The limitations to these forms are that they can often be subject to teacher or parent bias, are not always time efficient, and only identify correlational relationships not functional relationships. You may not be as familiar with a functional analysis (FA).

In most cases the Student Support Team is responsible for conducting an FBA, which include school psychologist, teachers, counselors, and paraprofessionals.

There are three main categories of functional assessment approaches—indirect (e.g., questionnaires, rating scales), observational, and experimental/functional analysis. Gathering information about the conditions surrounding the behavior, asking relevant individuals questions about the behavior are initial steps.

What are the six steps in a functional assessment?

1. Establishing a Team.
2. Collecting Baseline Data.
3. Developing a Hypothesis Statement.
4. Testing the Hypothesis.

The FA is a procedure that sets up specific conditions based on the four functions of behavior. By determining which condition produces the highest frequency of behavior, we can then be more confident that the behavior serves that function or functions.

Yes, you can develop a BIP without and FBA if the behavior intervention plan is developed at the annual IEP review or at a meeting that is not a result of more than 10 days of suspension.

A functional behavioral assessment (or FBA) is a process that identifies a specific or target behavior that interferes with a student’s education. The assessment attempts to designate the particular behavior, identify the factors that support the behavior, and determine the purpose of the behavior.

§ 1414(d)(3)(B)(i) (2004)). To be meaningful, plans need to be reviewed at least annually and revised as often as needed. However, the plan may be reviewed and reevaluated whenever any member of the child’s IEP team feels it is necessary.

Be able to:

1. Behaviorally define the challenging behavior.
2. Identify recording method and aspect of behavior measured.
3. Observe and record the problem behavior.
4. Analyze data collected.
5. Identify function of the challenging behavior.
6. Make treatment recommendations.
7. State the ethical issues present in this situation.

The steps of a functional behavioral assessment

1. Define the behavior. An FBA starts by defining a student’s behavior.
2. Gather and analyze information. After defining the behavior, the team pulls together information.
3. Find out the reason for the behavior.
4. Make a plan.

The process often takes up to six weeks, but now it might have to be done in 10 days or less.

2 to 4 weeks

The first step is to identify the behavior you want to change. For example, do you want to stop engaging in self-medication through alcohol? Binge eating? Try to identify a behavior that is causing problems for you in your life.

In DBT, there are 3 categories of targets: life-threatening behavior, therapy-interfering behavior, and quality-of-life-interfering behavior. Imminent and upcoming risk takes precedence for discussion over past patient behavior and urges.

Structure of Standard DBT

1. The structure of standard DBT involves a pre-treatment period of time. Therapist and client agree to work together.
2. Weekly individual and group sessions.
3. There are four modes in DBT: individual therapy, group skills training, peer consultation team meetings and intersession contact between therapist and patient.

DBT is divided into four stages of treatment. Stages are defined by the severity of the client’s behaviors, and therapists work with their clients to reach the goals of each stage in their progress toward having a life that they experience as worth living.

At its core, DBT helps people build four major skills:

• mindfulness.
• distress tolerance.
• interpersonal effectiveness.
• emotional regulation.

DBT was initially designed to treat people with suicidal behavior and borderline personality disorder. But it has been adapted for other mental health problems that threaten a person’s safety, relationships, work, and emotional well-being.