What is a Functional Behavior Assessment?

A Functional Behavior Assessment is a way to figure out why a students acts the way he or she does. The FBA uses different methods to understand what is behind challenging behaviors.  It is used to gather information to make a plan to help the student depending on what is causing the acting out. It is led by a team of people who are trained in understanding behavioral challenges.  It is generally used in situations for special ed students to figure out if behavior is getting in the way of learning. This can happen if a student already has an IEP or 504 plan. Another situation it can be used is if a student is disciplined or removed from school. Any family can ask for a FBA for any student regardless of circumstances.

An FBA is an approach to figure out why a student is behaving in a specific manner.  They are used to gather data on what triggers lead up to the incident that are causing these behaviors to happen, how often they are happening, how long they last for, and what happens right after.  FBA plans are generally used for students that are being evaluated on all areas of learning (special education), or adding to an IEP or 504 plan. They may also used for students who may have been disciplined or/and removed from school to evaluate the severity of their behaviors moving forward.

An FBA gives a more complete picture or idea of why a student may be struggling with behaviors that could be impacting their education.  A team of school professionals will work on putting together an FBA when a student is displaying behavior that may be getting in the way of his or her education.  In an FBA the behavior is specifically defined.  Information is gathered and analyzed so as to answer questions like,  when and where is the behavior occurring?  How often is the behavior occurring?  Who is around? What is happening directly before and after the student displays the behavior.  After information is gathered a team of school professionals will work to find a reason of what´s causing the behavior.  Finally, the school psychologist or behavior specialist will create a BIP to teach and reward positive behaviors.  The FBA is generally used if part of a school evaluation for special education or if a student is disciplined or removed from a school.  

A functional Assessment is an assessment of a child's behavior to define the purpose of the behavior and determine effective plan for the child to address the behavior and effectiveness of replacement behavior. 

The Team works together to gather information on the student to determine the purpose of the behavior. They first define the behavior and then the purpose it serve. Then analyze the data to confirm the function of the behavior. Once the purpose of the behavior is determined they developed plane for the student to address the behavior and implement the desired activity to take the place of the behavior. 

An FBA is an approach used to try and understand what a student is communicating when they are exhibiting maladaptive behaviors and to create a plan to help meet the needs of the student, diminish maladaptive behaviors, and replace with positive or wanted behaviors. FBA's are created by a team of individuals including a person trained in understanding behaviors. others on this team can include but are not limited to, teachers, staff, administrator, the family and the student involved. This team will together define what the behavior is, gather and analyze information, hypothesize a potential reason for the behavior and make a plan in hopes of a positive outcome. FBA's are most frequently used when a students behavior is deemed as such that it is getting in the way of learning, in some cases when a student is disciplined or removed from school, or if a student's family requests an FBA be completed.

An FBA can lead to a plan on how to change a students behavior. It can be used for students who are having problems learning or paying attention in class,

A Functional Behavior Assessment is something that is used or created to try to figure why a certain behavior is occurring.  It is used to find the reason behind the behavior.  If you can find the reason, you can work to change it.  An FBA is generally used in an evaluation in special education- if you think the students behavior is getting in the way of them learning , you might want to do an FBA.  Also if a student already has an IEP or a 504 and there are new behavior concerns, and in some cases, federal law requires an FBA if a student is removed from school.  

FBA is used to determine the appropriate placement and services for the student to reduce negative Inapropriate behaviors and create new positive behaviors that are appropriate 

An FBA identifies specific behaviors that distracts the student from their education.

The FBA leads the process to an intervention plan to the behaviors the student is exhibiting.

The FBA is used in situations when the students behavior creates a concern from teachers, parents, or other educational professionals.

A FBA is an approach to figure out why a student acts a certain way. It uses different methods to understand whats behind behavior challenges. A FBA is used to get a better idea of why a student is struggling.

A functional behavior assessment is an important tool to help us understand better why a student behaves a certain way and then decide from there what to do. It helps the teacher to better understand the the purpose behind a concerning behavior.

A FBA is an approach to figure out why a student acts a certain way. It uses different methods to understand whats behind behavior challenges. A FBA is used to get a better idea of why a student is struggling.