Behavior Intervention Plans:
Developing a Competing Pathway
MU Center for SW-PBS
College of Education
University of Missouri
Handouts
• Behavior Intervention Plan Template
• FBA/BIP Evaluation Rubric
• Teaching Desired Long-Term Replacement
Behavior Handout
• Elementary Expectations Matrix
MO SW-PBS
Expectations
Be Respectful
• Be an active listener
• Use notes for side bar conversations
Be Responsible
• Silence cell phones—reply appropriately
• Complete work within activities
Be a Problem Solver
• Ask questions as needed to clarify concepts or directions
MO SW-PBS
2
Learner Outcomes
• Identify defining features of behavior intervention
planning from current best practice.
• Work with sample scenarios to develop a competing
behavior pathway
MO SW-PBS
3
Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)
• A BIP defines how an educational setting will be
changed to improve the behavioral success of the
student.
– The BIP describes how the environment will be changed to
prevent occurrences of problem behavior.
– The BIP describes the teaching that will occur to give the
student alternative ways of behaving.
– The BIP describes the consequences that will be provided to
(a) reinforce/encourage positive behavior,
(b) limit inadvertent reward of problem behavior and
discourage problem behavior.
MO SW-PBS
Setting event
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
Hungry
Playing with
teacher, &
teacher gets
up to leave
Screams
“no” and
hits
teacher
Teacher
sits back
down and
continues
to play
Teach/
Replace:
Reinforce:
Make
replacement
behavior
access
function
Prevent:
Reduce the likelihood
of the problem behavior
Neutralize or minimize the
effects of setting events and
antecedents to prevent the
need for using the problem
behavior
Teach a
functionally
equivalent
replacement
behavior
Function: Access adult attention
Intervention Planning
Elements of a BIP
• Teaching Strategies
• Setting Event Strategies
• Antecedent Strategies
• Consequence Strategies
• Safety Strategies
• Implementation Plan
• Monitoring Strategies
• Generalization & Maintenance Strategies
*Behavior Intervention Plan Template
MO SW-PBS
High Quality FBA & BIP
How will your team insure that you develop
high quality behavior intervention plans with
fidelity?
FBA/BIP Evaluation Rubric
*FBA/BIP Evaluation Rubric
MO SW-PBS
Learner Outcomes
 Identify defining features of behavior intervention
planning from current best practice.
• Work with sample scenarios to develop a competing
behavior pathway
MO SW-PBS
3
Developing a Competing Behavior
Pathway
• The Competing Behavior Pathway model is
used to create a link between the functional
behavior assessment and the behavior
intervention plan.
MO SW-PBS
Competing Behavior Pathway
Desired
Behavior
Use writing
strategies to
complete work
Setting Event
Difficulty
with similar
writing tasks
Triggering
Antecedent
Writing
sentences or
paragraphs
Problem
Behavior
Draw on the
paper, leave
assigned area
Alternative
Behavior
Request short
break from
writing tasks
MO SW-PBS
Maintaining
Consequence
Competence
with writing
tasks
Maintaining
Consequence
Sent to
timeout or to
the office
Function
Avoid written
language
tasks
Developing A Competing Behavior Pathway
Step 1
• The team copies the functional assessment
summary statement into the behavior
pathway diagram.
MO SW-PBS
Developing a Competing Behavior Pathway
Setting Event
Previous
failure with
similar tasks
Triggering
Antecedent
Grade level
reading and
math tasks
Desired
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequence
Problem
Behavior
Colors on
work;
Puts head
down
Maintaining
Consequence
Teacher
ignores
student
Alternative
Behavior
MO SW-PBS
Function
Avoid reading
and math
tasks
Identify Desired Replacement Behaviors
Step 2: Identify Desired Replacement Behavior
• What do you want the student to do instead of
engaging in the problem behavior?
• Desired behavior (long-term replacement behavior)
• What skill(s) does the student need to learn to
replace or meet the same function as the student’s
target behavior and improve ability to be successful?
• The desired replacement behavior should be linked
to schoolwide expectations.
MO SW-PBS
Desired Replacement Behavior
• Teaching desired replacement behavior often
requires teaching complex skills that the student
is lacking, such as . . .
– Academic deficits
– Social Skills deficits
– Communication deficits
– Organizational/school skills deficits
*Teaching Desired Long-Term Replacement Behavior Handout
MO SW-PBS
Desired Replacement Behavior
Problem Behavior
Function
Desired Replacement
Behavior
Quiet when addressed by
peers; Cries;
Turns around and walks
away
Escape peer interaction
Use appropriate
nonverbal signal or simple
verbal phrase to respond
to peers.
Rips paper;
Leaves work area and
walks around the room
Escape difficult tasks
Appropriately seek
assistance to initiate or
complete work ( replace
refusing to start a task)
Pushes or hits peers
Gain peer interaction
Use simple phrase(s) to
initiate appropriate
interactions with peers
MO SW-PBS
Activity: Identify Desired
Replacement Behavior
MO SW-PBS
Desired Replacement Behaviors
• The gap may be very wide between the
desired behavior and what the student is
currently doing; therefore, the team will need
to identify a short-term alternative behavior.
MO SW-PBS
Alternative Replacement Behavior
Alternative replacement behavior is . . .
• An immediate attempt to reduce disruption &
potentially dangerous behavior in the classroom
• Designed to actively begin breaking the student’s
habit of using problem behavior to meet their
needs, by replacing it with a more acceptable
alternate behavior
MO SW-PBS
Alternative Replacement Behavior
Alternative replacement behavior . . .
• Serves the same function as the problem behavior
• Is easier to do and more efficient than the
problem behavior
− Requires less physical effort & provides quicker, more
reliable access to desired outcome/response than
problem behavior
− Others respond immediately when the student uses the
replacement skill, especially during initial instruction?
− Ensure that replacement skills are encouraged and not
inadvertently punished
• Is socially acceptable
MO SW-PBS
Alternative Short-term Replacement
Examples
Desired Replacement Behavior
Alternative Short-term Replacement
Appropriately seek assistance to
initiate or complete work (to replace
refusing to start a task)
Use a nonverbal signal to indicate he or
she is having difficulty with a task (e.g.
place a post-it note on the task, use a
power card*, etc.)
Identify and use resources to
complete difficult tasks
Use supplies specially selected for the
student to complete difficult tasks
Follow directions to initiate and
persist to task
Use “take a break” card as designated
by the student and teacher
MO SW-PBS
Sample Power Card
MO SW-PBS
Activity: Identify Alternative
Replacement Behavior
MO SW-PBS
Activity: Identify Desired and
Alternative Replacement Behaviors
Setting Event
Triggering
Antecedent
Desired
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequence
Problem
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequence
Alternative
Behavior
MO SW-PBS
Function
Activity: Identify Desired and
Alternative Replacement Behaviors
Setting Event
Triggering
Antecedent
Desired
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequence
Problem
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequence
Alternative
Behavior
MO SW-PBS
Function
Activity: Identify Desired and
Alternative Replacement Behaviors
• Jo whistles and looks away when peers talk to
her during free time activities. This results in
peers walking away from her.
• Glen shoves his book and rips his paper when
the teacher directs students to begin work on
independent math assignments requiring
multiplication and division. This results in
removal from the work area to a time out
area.
MO SW-PBS