FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS
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PRECIPITATING FACTORS
ANTECEDENTS
Documented Neurobiological
 Impaired impulse control
 Self-stimulation i.e., rocking, rubbing
 Inability to settle body and mind
 Difficult temperament (for school setting)
 Over-activity level (for school setting)
 Head injury or toxin
 Highly distractible
 Anxious, fearful, stressed
Academic Driven
 Whole class work
 Receiving instruction
 Preparing for task/Executive Function
 Independent work
 Small group work
 Content too difficult
 Length of assignment
 Content too easy
Written tasks
Basic Needs Unmet
 Family Challenges
-Food, shelter, sleep
Authority Driven
 Males or females
 Regular teacher
 Ancillary staff (music
technology)
 Substitutes
Medical Needs Unmet
 Sensory problems
 Health needs
 Safety needs
Isolation Disconnection, Depression
From:
 Peers
 Adults
 Lack life energy/motivation for school or
life
 Past Trauma Effecting Current
Functioning
Problematic Learned Interaction
Patterns
 With peers
 With adults
Problems making transition to school
 Parent Reports Family Conflicts
 Parent Reports Alcohol/Drug problems in
self or family
Peer Driven
 Problems with most peers
 Problems with specific peers
 With increased numbers of
peers present
 Setting determined, during less
supervision
Procedure Driven
 Transitions
 Start-stop procedures
 Less structured areas
 Access to desirable objects, tasks
or people i.e., can’t wait
Communication Driven
 Student lacks other skills to
indicate needs or wants
TARGET/CHALLENGING
BEHAVIORS
Tunes Out Instruction
 Doesn’t take instruction
 Doesn’t start assignment
 Doesn’t work consistently
 Doesn’t turn work in
 Doesn’t ask for help
 Distracts others
Non-Compliance
 Passive non following through
of direction
 Simple refusal
 Direct defiance
 Over negotiates
 Escalates into temper outbursts
 Problems With Peers
 Bullying- Victim Role
 Victim role with others
 Intrusive verbally
 Intrusive physically
 Peculiar behavior or
communications
 Escalating patterns
 Takes others belongings
Resists Changes
 Agitation
 Refusal, verbal/physical
 Appears confused or
overwhelmed
 Withdraws
 Argues
HYPOTHESIS OF APPARENT PURPOSE OR
NEED BEHAVIOR SERVES TO AVOID OR
OBTAIN
Academic Needs Not Being Met
 Avoidance of task(s)
 Obtain Self-regulation i.e., discharge of impulses
 Obtain Attention/Validation from adults
 Obtain Attention/Validation from peers
 Obtain/Access to preferred tangible or activity
 Need for choices by avoiding direction
from adults
 Avoid/Protection from feelings of vulnerability &
inadequacy
 Need to test limits for power or security
 Lack of commitment to task or optimism
about competence
 Lacks trust/relationship with adults in authority
 Primal defenses through aggression
 Behavior is the only means to
communicate a need or want
PRECIPITATING FACTORS --Interventions
Neurobiological
 Involve family to obtain developmental history
 MD appointment with specific concerns communicated
 Assess with family for community services
Basic needs unmet
 Connect with family to offer community “Strength Based” assistance
 YST or Community staffing team
Medical/Sensory
 Facilitate referral to MD
 Utilize district nurse
Trauma
 Facilitate services of trauma specialist
 Reassure safety frequently
 Modify settings to insure sense of safety
 Coordinate with community agent i.e., Mental Health Worker
Isolation/disconnection/depression
 Assess cause
 Increase students perceived support base
 Teach social skill for inclusion, asking for assistance
 Offer small group for academic tasks or social opportunities
 Peer assistance
 Cross age tutoring
 Opportunities to build status with peers
 Refer if remains unable to have energy for life or school
 Involve student in decision making
Transition to School
 Task analysis-break down steps to beginning school day and modify as such
 Increase structure and support with preferred adult or peer
 Begin day with incentive schedule  Picture schedule or organizing activity
 Daily check in group or with “coach”
Learned Antisocial Interaction Patterns
 Identify clear expectations for positive behaviors
 Cost/benefit program for acceptable and non-acceptable choices
 Assess if early or late onset
 Early onset requires full participation by parents, and community professionals
 Late onset may be responsive to goal setting and reinforcement for positive
and negative behaviors, monitoring peer influences
PREDICTORS --Interventions
Academic Driven
 Pinpoint specific problem
 task analysis, breakdown steps for problematic task expectation
 Create a strengths-needs scale*
 Modify content, length, time to perform tasks
 Modify seating
 Increase or decrease movement options
 Stimulate interest areas for student
 Allow peer help
 Teach organization skills
 Teach positive self-talk
 Teach communications skills:
 How to get help, how to ask for a break, a quieter place
 To recognize when help is needed
 Over-teach classroom skill required
 Pre-teach academic expectation*
Authority Driven
 Evaluate quality of relationship
 Increase rapport
 Goal setting for specific expectations
 Identify positive and negative adults for student-increase access to former
 Look for ways to reinforce expected behaviors –
3:1 positive to negative statements
 Response Cost Plan*
 Allow limited (2) choices when giving directives
 Increase “Alpha” vs. “Beta” directives
 Reinforce small steps toward compliance
Peer Driven
 Increase time with positive peers
 Decrease time with negative peers
 Cooperative learning options
 Teach social skill to improve peer interaction
 Teach verbal skill to meet social need or want
 Teach conflict management skills
Communication Driven
 Teach social skill to verbalize or signal need or want
 Teach multimode expression of need or want* (h)
 Over-teach skill of communication of need or want* (i)
 Prepare adults to recognize attempts to communicate* (j)
Procedure Driven
 Pre-teach steps to procedure
 Specify behavioral expectation
 Prepare for all changes
 Picture schedule of procedures
 Reassure verbally if fearful of change
 Over request tasks with high degree of success prior to difficult procedure* (k)
 Allow peer assistance, e.g. “Hall Buddy”