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Functional Behavioral Assessment
Step 1: Conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment
1. Identify the behavioral concern.
Ethan engages in verbal outburst, throws classroom materials on the floor if asked to complete
an academic task, uses profanity & tells other students to be quiet while working in groups;
Ethan has also attempted to run from the classroom when he gets frustrated (LaBarbera, 2019).
2. Describe the context for the behavior of concern.
Ethan is put into small groups to complete activities. He occasionally has a meltdown, throws
items, yells at classmates, and attempts to run from the classroom. Ethan sent to principal
office.
3. Indicate conditions related to the behavior (triggers).
Small group activities, frustration
4. Identify functions of the behavior (the payoff).
Ethan gets to leave the classroom and avoid small group activities time.
5. Describe previous strategies and their effectiveness.
Mr. Carter has offered rewards to Ethan if he refrained from disruptive behaviors.
6. Identify alternative positive behaviors to strengthen.
Continue strengthening Ethan’s good nature, humor (making classmates laugh), and outgoing
behaviors as well as his love for art and reading.
7. Write a summary and hypothesis statement.
Ethan recently started mid-year at a new school. He prefers activities which he completes
alone. He does not like group activities and when instructed to work in them he has
meltdowns, throws things, uses profanity and yells at his classmates. Ethan has attempted to
run from the classroom.
Behavior: When Ethan must work in small groups, he has a meltdown throwing items and
yelling at classmates. Ethan is then sent to the principal’s office.
Hypothesis: When Ethan has a meltdown, throws things and yells at other classmates, it is his
way of escaping group activity time which may be difficult for him, and he does not want to
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participate in.
Step 2: Establish Goals
1.Establish a target date for goal attainment.
It would be nice for Ethan to be able to add one new peer to his small group every 1-2 months,
but it would depend on how he handles the transition from one student in his group with him
to two students in his group with him. Weekly observations of Ethan during his small group
time with one other peer would be necessary to even determine when to add the second peer to
the group. Within 6 months it would be nice to see Ethan in a small group of himself and three
other peers.
2. Describe what the child is expected to do.
Ethan is expected to participate in small group activities without throwing classroom
materials, yelling and attempting to elope from the classroom.
3. Describe the context for the performance of goal behavior.
Ethan will work in a small group with one other peer and over time increase peers one at a
time. While completing small group activities, Ethan can request a small break to step away.
Completing his task within the small group in small chunks of time with one other student
with progression to larger chunks of time and more peers. By implementing small chunks of
time together and increasing additional peers one at a time, the goal is for Ethan to avoid a
meltdown and potential eloping.
Step 3: Design the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
1. Develop strategies linked to the FBA information.
Put Ethan in a small group with one other student for small chunks of time and give
appropriate breaks for him as needed. The goal is for Ethan to work in small groups so perhaps
pair him with a student he works best with. Allow his group to be in a quiet area of the
classroom or the school library. Over time increase the number of students in the group with
Ethan one at a time.
2. Determine appropriate alternative response strategies.
To determine which type of intervention is bested suited for Ethan, ask yourself if Ethan can’t
do the behavior or won’t do the behavior (LaBarbera, 2019). It is not that Ethan can’t work in
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a small group; it is that he won’t. Make his group very small, just Ethan and one other student
that he connects with the most. Over time increase his group by one student at a time. Make
sure to praise Ethan when he has a good day working in his small group setting with his other
classmate and avoid sending Ethan to the principal’s office. By being sent to the principal’s
office Ethan is able to avoid working in a small group and our goal is for Ethan to work in a
small group setting.
Step 4: Describe how you would implement the intervention plan and monitor progress.
1. Detail how you would implement the behavior support plan as intended. (DTT,
shaping, video modeling, use visuals, and role play).
Behavior support could be implemented by DTT. Having Ethan work with one child and over
time add other peers one at a time. Shaping can also be implemented. Gradually increasing the
number of peers in Ethan’s group may be an easier change for Ethan to handle and a better
means of him being able to attain his goal of working in a small group completing activities.
2. Include a sample of a data collection sheet and describe how you would monitor
progress.
I would continue to add to this ABC Chart every week during small group activity time. After
one month I would review each week’s data and see if any progress was being made and then
try adding one more peer to the group and observe how Ethan is doing with the additional peer
in the group. It is a matter of slowly adding a peer to build up to at least three or four students
in Ethan’s group, including himself.
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3. Using your imagination, describe a possible scenario where you would have to revise
the plan. What procedures would you follow and how would you document the
revisions?
If the other student which Ethan works with one on one in his group were to relocate, then
another student would have to be chosen to work with Ethan one on one. It would be necessary
to observe the interactions which Ethan has with his peers in the classroom and choose one of
those peers to be Ethan’s new one on one for his small group. If Ethan was in a group with
more than one other student then the same process would occur (observe which peers he
interacts with and choose one of them to join Ethan’s small group). Revision would be
documented with why the revision is occurring and how I came to my conclusion with the
revised plan.
Step 5: Summarize and Evaluate Outcomes
Describe a process that you would follow to summarize progress, determine what
components of PBS contributed to progress, and what was not effective. Provide a
personal reflection that includes how your biblical worldview shaped your responses to
the assignment.
Individual support would be the main component of PBS which would contribute to Ethan’s
success in small group settings. Universal support and group support would also be utilized
and beneficial. I would write down observations of Ethan initially working in small group
settings and then observations of Ethan working just with his one-on-one group partner over a
month period. At that time I would evaluate the possibility of adding an additional peer to the
group. This peer would be chosen from one who would share the same interests as Ethan,
perhaps likes reading and art. The key is to follow Ethan’s progress on a weekly basis by
observations and keeping a log of what I observed.
For this assignment I reminded myself that God creates everyone in His image and that Ethan
was not acting out to be mean. He wanted to remove himself from working in a group setting
because he does not feel comfortable and dislikes that setting. Ethan knew if he acted up that
his teacher would send him to the principal’s office and by the time he was sent back to class,
the small group activity would be over.
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