What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)?
- An FBA is a tool that is used to understand the “Why” behind behavior occurring. They consist of structured interviews, observations, data collection, and at times environmental manipulations to understand the “function” of a child’s behavior. Once your ABA team and you understand the “function” of your child’s behavior an intervention plan can be targeted to your child’s unique individual needs.
What is a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)?
- Our behavior intervention plans focus on replacement behaviors that serve the same function as the target behavior while providing support and reinforcement for other desired behaviors. Behavior plans typically focus on positive interventions related to antecedents (what happens within the environment before the behavior) as well as consequences (what happens after the behavior). By manipulating the environment or antecedents we may prevent problem behaviors from ever occurring. Understanding the consequences or “functions” that maintain problem behavior allows us to target consequences for decreasing problem behaviors while increasing replacement skills.
What is meant by behavioral “function”?
Behavior occurs for the following reasons or “functions”:
- to obtain or access items
- to escape or avoid unpleasant tasks/feelings
- to obtain or access attention
- self-stimulation