Understanding Intensive Social, Emotional, & Behavioral Teaching & Support

When a student’s interfering behavior is not adequately addressed by supports at Tiers 1 and 2, the multidisciplinary team may determine that Tier 3 supports are needed.86 These supports are provided in addition to, not instead of, Tier 1 supports. The intensive, individualized behavior support at Tier 3 typically involves two steps for the team: completion of a functional behavioral assessment and subsequent development of a behavioral intervention plan.

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

The FBA is a process of structured, intentional information gathering about an interfering behavior that poses a significant barrier to the student’s learning, safety, and/or social relationships. Because it includes observation of the interfering behavior and its patterns in school contexts, it typically takes multiple days or weeks to complete. Through the FBA, the school team can determine why the student is engaging in interfering behavior and what underlying need (or function) that behavior meets for the student. 

Conducting an FBA supports the development of a BIP based on the function of the interfering behavior. The BIP supports the student to learn an alternative behavior that meets the same underlying need as the interfering behavior. Teams are strongly encouraged to view the FBA and resulting BIP as two equally important parts of the same student support process.

In pages 5–6 of their 2024 joint guidance, “Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments,” the federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) described the characteristics of an FBA.87   Those characteristics are condensed and provided below.

Description of Behavior

An FBA should include a clear, specific, measurable, observable, and objective description of the behavior that interferes with learning. The description of the interfering behavior should be sensitive to cultural and linguistic differences, and should reflect objective observations free from bias and judgment. 

Data Collection

An FBA should be individualized and provide insights into the environmental and behavioral factors impacting the student. To do this, data should be gathered from multiple sources, including observations and interviews, to:88  

  • Collect and analyze direct data (e.g., classroom observations) to record when the behavior happens and when it does not happen (referred to as occurrence and non-occurrence). Data collection methods may include conducting observations to collect data on the frequency or duration of the behavior, the conditions and context in which the behavior occurred, and the physical location, environment, and individuals present to inform an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) analysis, described below. 
  • Collect and analyze indirect data (e.g., interviews with teachers) on when the behavior happens and when it does not happen. Data collection methods may include interviews with or anecdotal reports from educators, early childhood education providers, parents, and the student, if appropriate, that are focused on the interfering behavior; and 
  • Review existing data in areas such as attendance, academic performance, prior behavioral incidents, student health records, and previously implemented academic or behavioral interventions.

Data collection for an FBA should be conducted by professionals with the necessary skills, training, and knowledge to identify and analyze, and address the student’s interfering behaviors. These staff should actively engage and collaborate with parents and students throughout the process.

ABC Analysis and Function-Based Behavior Review

Once data are collected, educators analyze the data related to: 

  1. The events that happen before the behavior occurs, known as antecedents; 
  2. the interfering behavior; and 
  3. the events that happen immediately after the behavior occurs, known as consequences that maintain or reinforce the behavior89

Analyzing ABC data allows the team to determine the function of the behavior. By considering the relationship between the antecedents, behavior, and consequences, the FBA identifies the function – or purpose – an interfering behavior serves. Typically, the function of behavior is categorized as a student’s effort to obtain something (e.g., peer or adult attention, access to a preferred activity, stimulation/sensory experiences), or to escape/avoid something (e.g., social experiences, a non-preferred activity, stimulation/sensory experiences).

RREI Demonstration Site Finding: A Good FBA Is More Than a Checklist

RREI demonstration site staff emphasized that FBAs should not be limited to a simple checklist, and should yield more than just the function of the behavior. ABC information used to determine the function is invaluable when designing a plan. Teams that take the time to conduct the data collection and function-based behavior review described here will set the stage for a high-quality BIP that can meet the student’s needs.

Skill Development

After analyzing the data, educators identify what social, emotional, or academic skills the student needs to develop, and how and when those skills will be taught and supported by the team to support the student in using the new skills at appropriate times. The new skills should also address the function of the interfering behavior (e.g., obtain a reaction from classmates or escape/avoid schoolwork) by applying those skills (e.g., new social skills or academic strategies to complete work) rather than engaging in the behavior that interfered with learning.

Considerations for an Effective FBA

To develop a well-rounded FBA that facilitates the development of a strengths-based BIP, teams should ensure the FBA includes information about the following areas.

Student Strengths: Teams that ground planning in student strengths are more likely to engage in the mindset that frames the student as a whole person, rather than operating from a deficit lens. Knowledge of student strengths yields valuable insight into their behavior needs. For instance, noting that the student thrives during outdoor recess and other physical activities may help explain a pattern of interfering behavior after extended seat time. Learning the contexts in which a student seems “happy, relaxed, and engaged”90  can help teams analyze situations in which the student seems comfortable versus when they seem stressed. Identifying the student’s particular interests and preferences can also support the team to craft a BIP that connects the student to the activities and opportunities in which they feel motivated and successful. 

Social Connections and Interaction: Students who engage in interfering behavior often lack positive social connections with peers and adults at school. Some students may also experience barriers around social skills that lead to interfering behaviors. For instance, a student who makes unkind comments to get reactions from peers may not have learned more prosocial ways of initiating social interactions. Positive relationships with others are powerful protective factors that make interfering behavior less likely over time. Teams can use information about the student’s interactions with others to identify teaching and support opportunities in the BIP. 

Communication Skills: Many students use interfering behavior when they have difficulty communicating their needs in other ways. Documenting how the student does and does not currently communicate needs to others can support the team to identify any needed teaching strategies, such as functional communication training, to include in the BIP. 

Health Factors and Needs: Sleep, diet, medication, conditions that result in pain or discomfort, and mental health symptoms are just a few wellness factors that may result in interfering behavior at school. In addition, school teams often mistakenly overlook mental health factors for students with disabilities. School teams should ask the parent about the student’s health and wellbeing during the FBA, especially if their interfering behavior has developed or intensified suddenly. It is important to note that the BIP should never be used as a substitute for physical or mental health services. However, including this information in the FBA can help the team plan for any health-related adjustments to the student’s other supports at school.

Precursor Behaviors: As part of documenting patterns related to the interfering behavior (see pages 50–51), the team can also document any observed precursor behaviors. These behaviors typically precede the interfering behavior and indicate the student’s behavior is escalating. When teams identify precursor behaviors, they can learn more about the antecedents that trigger interfering behavior, and develop a BIP that proactively supports the student before their behavior escalates.

Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP)

A BIP can be developed for any student regardless of disability. At minimum, a BIP must describe:91

  1. The pattern of behavior(s) that impedes the student's learning or the learning of others;
  2. The instructional and/or environmental conditions or circumstances that contribute to the pattern of behavior(s) being addressed by the IEP team;
  3. The positive behavioral interventions and supports to:
    1. Reduce the pattern of behavior(s) that impedes the student's learning or the learning of others and increases the desired prosocial behaviors;
    2. Ensure the consistency of the implementation of the positive behavioral interventions across the student's school-sponsored instruction or activities;
  4. The skills that will be taught and monitored as alternatives to challenging behavior(s) for a specific pattern of behavior of the student.

Teams can follow the student-centered problem solving process described in Section 4 to develop a BIP, support its implementation, and revise it (if needed) to meet the student’s needs.

RREI Demonstration Site Finding: Review BIPs to Confirm They Are Positive and Function-Based

Several RREI demonstration site teams determined it was necessary to review existing BIPs as part of their work reducing restraint and eliminating isolation. Following that review, they identified two key issues that teams should address:

  1. Each BIP should be focused on positive strategies to teach an alternative skill that aligns with the behavior’s function. If the BIP is punitive and/or not teaching-focused, RREI teams recommend revising it.
  2. Each BIP should be based on the results of an FBA. The BIP can incorporate function-aligned strategies that positively and proactively address all of the ABC data described on page 56 above. If the BIP does not align with the FBA, and the function of the behavior is not reflected across the BIP’s components, RREI teams recommend revising it.

Grounding the BIP in the FBA

The BIP should reflect the findings of the FBA and meaningfully incorporate them into function-based supports. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) have recently provided federal guidance on BIP components,92  including the components that address the behavior’s function. This guidance is adapted below, with examples added to illustrate key points. While some of these components are beyond what Washington state minimally requires, they are evidence-based and linked to better and safer outcomes for students. Districts are encouraged to adopt these components in their policies, procedures, and practices for BIP development for all students.

  • Summary statement describing the findings in the FBA, including 1) typical patterns in the environment and/or events observed just prior to the interfering behavior, 2) the specific interfering behavior observed, and 3) patterns in the response or environment change observed just after the interfering behavior that highlights the function of the behavior
    • For example: “When Carlotta experiences pressure from peers or adults to complete learning tasks quickly or without error, she may run out of the classroom to escape the task and/or the person she feels is pressuring her”
  • Antecedent conditions that provoke the interfering behavior: Environmental factors such as lighting, seating arrangements, noise level, interactions with peers and/or adults, and accessibility of the academic curriculum that may contribute to the behavior occurring or not occurring
  • Antecedent supports that prevent the interfering behavior: Prevention strategies, such as addressing antecedent events and environmental factors that provoke the interfering behavior
  • Teaching strategies for a function-based replacement behavior: Instructional strategies and interventions that teach the student a replacement behavior that addresses the same function as the interfering behavior
    • For example: Since the function of Carlotta’s behavior is escaping tasks and pressure from others, the team decides to teach her how to request a short break to engage in self-regulation strategies, including physical activity (one of her preferences)
  • Positive consequence/response strategies: Function-based reinforcement strategies that are used after the student uses the replacement behavior, and that encourage the student to continue to use that behavior as a way of meeting their needs (e.g., providing authentic positive feedback, access to preferred activities, or another form of recognition that is connected to the interfering behavior’s function)
    • For example: Each time Carlotta uses the replacement behavior of requesting a break, her teacher immediately responds by allowing her to use the break space for 5 minutes. This meets her need for escape, reinforces her for using the replacement behavior, and prepares her to return to schoolwork in a regulated state

Considerations for an Effective BIP

Teams that use the practices below are more likely to develop a BIP that is effective for the student as well as acceptable for parents and staff.

Develop and Revise the BIP as a Team: When meeting to develop an initial BIP, team members should include the student whenever possible, their parent, and the staff who will implement the plan. For best results, these individuals must find the plan acceptable and feasible (provided there is adequate staff support and training). Including all parties ensures the BIP reflects all voices, is practical for the team, and is a good fit for the student and family.

Schedule Time to Review Data as a Team: The BIP is a working document, and its effectiveness comes from small changes driven by ongoing review. When the team finalizes the initial BIP, they should immediately schedule a meeting to review the data that will be gathered on the student’s progress. This is typically scheduled within 4–8 weeks of the BIP’s start date.

Consider the Whole Child: When writing a BIP, the team should ground their work in their understanding of the student as a whole person. To do this, guiding questions include: 

  • How are student strengths and preferences reflected in this plan?
  • How does the plan support the student to have increasing access to educational, social, and extracurricular opportunities at school?
  • How might the student’s language and/or culture influence what strategies are included in the plan?
  • Does this student have any physical or mental health concerns that need to be considered? Are there other supports, outside of the BIP, that should be coordinated?
  • Does the student have accommodations or modifications on a 504 plan or IEP that must be factored into the BIP?

Develop an Individualized, Function-Based Plan: The BIP should provide intensive, individualized support -- which means that it must reflect a different arrangement of preventive and responsive strategies than the team has used with the student in the past. Strategies in the BIP must not consist primarily of punitive consequences, and should not include practices already been found to be ineffective for the student. The team must not have a practice of employing a “generic” BIP copied and pasted from one student to the next. 
The team should also consider the function of the problem behavior when determining what replacement behavior to teach and how to teach it. The purpose of completing an FBA prior to writing the BIP is to allow for this high level of individualization and function-based support.

Consider Feasibility and Fidelity: Plans must be feasible to be implemented consistently. It is usually best practice to start with a streamlined BIP that incorporates the function of the student’s behavior throughout and facilitates consistent implementation. Progress data cannot be interpreted if the plan has not been implemented with fidelity. Teams are encouraged to conduct fidelity checks periodically, especially during the first 4–8 weeks of implementation. If the plan is consistently implemented and progress data indicates that additional supports are needed, the team can modify the BIP at that time.

86 A team may also elevate a student’s supports to Tier 3 more rapidly; this may be warranted if the student’s interfering behavior poses a significant safety risk to themselves and/or others.

87 OSERS & OESE (2024). Using functional behavioral assessments to create supportive learning environments.

88 Center on PBIS. (2022). Tier 3 comprehensive functional behavior assessment guide.

89 National Center for Intensive Intervention (2021). Behavior basics: Understanding principles of behavior. 

90  Hanley, G. (2020, January 24). Practical functional assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior [PowerPoint presentation]. Presentation at the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism, Utah Valley University.

91 WAC 392-172A-01031 defines the minimum requirements for a BIP for students eligible for special education services. Districts are strongly encouraged to follow these requirements for a BIP developed for any student (regardless of special education eligibility) and should not create a different definition for BIPs developed for students ineligible for special education services.

92 OSERS & OESE (2024). Using functional behavioral assessments to create supportive learning environments.