Functional Behavior Assessment: FBA

Student Name: Dan Wilson Examiner Name: Fiona Moynihan

Date of Birth: 04/02/2006 Date of Report: 04/19/2020

Introduction:

Dan Wilson is a fourteen-year-old male student who attends North Middle School. A

current eighth-grade student, Dan has an IEP for a learning disability and works with the

schools’ Special Education teacher but spends most of his school day in general education

classrooms. Dan has also been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and currently takes

no medication.

Dan has an extensive history of abuse. At the age of six, he was found living homeless

with his two younger siblings by DCFS. Dan was malnourished and had several indicators of

physical abuse and reports of sexual abuse. The siblings were then placed into foster care

before Dan was then adopted separately from his siblings at age nine. There continued to be

reports of abuse from Dan’s new home until his adoptive parents separated recently. Dan

continues to report nightmares of the abuse, causing him to sleep only two to three hours a

night.

In school, Dan currently has earned poor grades in his courses, not earning higher than

74% all year in a core content class. Most of his other grades are considered failing. After

taking the Woodcock-Johnson III, Dan earned an 81 SS in general reading ability and a 79 SS

in math ability. He also has poor writing skills and handwriting that enhances Dan’s frustration

when asked to complete work. Dan’s teachers report that he refuses to participate in class and

complete work, preferring to learn through listening passively and viewing videos. Teachers

have reported high rates of Dan keeping his head done on his desk during class, stating it is so
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frequent that it does impact the learning environment for the rest of the students. When

teachers attempt to engage Dan, they report he becomes aggressive, yelling, swearing, and

throwing items before leaving the classroom altogether. There has been a pattern of office

referrals, restraints, and even hospitalization for Dan since his start in the school system in

fourth grade. Data was collected for this report using direct observations, as well as QABF

Surveys and Open-Ended Functional Assessment Interviews, to determine the function of

Dan’s behavior.

Description of Target Behavior:

The target behavior identified for Dan is aggression enacted through the action of

throwing objects. The reaction is characterized by Dan picking up an object and using force to

propel that item across the room within a minute timeframe of him picking up the item. Both

when Dan hits someone with the item and does not hit someone is classified as this behavior.

Summary of Informal Data Collection:

Historical Reports:

Department of Child and Family Services:

DCFS became involved with Dan’s case when he was six and was found living

homeless with his younger siblings. DCFS more recently provided a report for a Residential

Placement Referral prompted by Dan’s violence at school. They reported Dan’s history of

hospitalization for attacking school staff members. Although there are descriptions of Dan

indicating that he can learn through listening and watching videos, it explains that attempts to

have Dan actively engage in classwork result in refusals that escalate to violence in a manner

of minutes. DCFS’s report also includes teacher statements that they believe Dan refuses to
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write because his handwriting enrages him. He also refuses to read himself but does enjoy it

when others read to him.

There is cause for concern based on Dan’s performance scores on the Woodcock-

Johnson-III tests for general reading ability and math ability. Still, his teachers report that they

struggle to find ways to engage Dan because he shows no interest in completing the work.

DCFS also reported that Dan had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, a

diagnosis that Dan currently takes no medication for, despite being prescribed several different

types in the past. Dan also is described as having limited connections with peers and adults in

his life. There is also the fact that Dan reports to DCFS that he currently only sleeps 2 to 3

hours of sleep a night as a result of nightmares that remind him of the abuse he has

experienced.

Open-Ended Functional Assessment Interview Responses:

Adoptive Mother:

Dan’s adoptive mother describes her son as a loner who experiences abuse from his

adoptive father at home. The only times he seems happy to her is when he is watching movies,

listening to music, or creating art.

She also says he is not a good student because his teachers do not allow him to be one.

Her interview explains that Dan’s behavior is a result of his trauma history. She believes that

he should not remain in the general education classroom, but rather spend his academic day

with the Special Education teacher exclusively.

She agrees that Dan’s aggression and violence is a behavior that needs to be addressed.

Dan has also become physical with his adoptive father at home. She also acknowledges that

Dan does not complete his schoolwork at home. He becomes frustrated when the topic of
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homework arises. She has seen him throw his notebook or homework sheets when she tries to

bring up school. She does not have any ideas that she could suggest on how to help when Dan

responds in a similar manner in the classroom. She wants Dan to be happy, so she usually tries

to allow him to watch a movie in his room or work on other tasks that he enjoys.

Dan’s mother believes that he is trying to communicate the sadness and anger he is

trying to deal with from his history. She thinks the behavior is reasonable for a child that has

experienced a trauma history like his.

Adoptive Father:

Dan's adoptive father describes Dan as a reclusive but aggressive individual. The father

reports multiple physical attacks at home that involves Dan hitting his brother, mother, and

father. He feels that Dan's aggressive behavior is the first that should be addressed because it

is the most concerning. Dan's father reports that this behavior is very intense and has resulted

in the need to restrain Dan on several occasions at home.

The target behavior has also been described by Dan's father when the topic of

schoolwork has arisen. Dan's father states that he tells Dan that he is a failure in school and

only passes each grade because he works with the Special Education teacher. Dan's father also

tells Dan if he worked harder and had more respect, then he would be doing better in class and

would get to do more of the activities he enjoys, such as watching movies or listening to

music. His father reports that Dan often becomes violent during these conversations and

reports that he throws notebooks as his mother described.

Dan's father states that Dan needs to be disciplined more so he will learn more respect.

He believes that Dan's mother is too nice to Dan when his behavior does not warrant that

response. His father believes that taking privileges away from Dan is a better response. He has
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no other suggestions for how to help Dan calm down. The father repeatedly states that Dan

lacks respect, and the behavior will be correct once Dan has learned to listen to adults.

Ms. L (Science Teacher):

Ms. L reports that although she finds that Dan has strong language abilities, he prefers

not to interact with others in the classroom. She does believe Dan has an interest in Science,

but he does not participate in any of the interactive activities in class that require speaking

aloud or group participation. Dan’s lack of involvement and verbal aggression towards Ms. L

and her TA is her primary concern for Dan’s behavior. When Dan is not engaging in these

behaviors, he has his head typically on his desk, which also concerns Ms. L because she does

not know if he is listening.

She has also found that his behavior has become even more intense and frequent since

the TA has tried to work more with Dan. When she asks Dan to join his group or tries to speak

with him about the lesson, Dan becomes very angry and will swear and insult her. Dan usually

will leave the classroom after these exchanges and talk with the counselors. Ms. L believes

talking to the counselors calms down Dan.

Ms. L says that she does not know how else to help Dan because she has so many other

students she is trying to work with during the behavior. Ms. L also is not sure why Dan

behaves in this way. She thinks he may feel embarrassed he is falling behind his peers, but she

does not know how to help Dan if he does not engage in the class.

Ms. K (Math Teacher):

Ms. K claims she does not know much of Dan’s interest. She says that she only knows

that he does not like her class. Ms. K believes that Dan refuses to learn, and that is why he

struggles in math and disrupts her classroom. Ms. K reports that Dan will keep his head on his
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desk for the entire class, only raising it when he is asked to participate. Ms. K states that when

Dan raises his head, he will yell at the teacher or the TA that asked him to join. Ms. K

describes Dan’s response as distracting as he swears and insults the instructors before he

leaves the classroom.

Ms. K says the behavior is consistent with when Dan is asked to participate in a group

or answer a question aloud. If the class is completing textbook work, Ms. K says that Dan will

usually throw his textbook before leaving the classroom. He has hit the TA and two of his

peers in the past.

The teacher does not know how to calm down Dan or how to help him because she

claims that she does not know how to help a student that does not want to learn. Ms. K

believes that Dan is depressed and struggles to engage in class because he cannot focus on the

work when he has the emotions that he does. These emotions are also what Ms. K believes

fuels Dan’s behavior in the classroom. Ms. K wants to help Dan learn, but she does not know

how.

Mr. P (English Teacher):

Mr. P believes that Dan has good language abilities but prefers not to speak with others

in the learning environment. Mr. P has noticed that Dan does enjoy reading magazines and has

tried to talk to Dan about the topic. Mr. P does find that Dan enjoys the conversation, but he

tends to keep the talks brief.

Mr. P also explains that Dan works with the Special Education teacher during the

semester on projects and has been able to complete that work with passing grades. Other than

that, Dan has not earned a passing grade on any other assignment and refuses to participate in

class. When asked to completed work or to join the class in discussing a reading assignment,
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Dan refuses to cooperate. Dan will yell and leave the classroom; Mr. P estimates that Dan

spends roughly 50% of the lesson time outside the class.

Mr. P is most concerned by Dan’s aggression as he feels it creates a dangerous

environment for all the students and staff. Mr. P recognizes that asking Dan to complete work

is likely a trigger, but he does not know how to avoid the trigger because he believes it is

reasonable to ask Dan to read in an English class. The teacher also does not know how to help

Dan after he becomes aggravated. Asking the student to calm down seems to make him

angrier, in the teacher’s opinion. Mr. P thinks that Dan is saying that he does not want to do

the work when he behaves this way, but he is not sure why Dan has such a refusal to complete

tasks.

Mr. C (Social Studies Teacher):

Mr. C expressed a real concern for Dan, who he described as a very depressed

individual. He reports that Dan does enjoy magazines and will journal at times, but Dan shows

an interest in very little else and often refuses to speak to others. Mr. C also explains that Dan

is very behind in the class as he often refuses to complete the work, swears in class, and will

elope.

Mr. C reports that although he has heard of Dan attempting to hit other teachers, Dan

has never done so to him. Dan tends only to become angry when asked to complete work and

expresses this by swearing or insulting others and leaving the classroom without telling

anyone where he is going.

These behaviors are enacted by Dan, usually when he is asked to read aloud or

participate in group activities. Mr. C feels that the counselors help Dan when he leaves class,

but Mr. C does not know how to help Dan while in the classroom. He finds that when he gives
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Dan work that has been previously recorded or is read aloud, he tends to engage with the work

more. Mr. C overall believes that Dan’s depression is the primary barrier for Dan when it

comes to completing his work.

QABF Data:

Based on data collected, both the parents and teachers agree that the student’s behavior

is maintained by escape. Dan’s aggression, specifically that which causes him to throw

objects, is a result of his desire to escape classwork. Based on the reports from those

interviewed, it seems that Dan’s attempts to escape work have been successful, causing his

behavior to be reinforced and even to escalate.

Specifically, it seems that Dan wants to avoid tasks that requires him to work in a

group with peers, read aloud, or speak in front of his whole class. After talking to teachers,

there is also evidence that Dan enjoys listening to lectures and books, so it does seem that

Dan’s behavior is motivated to escape work that would allow others to assess his abilities in a

content area.

After reviewing the QABF data collected, Dan’s father, Science teacher, English

teacher, and Math teacher rated Dan’s behavior at a 15 for being motivated by escape. His

mother and social studies rated the function of escape at a 13. Both scores are high and

indicate that the respondents have a conclusive function of behavior.

Summary of Formal Data Collection:

Observations:

Science Classroom Observation:

The first observation of the target behavior occurs in Dan’s Science classroom on April

2nd of 2020 at 9:45 am. The TA in the class asked Dan to participate in class three times in a
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two-minute window. Dan initially reads his magazine before placing his head on his desk.

After the third time of the TA’s request that Dan joins the class, Dan says, “Fuck you. Jesus

Christ.” The teacher warns Dan about language, and the TA says that Dan needs to join the

group now. Dan then stands with the science textbooks and looks at the TA before throwing

the book. The TA tells Dan to pick up the book, but Dan exits the classroom. Dan does return

to the classroom after the TA leaves the room. The counselor returns with him to try and help

Dan calm down. Once the counselor leaves, Dan returns his head to his desk and places his

jacket over his head.

Math Classroom Observation:

The second observation of the target behavior occurred on April 2nd of 2020, at 12:05

pm in Dan’s Math classroom. Dan enters the class and begins to read his magazine. The

teacher spends two minutes attempting to get Dan to agree to pay attention in class. Dan states

that he will not, and says the conversation is making him mad. The teacher says she is not

trying to make Dan angry, to which Dan responds by throwing his magazine across the room.

Dan swears and calls the class pathetic and that the teacher does not teach. The TA says that

Dan needs to participate. Dan yells at the TA, and the two have a short exchange before Dan

places his head on his desk.

The TA exits and returns with the counselor, while the teacher attempts to continue

teaching. The counselor and Dan argue over him leaving the classroom to calm down. Dan

returns his head to his desk. The TA asks Dan if he is settled. Dan says yes before picking up

the math textbook and throwing it to hit the TA. The counselor attempts to get Dan to leave

the classroom. Dan tries to hit the counselor, resulting in the counselor restraining Dan. Dan

begins to cry, and the counselor releases him. The principal enters and check-in with Dan
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before Dan, the principal, and the counselor exit the classroom. The target behavior of

throwing objects arose twice in this observation.

English Classroom Observation:

The third observation of the targeted behavior occurred on April 7th of 2020 at 11:32

am in Dan’s English classroom. Dan enters his classroom and places his head on his desk. His

teacher begins to teach for ten minutes. The TA then approaches Dan to ask him to join his

workgroup. Dan swears at the TA and says he wants to be left alone. The TA urges Dan to join

his group. Dan stands up and throws his book. He exits the classroom. Dan did not return for

the remainder of the class.

Social Studies Classroom Observation:

The fourth observation of the targeted behavior occurred on April 7th of 2020 at 1:47

pm. Dan is in his Social Studies classroom. He places his head down on his desk and puts his

coat over his head. The teacher asks that Dan joins his group for SS. The teacher begins

teaching while the TA spends two minutes attempting to have Dan join the group until he

swears and throws his jacket at the TA before leaving the classroom.

Dan returns with a counselor and sits down with his head on his desk. The teacher

informs Dan he is present if he needs help. The TA comes to Dan and says he is not making

good choices and needs to start class. Dan yells to be left alone before pushing the TA. The

TA and returns with counselor staff, who takes Dan to coverage for the remainder of the class.

Analysis of Observations:

After examining the observation data, it was seen that 100% of the time that the target

behavior occurred, it had the primary antecedent of the TA talking to Dan about starting on

work. This percentage correlates to the expected function of behavior found using the QBAF
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data. The running records used in the generation of the observation summaries seem to show

that Dan’s throwing of objects in prompted by the continuous discussion of classwork. It also

appears that the classwork that Dan is being asked to participate in these situations is group

work.

Also, the primary consequence 80% of the time is the TA trying to speak to Dan before

he exits the classroom. The other 20% of the time, a counselor attempts to talk to Dan before

he leaves the class. In all the situations, Dan ultimately escapes completing his classwork. At

no point did it arise that Dan would return to complete missed work. These consequences,

therefore, are reinforcing the aggressive behaviors of throwing objects Dan has developed.

Conclusion:

Dan presents as a student who has aggressive behavior in class that results in him

throwing objects. Based on the results of the indirect assessment, including parent and staff

interviews and direct assessment, including student observations, the hypothesized function of

Dan’s aggressive throwing of objects is to escape work. The consequential response to the

behavior also is reinforcing it because it is being allowed to serve its intended function.

It has been my pleasure to meet Dan. If you have additional questions or comments,

please feel free to contact me at (774) 571-XXXX.

___________________________________
Fiona Moynihan
Special Education Teacher