What is a Functional Behavior Assessment?

A functonal behavior assessment is a process for gathering information about behaviors of concern (academic, social or emotional).
A functional behavior assessment is used to determine the purpose behind the behavior,
A functioal behavior assessment is used when students are engaging in disruptive or withdrawn behaviors.

An FBA is an assessment aimed at determining why a student is behaving in a way. It focuses on discovering the purpose of the child's behavior, or what the child is trying to communicate/accomplish with their behavior. FBA should be considered when a student's behavior is impacting their learning or the learning of their classmates. It must be done prior to considering a change in programming/placement for students with special needs. Disciplinary removals from school should also spark the need for FBA.

A FBA is an approach to figure out why a student acts in a certain way. FBA's help to understand what is behind the behavior because all behavior has meaning. You may use it when a student has an IEP but new behavioral concerns have occurred. It may be used to monitor how behavior is impacting a students learning or to evaluate the risk for the students with significant behavior concerns that may have led to suspensions or disciplinary action. 

The Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is an approach/tool to use to help figure out why a student behaves in a certain way that is impacting their success in school (or coming to school).  The tool is completed by a team of people which can include teachers, administrators, related service providers, and the student and their family. The FBA is used to define the behavior, gather and analyze information and determine the reason behind the observed behaviors. With these pieces a Behavior Intervention Plan can be built.  

Generally an FBA is used as part of a school evaluation for special education, for students with a 504 plan or IEP who are exhibiting new behavioral concerns or when a student is disciplined or removed from school for serious behavior issues.

An FBA is a school approach to learning why students have certain behaviors and what could be causing them. The staff need to first define the behavior. Once they have defined it they need to gather and analyze information to better understand the behavior and what could be the cause of it. Then once they have an understanding of why the behavior is happening they need to make a plan.  Its generally used for special education classification and sometimes its required by law for a student who has been removed from school for disruptive behaviors. 

A functional behavior assessment is used to study a behavior and figure out what is causing the behavior to occur.  The behavior must first be defined, as specifically and objectively as possible.  Then data is gathered and analyzed to determine if their are trends, and focused on the antecedents and consequences.  Ultimately the FBA is used to determine the driving force/purpose behind the behavior.  Situations where an FBA can be used are when students are engaging in disruptive or withdrawn behavior.

Functional Behavior Assessment is a way of figuring out why a student acts a certain way. A team of professionals work together using a serious of different methods to find the function of the target behavior that the student is displaying to help develop a more appropriate behavior. Using surveys, interviews and data the team works together to figure out the exact things that our occurring for example the duration and intensity of the target behavior in order to create a plan to help improve the behavior with a replacement behavior. 


Denisha Wilson

Functional behavior assessment is a process to figure out what’s causing certain behaviors. Children's behaviors serve a purpose and the FBA is used to understand what's causing a behavior and find ways to change it. FBA is usually used for special education students whose behavior is getting in the way of learning, for students who may be disciplined or removed from school, and often done to evaluate risk for students who have serious behavior issues.

An FBA is an approach to understanding a student's behavior so that a plan can be created (BIP) to teach and reward positive/alternate behaviors. FBAs are generally used as an evaluation for special education or if student has been disciplined/removed from school.

Functional Behavioral Assessment is a process to identify problem behaviors and developing interventions to improve or eliminate those behaviors. Schools often use an FBA  to evaluate risk for students with serious behavior issues.  An FBA consists of information-gathering procedures that result in a hypothesis about the function that the behavior is serving for the student.