A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)is a process used to identify problematic behavior in students and why the behaviors are occuring and how to change the behaviors. Teachers both Special Ed and General ed. along with admin, counselors, and psychologists gather information regarding the targeted behavior. Instead of identifying a general behavior, an FBA focuses on a specific behavior. Teachers track and gather information on the behavior - where it occurs, how often and the duration of the behavior. Information on what took place directly prior to the student exhibiting the behavior is also collected. The school psych. or behavior specialist will take the information and with the team work on creating a BIP. Often an FBA is used as part of a Special Education evaluation and for kids with serious behavior concerns that are being disciplined frequently and removed from school often. Students do not need and IEP or 504 plan to have an FBA created.
