Behavioral Assessment

Ingram

Bergstrom

facts

demo

Moving from FBA to Behavior Support Plan

BEHAVIOR SUPPORTPLANNING

COMPETING PATHWAYS

BSP Template Charles

Main Themes of Effective Interventions Make the problem behavior irrelevant

Change the context so the problem does not arise

Make the problem behavior inefficient Teach alternative skills that produce same effect as

problem behavior Exaggerate rewards for appropriate behavior

Make the problem behavior ineffective Minimize the likelihood that a problem behavior will

be rewarded.

BEHAVIOR SUPPORTPLANNING

COMPETING PATHWAYS

Make ProblemBehaviorIrrelevant

Make ProblemBehaviorIrrelevant

Make ProblemBehaviorInefficient

Make ProblemBehaviorIneffective

ProblemBehavior

Antecedent Stimulus

MaintainingConsequence

Setting Event

DesiredBehavior

MaintainingConsequence

ReplacementBehavior

CharlesBSP Template

Summary Focusing on the “behavioral function” of

problem behavior places the challenge in the context rather than in the student.

Behavioral function affects how we organize support at all levels of SWPBS.