Running head: FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT

Functional Behavior Assessment

Melody Doudna

Franciscan University of Steubenville

EDU 348 N, Spring 2017

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Functional Behavior Assessment

In schools today, there are many issues that challenge students and teachers in the pursuit

of forming educated youth. Many of these challenging matters deal with the natural struggles

associated with students as they make connections and absorb new content while they learn.

However, some of the issues that are of higher importance within the classroom center around

behavior. Ryan, Halsey, & Matthews (2003) cite an estimated “7% of children and adolescents

(or roughly 2 students in a classroom of 30), exhibit behavior problems that are serious enough

to warrant some type of intervention.” For a child to become a student, he must have the

disposition to learn. In this disposition is contained the desire and the proper inquisitive attitude

of the learner. For children with learning disabilities, fostering this desire must be intentional

and focused on the part of the educators.

Many educators in the past several years have utilized Functional Behavior Assessments

(FBA) as a viable way to help understand their students’ behavior and work on strategies to

eliminate problem behavior that is obstructive to learning, and to enhance positive behavior that

enables the child to become an effective learner. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

reauthorization in 1997 mandated the use of FBA if “a change of placement is to occur due to

behavior for a student with an IEP” (Ryan et al., 2003) This assessment is effective in both

general education classrooms as well as specifically special education classrooms, although in

the past it has mainly been used in special education classrooms (McIntosh & Av-Gay, 2007).

This rise in use could be in part due to the renewed understanding of the importance of meeting

the needs of children while they are still receiving Tier 1 education instruction.

Definition of FBA

FBA is a process for understanding an individual’s problem behavior, identifying events

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that predict and maintain it, and using this information to design problem support plans that

minimize problem behavior and maximize functional, prosocial behavior (McIntosh & Av-Gay,

2007). FBA is not simply a quick fix which evaluates what will make a child behave

appropriately for a short time. Rather, it is an in depth study of the child exhibiting problem

behavior to determine long-term goals and realistic objectives to meet these in the classroom.

For a child to learn how to behave properly, he must be met where he is at and led to understand

what proper behavior in the classroom is. With this in mind, FBA are used by teachers to

determine what function or purpose a child’s behavior is aimed towards. Children act with the

end in mind, especially if they have once experienced positive results from what would be

termed as ‘problem behavior.’ Problem behavior is any behavior a child engages in which

interferes with a child’s learning or the learning of those around him (McIntosh & Av-Gay,

2007). But if he receives positive reinforcement from it in any way, it is likely that he or she will

engage in this again to gain that highly desirable outcome. Also, it must be remembered that

challenging behavior exists within a child’s interaction with the environment (Ryan et al., 2003).

FBA is a way to determine just what behaviors stimulate the student in order to promote positive

behavior and extinguishing problem behavior in their academic experience.

Point 1: Identifying the Function of Behavior

Students perform behaviors for various reasons, both socially acceptable behaviors and

problem behaviors. No matter what they do, they are making a decision to act or refrain from

acting based on the perceived good of a certain course of action. To determine why a student

might act out or act in a way that adversely affects his learning, FBAs are implemented. As

McIntosh & Av-Gay (2007) note, “Identifying the function or functions that maintain problem

behavior provides a key to the elusive question of “why” problem behavior occurs.” By using
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the FBA, teachers are able to effectively understand why their student(s) act the way that they

do. As Scott, McIntyre, Liaupsin, Nelson, & Conroy (2004) note, a student may perform a

behavior across many different environments, but it could serve as many different functions

within those environments, so the environmental factor is important to consider as well.

Incidents are not seen as random occurrences, but within the context of an FBA, these are

documented and studied for patterns that reflect the student’s motive.

Newcomer & Lewis, (2004) and Ryan et al. (2003) explore the research concerning

FBAs and the importance of the function of their behavior. As Newcomer & Lewis, (2004)

state, “The value of functional assessment has rested on the assumption that treatment

effectiveness increases if the treatment matches the function of the target behavior.” This is seen

to be true; for one to treat the targeted behavior, one must first recognize the root of what is

causing it to occur. If this cognitive act occurs, then teachers can begin to plan ways that this

information can be used to condition a child’s response to be more socially acceptable.

Newcomer & Lewis, (2004) present two assessment-based interventions that can be used with

FBAs: 1) teach prosocial alternate behaviors that replace the targeted behavior; 2) adapt

environmental stimuli so they do not contribute to problem behavior but rather promote positive

behavior. These points parallel two “fundamental principles of behavior” as well, which are

concerned with replacing problem behavior with prosocial behavior and noting the

environment’s role in student behavior (Ryan et al., 2003). Ryan et al. (2003) recognize the

potential for FBA in clarifying specific strategies to assess the interaction between a student’s

behavior and his environment to form an educated hypothesis about the root cause and function

of the behavior.

In this research, Newcomer & Lewis (2004) also stress the importance of establishing a
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well-defined procedure to determine the function of behavior with a maximum of clarity but a

minimum of effort. Part of this is establishing what objects or events are of value to the student.

Positive reinforcements can be categorized as: stimulus, escape, attention, and/or tangible. Each

of these are geared towards a different aspect that an individual can find particularly pleasing.

(Ryan et al., 2003). Ryan et al. (2003) present an example of a behavior, such as one which

would get the teacher’s attention. That end, or function, is good and should be encouraged.

However, if the child is using the behavior of hitting his peers or the teacher to reach that end,

that is inappropriate because it definitely impedes his and/or his peers’ learning process. Thus,

the child must be taught another, prosocial behavior to get the teacher’s attention, such as raising

his hand. This is the goal of finding the function of a student’s action: to redirect their actions so

that they will not harm themselves or others, but help the action to reach its end appropriately.

Once this is done, research agrees that FBAs can be used to great result among students with

behavioral problems.

Point 2: In School Setting and the Training of Specialized Individuals In a School

Scott et al. (2004) and McLaren & Nelson (2009) present the case for using FBAs not

only within the special education classroom, but extending these to the general education

classroom as well. This has been a more recent idea among educators, as this assessment has

been used primarily in special education classrooms for the past several decades. However, with

the rising levels of integration following the idea of learning through the Least Restrictive

Environment, the LRE, Scott maintains that it is almost crucial to implement these in the general

education classroom as well (Scott et al., 2004). This has met with some resistance from

teachers who have been in the Education field for longer and think that the FBA is too complex

and involved for general education teachers to accomplish effectively in the midst of the busy
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general education classroom. This idea was tested by both Scott et al. (2004) and McLaren &

Nelson (2009).

McLaren & Nelson (2009) research focused on three children in a Head Start program,

where FBAs were used effectively to decrease problem behavior. These children did not have

severe disabilities, and the assessment was used as a way to answer the question of the feasibility

of conducting FBAs within a natural setting (e.g. a general education setting) and whether the

teachers thought they were reasonable to conduct given their time and skill level (McLaren &

Nelson, 2009). This study found the FBA to be an admirable advantage as part of a preventative

program for young students instead of simply a reactionary measure like it is typically used as.

McLaren & Nelson (2009) point out that “teachers may be unwilling to use functional

assessment procedures if they are perceived as too complex or time-consuming” (p.4). So instead

of this, they propose the use of less complex procedures that typical teachers can follow to utilize

FBA within their classrooms without relying on external aid, thus following the effectiveness of

the Principle of Subsidiarity. In the research sample set used in this research article, the majority

of the participating teachers had little or no prior knowledge of conducting an FBA, and at the

conclusion of the study, the teachers were surveyed on their experience (McLaren & Nelson,

2009). The results were very positive, with teacher willingness being rated as 94%, effectiveness

82%, perceived disadvantages 84% (McLaren & Nelson, 2009). The response of the teachers

did also express some concern about how time consuming the assessment was, and how

insufficient time might result in lack of effectiveness in meeting long-lasting student goals

(McLaren & Nelson, 2009).

Scott et al. (2004) acknowledge the complexity and time-consuming nature of the FBAs,

but extends McLaren & Nelson’s (2009) research to look at the possibility of providing less
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complex, school-based teams to conduct these assessments. They remind the reader that it is

widely acknowledged that in controlled settings with experts, these assessments are credible.

However, with the desire to use these effectively in general education classrooms, he presents a

study of 39 school teams performing FBAs which he analyzed (Scott et al., 2004). When

specially trained, these teams were found to be very effective in conducting the initial research

for the FBA and were able to analyze the children. It was beneficial to have both those who

knew the child well and those who knew the psychological side of the assessment on this team

(Scott et al., 2004). When there was a mixed group of parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals,

they were able to engage in “team-based problem solving” (Scott et al., 2004). This was also a

cost-effective way to create appropriate plans as well as for the faculty and parents to become

more cooperatively involved. They were able to consult teachers and design individual student

assessment and intervention strategies to be used within the general education classroom. While

this research has shown the benefit of teams to conduct FBA within the general education

classroom, the main concern is forming teams which have both the expert knowledge of the

formalized process as well as information drawn from actual contact with the student. A

combination of persons with these characteristics is necessary for an effective FBA team in a

general education setting (Scott et al., 2004).

Implications for Practice

This research, although not conclusive, points to the efficacy of using FBA to improve

children’s behavior in academic settings. There are certain implications for teachers in both

special education and general education teachers who need to implement FBAs. The first of

these would be the importance of understanding each child in the classroom and their culture.

Their family culture as well as their ethnic culture must be understood if teachers are to begin to
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understand why students act the way that they do. Much of a student’s actions are rooted in his

experiences with those closest to him. This is why parents are involved in Scott’s (2004) idea of

school based FBA teams. Their contributions are very important to a team that is striving to

determine the cause of problem behavior in an individual.

Another implication of this research for future practice would be to refrain from teaching

pedagogy which is contrary to FBA approach. That is, Ryan et al. (2003) show how simply

punishing students without being consistent in determining the function of their behavior may

make problem behaviors worse and lengthen the time needed to extinguish the behavior. He

advises “first consider what the student is communicating through his or her behavior” (Ryan et

al., 2003). Punishment is rarely effective in changing behavior long-term.

Lastly, a third implication of this research for practice is to focus on providing students

with a natural and steady environment. Often, according to Neilsen & McEvoy (2004), children

today suffer from a lack of structure in their lives. Without balance and a steady schedule, they

can have emotional disorders, which are a leading factor in behavioral disorders. To provide

this, Neilson & McEvoy (2004) urge teachers to increase teacher praise and visual reinforcement

systems for students to receive clear cues, decrease teacher attention for inappropriate behavior,

including punishing attention, and add overall more structure and supervision during classroom

routines.

Future Direction of Research

Although FBAs have been used in recent decades since IDEA supported their use in

1997, there is still much to be learned concerning the integration of this assessment model in

different settings. Teachers should be made aware of the positive outcomes from using FBA,

both in the special education classrooms as well as in general education classrooms. Since their
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introduction in legislation in 1997, they are still relatively unknown outside of the special

education classrooms. However, with the goal to give all students quality instruction at the Tier

1 level, and with the push for ever greater inclusion in the classroom, it is important for all

teachers to be made aware of this amazing tool. This will help them understand the reason why

their students behave the way that they do, and they will then be able to monitor that and modify

instruction as necessary. Many children exhibit less than positive behavior in the classroom at

various points during their academic years, and it is important for teachers and paraprofessionals

to be trained to recognize once a behavior becomes a problem behavior and how to deal with it.

Punishment in the classroom should not be the immediate and final response to

misbehavior; effective educators must become cognizant of why their students perform

behaviors that are problematic. It is only once teachers begin to understand the function of

students’ behavior that they will be able to eliminate it. FBA assists with that because it enables

students to develop prosocial behavior which will replace the problem behavior. Teachers in the

field today need to be brought to see the value in first understanding why their students behave in

a certain manner before they simply give negative consequences for the action.

Two important directions for future research are ways to spread awareness and

acceptance of FBA among general education teachers, and the need for additional research to

show whether punishment is an effective response to problem behavior, or whether first

establishing the function of the behavior is necessary. Both of these goals are worthy directions

for future research to follow in meeting the objectives of becoming the most effective teachers

possible and raising intelligent students who are able to reflect upon their own actions and

modify their approach based on teacher and environmental cues.

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Conclusion

Throughout the history of developing educational pedagogy, teachers have striven to

understand student behavior. FBA provides a way to do this, not only in the special education

classroom, but in general education classrooms as well. It brings one to understand that

“behavior is predictable, occasioned by the environmental stimuli, and serves a purpose

(McIntosh & Av-Gay, 2007).” By determining the function of a student’s behavior, the teacher

is able to actually understand the student’s desires and can then work to develop an effective plan

to increase prosocial behavior. When more teachers have access to understanding how to use

this tool, it is to be hoped that education will change to see the whole person in each student and

better differentiate instruction or practice to meet their needs. In this way teachers will be able to

become highly effective in the classroom among all of their diverse learners.
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behavior assessment and behavior support planning in school systems. International

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McLaren, E., & Nelson, C. (2009). Using functional behavior assessment to develop

behavior interventions for students in head start. Journal of Positive Behavior

Interventions, 11(1), 3-21.

Neilsen, S., & McEvoy, M. (2004). Functional behavioral assessment in early education

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