At times, students may exhibit behavior that is disruptive to the class or harmful to the individual or others. These behaviors may include behaviors such as aggression, self-injurious behaviors, destruction of property and disruptive behaviors (e.g, calling out in class).
When to Target a Behavior for Treatment
When deciding whether or not to treat a particular behavior there are a number of things to consider. First, is the behavior harmful to the individual him or herself? Second, is the behavior harmful to others? Third, does the behavior interfere with learning? Lastly, does the behavior prevent the individual from gaining access to the community?
In addition, at times a student may exhibit more than one problem behavior. It will be important to prioritize the behaviors and determine if a particular behavior will be targeted first or if more than one behavior will be targeted at a time.
Understanding the Underlying Cause of the Behavior
When someone engages in a behavior there is a reason they are engaging in that behavior. There are many reasons why behaviors occur. However, prior to looking at these possible functions of behavior is important to determine if there may be a medical cause for the behavior. Some medical causes of behavior could include: change in medication, illness, allergies, side effect of medication, lack of sleep, change in diet or physical discomfort. Once medical is ruled out as a factor in the occurrence of behavior, other causes can be explored.
Specifically there have been four main functions identified: escape/avoidance, attention, tangible, sensory. Escape or avoidance maintained behavior occurs in order to escape or avoid a situation or setting. Attention-maintained behavior occurs when the person engages in a behavior in order to gain attention. Behavior that is maintained by access to tangible items occurs typically when the individual has lost access to an item or has to share an item. This behavior may also occur when having to wait for an item that is desired. The last function of behavior is sensory. Sensory-maintained behavior is different from the other functions in that it is considered to intrinsically reinforcing. The behavior occurs regardless of any action on the part of others in the environment, it is reinforcing in and of itself to the student.
Developing a Behavior Intervention Plan Based on Function
In order to determine the function of a behavior, a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) must be conducted. There are a variety of tools that can be useful when conducting an FBA. These include: interviews, direct observation data sheets, assessment scales and checklists.
Once the assessment is complete a behavior intervention plan (BIP) can be developed. If a behavior occurs to escape from a task demand, the student can be taught to ask for help. If the behavior’s function was for attention, the student can be taught more appropriate ways to gain attention such as calling someone’s name or raising a hand in class. If the behavior was determined to be maintained by access to tangibles it may be important to teach the student to wait for preferred items, to request specific items and to tolerate when the item is simply not available. As for the behavior with a sensory function it will be most effective to teach the student a new behavior that is more socially acceptable but that still fulfills the student’s needs (e.g., student behavior is jumping in place and the student is provided a trampoline to jump on).
The Importance of Addressing the Function of Behavior
If a BIP is created and the function of behavior is not addressed in the plan it is likely that the plan may not actually treat the function of the behavior. If this occurs it is likely that the behavior may actually continue even with a behavior intervention plan in place for the student because the plan was not designed to address the function of the behavior.
References
Daniel Gulchak, J. Using a Mobile Handheld Computer to Teach a Student with an Emotional and Behavioral Disorder to Self-Monitor Attention. Education and Treatment of Children, 31, No. 4, 2008
Mathur, Sarupr R., Mary M. Quinn, and Robert. B. Rutherford. Teacher-Mediated Behavior Management Strategies for Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. Reston, VA: Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, 1996.
O’Neill, Robert E., Robert H. Horner, and Richard W. Albin. Functional Analysis of Problem Behavior: A Practical Assessment Guide. Pacific Grove, CA: Brookes/Cole, 1990.
Rutherford, Robert B., Mary M. Quinn, and Sarupr R. Mathur. Effective Strategies for Teaching Appropriate Behaviors to Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. Reston, VA: Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, 1996.
Wood, Frank H. “May I Ask You Why You Are Hitting Yourself? Using Oral Self-Reports in the Functional Assessment of Adolescents’ Behavior Disorders.” Preventing School Failure 38 (1994): 16-20.
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