The 1-2-3’s of FBAs & BIPs: A Parent’s Guide to Student Behavioral Plans
Many students struggle with behavioral issues that can negatively impact their education. Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are tools to help educators and students manage disruptive behaviors. FBAs and BIPs help educators understand a student’s behavioral challenges and incentivize the student to use more appropriate behaviors.
So what exactly are FBAs & BIPs, and how do they help?
Think of an FBA as sort of diagnosis, and a BIP as its corresponding prescription. An FBA is an evaluation to define a student’s problem behaviors, along with possible reasons for their actions. Based on the FBA’s findings, a BIP provides strategies that teach the student new behaviors to replace inappropriate ones. Here’s how the FBA and BIP processes work:
Step one: FBAs
During your child’s FBA, evaluators will aim to:
1. Define the problems
The first step in supporting behavior management is to clearly identify the student’s exact problem behaviors. The education team will look to identify behaviors that interfere with the student’s learning, harm their peer or teacher relationships, and/or pose a threat to the safety of themselves or others. The team conducts observations over several days to identify problem behaviors and track their severity, frequency, and the time(s) of day that the behaviors occur.
2. Uncover causes
Behavioral issues can stem from a variety of causes. Sometimes they are physiological, resulting from inadequate sleep, a poor diet, hormonal changes, or reactions to medications. Other times students act out due to sensory overstimulation, with a classroom’s noise, sights, smells, or activity levels causing frustration. Learning differences or executive functioning challenges can also lead to frequent behavioral disruptions.
The student’s support team compiles data from several sources to determine possible contributing factors to their behavior. In addition to observing the classroom environment, they’ll assess health factors, past interventions, and major life events that can cause stress and behavioral issues. They’ll also interview parents and educators who work with students outside of the traditional classroom, such as P.E. or music teachers. They may administer questionnaires or rating scales to discover the full picture of each behavior’s contributing factors.
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3. Pinpoint patterns
Evaluators will look for patterns in events that lead up to the student’s problem behavior. These events are called “antecedents.” Do they only behave inappropriately around certain students, during specific subjects, or at the same times of day? Do their peers laugh and egg them on when they act out? Does their teacher give in and let them have what they want? Just as importantly, evaluators will analyze the circumstances when the child does not engage in their problem behavior. Identifying these patterns helps educators adapt the classroom environment to reduce antecedents.
4. Find the function
Every behavior has a function, meaning there is a reason that children with behavioral issues act the way that they do. Typically, behaviors have a goal of either getting something desirable (e.g., attention, fun activities), or escaping something unpleasant (e.g., stress, embarrassment, discomfort).
Examples:
Hope won’t stay seated or complete her work when new math concepts are introduced. She often gets sent to the office, where she can sit and not have to focus on difficult equations. Her FBA evaluation might suggest that the function of her behavior is to escape feeling overwhelmed by her struggles with math.
Paul has repeatedly ditched PE, but attends all other classes. Paul has an autism diagnosis, which impacts his coordination, balance, and sensory sensitivity. His FBA might suggest that the functions of his behavior are to avoid itchy PE clothes and teasing by locker room bullies.
Mara makes loud, inappropriate comments during group work, which comes before her favorite activity: independent reading. Her FBA might find that her behavior’s function is to start reading sooner, as her teacher often sends her to her desk to stop disrupting the group.
Angelo is a teenage boy who picks on girls by teasing and throwing food at them. His FBA might find that he is seeking attention from girls, but doesn’t know appropriate ways to interact. A second function of his behavior may be impulsivity, which Angelo may not know how to manage.
Once the behaviors’ functions are identified, the education team is ready to design a plan to manage antecedents and increase the student’s positive behaviors.
Step 2: BIPs
The FBA is used as a guide to formulate a Behavior Intervention Plan with strategies to improve the student’s behavior. Key components of the BIP include:
1. Replacement behaviors
It’s not enough to demand a student stop their problem behaviors – their BIP team must come up with specific replacement behaviors that serve the same function as their negative behavior. For example, if a student acts out when they feel hungry, they may be allowed to have a snack before starting assignments. If they misbehave when they feel overwhelmed, they can be taught to ask for headphones or a 5-minute break. If they have a habit of physically hurting themselves or others, they may be taught to scribble heavily or use a stress ball.
Download our FREE handout on Student Behavior Functions and Effective Replacement Behaviors
2. Rewards & consequences
Learning and adopting new behaviors can be challenging for students, so it’s important to positively reinforce them each time they act appropriately. BIPs outline specific awards that student will receive in exchange for using their replacement behaviors. The BIP’s reward strategies almost always include immediate praise for their target behavior, as well as specifically stating what they did well.
Examples:
“I love how you stayed in your seat with both feet on the floor!”
“Great job asking for a turn with the blocks!”
The BIP will also define effective, logical consequences for when students do not follow their plan. For example, if a student uses the internet for an unapproved search, their consequence might be to lose internet privileges for the day. If they rush through a test without reading the questions, they may be directed to take their time and redo their work.
Attention Educators: Check out our Teacher’s guide for empowering positive behavior in your classroom
3. Services & resources
Sometimes, addressing a behavior’s function requires more than rewards and consequences; if a student’s problem behavior is in response to negative feelings or perceptions, they may benefit from school-based counseling to promote mental and emotional healing. If they have a learning difference, they may require specialized services or accommodations to manage their symptoms and alleviate the stressors that have led to their problem behaviors. Common interventions include occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, adapted physical education, assistive technology, calculator use, dictionary access, and extended time to complete tasks.
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4. Environmental changes
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander den Heijer
A key goal of the BIP is to create a supportive learning environment that promotes positive student behavior. This can include strategic seating away from distractions, explicit step-by-step instructions, transition warnings, reduction of highly stimulating objects (e.g., bright posters or animated screensavers), or quiet spaces for breaks. Sometimes, the BIP recommends that a student be placed in a different class or school that is better equipped to meet their needs. An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) can determine a student’s best options for accommodations and academic placement.
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5. Responsible persons
The team creating a student’s BIP generally includes their family members, school psychologist, school counselor, and educators. Their BIP should clearly name who is responsible for implementing the various interventions that the team agrees upon. Just like with an IEP, any staff member who works with the student should be informed on how to implement their BIP.
6. Plans to Monitor Progress
Reviewing the BIP’s effectiveness is an essential part of the plan, and your child’s team will collect data throughout the BIP’s implementation to identify successes and areas for improvement. The team should engage both the student and parents in providing ongoing input to help teachers understand what does and doesn’t work for the child.
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How can my child receive an FBA/BIP?
While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) only mandates FBAs and BIPs for special education students when needed, they can be conducted for regular education students as well. Circumstances include:
If your child’s behavioral issues are a result of their disability
If their behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others
If their behavior has resulted in them being removed from their current school/classroom placement
If they already have a BIP, but a new problem behavior arises and their BIP needs to be modified
If your child has an IEP and has been suspended for more than 10 consecutive school days
How we can help:
The needs of each student are unique, and your child or teen can get the most out of their BIP if their plan is reviewed and informed by an Educational Specialist. Our Educational Psychologists can conduct FBAs and BIPs in collaboration with your child’s school, or review your student’s existing FBA and BIP to provide expert feedback.
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How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2021). The 1-2-3’s of FBAs and BIPs: A Parent’s Guide to Student Behavioral Plans. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/the-1-2-3s-of-fbas-bipsa-parents-guide-to-student-behavioral-plans