Functional Behavior Assessment
If challenging behavior within children is considered to be a problem yet a means of communication, then why are we (or the majority anyway) always shying away from it? Children are required to use their body language to say what they can’t for some aren’t articulate enough to convey their feeling, while others who can are afraid to verbally convey their feelings. Nonetheless, all children deserve to have equal opportunities within this world and by allowing any child to continue their challenging behavior to a point where it become a habit, or that it progresses into violence or worse, we aren’t facilitating such opportunities. Through different behavioral assessments and strategies teachers are afforded the opportunity help these students progress towards finding another way to ‘express themselves’. Throughout this article it is my intent to illustrate how teachers collect data in order to determine the functions of a behavior, the importance of collecting and reviewing data before implementing specific interventions to address challenging behavior, three common behaviors a teacher may see in young children and target for modification or replacement along with possible functions for each of these common targeted behaviors.
Teachers and education professionals collect data to determine the different functions of behavior with regards to the child in question. The data collected is then analyzed to determine the best course of action to use, or to develop a positive behavior support plan to help guide both the student and teacher on the best strategies and other effective ways to help detour the student from their destructive behavior and progress toward one that is less ‘aggressive and destructive’. Functional assessment and positive behavior support are tertiary interventions; and serious, frequent, and intense behavior problems clearly qualify for their use (Gable, Quinn, Rutherford, Howell, & Hoffman, 1998). More moderate behaviors—especially those that occur often or over a long period and affect learning and social relationships—may be candidates as well (Chandler & Dahlquist, 2005). An informal observation will provide a reality check by helping you figure out exactly how frequently the behavior takes place—how many times a day, how many times a week—and whether it appears at specific times.
Collecting and analyzing data before creating a target modifications and replacements is imperative. Knowledge of the use of the target behavior for the child is imperative before trying to implement modifications and replacement behaviors for the replacement behavior could actually serve to hinder from doing what is in the child’s best interest. If a child is using challenging behavior to avoid participating in art projects and you try to promote his participation more within the class it may cause them to become more challenging or by putting a student outside when they are challenging that student is still avoiding whatever he was using his behavior to contest. By reviewing records, inquiring about interests of your own, and observing children within their natural habitats/ environment, you are able to better serve the needs of the child/children. After obtaining such information you are then equip with the tools necessary to create an effective positive behavior support plan; one that will fit the needs of the child in question without hindering other students as well.
Common examples of challenging behavior within children include but aren’t limited to aggressive behavior, antisocial/disruptive behavior, and timid/ withdrawn behavior. The top fifteen behavioral problems reported by teachers are biting, throwing temper tantrums, screaming, yelling, destruction of objects, throwing objects, kicking, pushing, pinching, frequent crying, grabbing of toys/materials from others, needs frequent adult assistance, spitting, disobeys instructions, and threatening. From my own experiences with preschools within our territory, reoccurring problems I faced where that of pinching, yelling, grabbing toys/materials, and disobeying instructions. While there were other occasions where other behaviors where displayed by different children, they were few and infrequent enough to mention. If the functional assessment indicates that the child is trying to obtain your attention, you can use planned ignoring. This means you must plan not to respond to the child’s challenging behavior—not to come to her side, speak to her, or look at her when she behaves inappropriately—but instead provide attention when she’s behaving in an acceptable manner (or a close approximation thereof). This action shows the child that the challenging behavior will not serve the function or purpose it has served up until now—it will no longer get her what she wants (Durand, 1990; O’Neill et al., 1997). When a child begins throwing temper tantrums, screaming, or other aggressive behavior that could be dangerous or may be hazardous in anyway provide some positive reinforcement that is meaningful, and as they begin to regain control offer options of what could be done next.
References
The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2009). Functional Behavior Assessment: Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan and the A-B-C Analysis. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/fba/chalcycle.htm
Rasminsky, Barbara Kaiser and Judy Sklar. Challenging Behavior in Young Children:
Understanding, Preventing and Responding Effectively, 3/e for Ashford University, 3rd Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions. <vbk:9781256060314#outline(15.2.6)>
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