Sustaining the Classroom Community final project 4/18/09

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Sustaining the Classroom Community final project
4/18/09

• Helen Chung

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Sustaining the classroom community

• In order to build classroom community, behavior
  problems must be addressed
• 5 to 15 of students do not respond to standard
  behavior interventions
• According to the IDEA 1997, schools must
  introduce functional behavior assessment to
  address serious and persistent problem behavior.
  (Panico, 2009)

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What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

• An FBA identifies when, where, and why problem
  behaviors occur, and when, where, and why they do
  not occur. (Sugai, Horner, and Sprague, 1999)
• There is no consensus on assessment tools, and no
  set format
• Assessment tools may include records reviews,
  teacher reports and checklists, observations, and
  interviews
• An FBA accompanies a Behavioral Intervention Plan
  (BIP) as part of a students IEP

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MMSD FBA components

• Strengths of the student
• Slow triggers (setting events)
• Fast triggers (antecedents)
• Problem behavior, perceived function, and actual
  consequences

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Who can do an FBA

• Basically, anyone
• The difficulty lies in the fact that there is a
  dearth of trained personnel available to conduct
  the functional assessments of behavior and to
  develop and implement the behavior intervention
  plans. (Van Acker, Boreson, Gable, and
  Potterton, 2005)

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What is a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)

• BIPS are reserved for students with serious and
  persistent behavior problems who do not respond
  to traditional behavioral supports
• BIPs are designed to promote positive behaviors,
  suppress negative behaviors, and provide supports
  for a student to do so

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MMSD BIP components

• Description of interfering behavior
• Intensity, frequency, and duration
• Possible antecedents
• Desired behaviors to increase, maintain, and/or
  teach
• Positive interventions, accommodations, and/or
  strategies
• Consequences which serve to increase desired
  behavior
• Student action/behavior, staff interventions, and
  consequences for stage 1 (precursor behaviors),
  stage 2 (behaviors of distress) and stage 3
  (recovery behaviors)

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Who can do a BIP

• A BIP is written as part of a students IEP
• Therefore, a students IEP team consisting of the
  special education teacher, related service
  providers, and regular education teacher writes
  the BIP
• As with the FBA that accompanies the BIP, no
  special credentials are required to write one,
  and few are adequately trained

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Case managing S/L students

• In 2007, MMSD speech-language therapists were
  required to case manage all students whose only
  identified disability was S/L
• S/L only students with academic and/or behavioral
  needs were previously case managed by cross
  categorical (CC) teachers

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S/L students w/ behavioral needs

• Some S/L only students have behavioral needs
• Students who meet criteria for a disability in
  addition to S/L are eligible for CC case
  management
• The advantage of CC case management is that CC
  teachers are better trained than SLPs to manage
  behavior, and they see their students for at
  least a couple hours a day instead of the 2 ½ or
  3 hours a month S/L therapists see their students

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Case managing S/L only students with behavioral
needs

• Case managing S/L only students with behavioral
  needs may require creating and implementing a
  functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and
  behavioral intervention plan (BIP) as part of a
  students Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
• SLPs are not typically trained to write and
  implement FBAs and BIPs
• Limitations include the amount of time we have to
  see each student and the number of different
  teachers a middle or high school student has

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How do we write an effective BIP?

• In Behave Yourself, Ambrose Pierce believes that
  too many BIPs have been driven by behaviorist
  theory that believes that behavior is a function
  of the interaction between the behavior and the
  environment. These plans have relied too heavily
  on rewards and punishments
• He proposes an approach that stresses a social
  cognitive view which believes that behavior is
  the result of reciprocal influences between the
  personal variables (internal) of the individual,
  the environment (external) in which the behavior
  occurs, and the behavior itself. (Kaplan, 2003)

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A social cognitive approach to the BIP

• Internal variables
• Cognitions (beliefs, expectations, values, etc. .
  )
• Emotions
• Competencies (self management, social skills)
• Physical characteristics

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A social cognitive approach to the BIP cont.

• External variables
• Antecedents (setting events, cues)
• Consequences (/- reinforcements)

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How internal and external variables interact in
the social cognitive approach

• Antecedents e.g., a failed test, are
  experienced through an individuals unique
  variables. For example, one student may become
  more determined to do better, another may feel
  defeated and angry
• Behavior is the individuals response to the
  antecedent e.g., one student will make note of
  errors and study harder the next time, the other
  might crumple his test, say that it was a stupid
  test anyway, and spend the rest of the period
  disrupting class

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How internal and external variables interact in
the social cognitive approach cont.

• The students behavior interacts with the
  environment, producing a consequence. The first
  student might approach his teacher for extra
  help, the other might get sent out for class
  disruption
• Consequences are then processed through an
  individuals personal variables, and feedback
  will strengthen, maintain, or weaken the
  behavior.

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Core beliefs to guide implementation (Panico,
2009)

1. Human behavior is complex
2. Misbehavior is not always willful
3. Long term success is the goal
4. Teamwork is critical
5. The student must be involved

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Core beliefs to guide implementation cont.
(Panico, 2009)

1. Flexibility is critical
2. Optimism is critical
3. Patience is critical
4. The plan must be positive
5. The plan must go beyond reinforcement

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Tools to change behavior (Panico, 2009)

• Reinforcement based tools
• Belief based tools
• Skill based tools
• Needs based tools
• Environment based tools
• All are needed to change behavior

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Reinforcement based tools

• Reinforcement based tools manipulate rewards and
  punishments
• Contracts, rewards
• Keep it positive and consistent
• Include student in deciding whether
  reinforcements have been earned

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Belief based tools

• Belief based tools provide new information, new
  ways of looking at old information, or a broader
  context for evaluating information that positions
  the student to substitute empowering beliefs for
  disabling beliefs
• Substitute rational statements for irrational
  statements in self talk
• Behavior change is based on belief change, not
  the other way around

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Skills based tools

• Skills based tools teach a skill or skill set the
  student must master in order to be successful
• Counting backwards from 10 to control anger
• Basic academic skills
• Social skills

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Needs based tools

• Needs based tools identify the basic need
  gratified by a maladaptive or socially
  unacceptable behavior. After the need is
  identified, an adaptive and socially acceptable
  behavior is substituted that meets the need
• Finding a mentor or joining the track team to
  fill a need to belong instead of joining a gang
• Most students will need adult assistance to
  identify the need being met by the undesired
  behavior

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Environment based tools

• Environment based tools seek to change behavior
  through thoughtful adaptations to environmental
  variables
• Seating arrangements, instructional level, test
  accommodations, change in schedule
• Build a more inclusive classroom community

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The Plan to Do Better Process (Panico, 2009)

• Step 1 Identify and describe the nonproductive
  behavior, including the behaviors
  characteristics and context
• Step 2 Secure the view, input, and suggestions
  of the students (required) and parents or
  significant adults (recommended)
• Step 3 Identify and describe the problem
  behaviors function(s) and select the appropriate
  behavior change tool(s)
• Step 4 Fully develop each of the selected tools
• Step 5 Develop and describe the behavior plans
  assessment process and schedule

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Step 1 Describe the nonproductive behavior

• Define the behavior that needs to change
• Use specific language
• Aggressive behavior should be hits or kicks
• Disruptive behavior talks out, offers
  irrelevant comments
• Place the behavior into context
• Hits, kicks other students in unstructured
  activities during recess
• Talks out of turn, making comments during math
  class such as this is baby stuff

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Step 2 Secure the input of the student,
parents, other significant adults

• Best way to obtain student input is to ask
• Behave Yourself includes a list of essential
  questions that include
• What do you really like about school?
• Dont like?
• Can you stop X when you want to stop?
• What do you get out of doing X?

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Step 3 Identify and describe behaviors
function and behavior change tools

• Behave Yourself has a list of essential questions
  that include
• Is the student conscious of his behavior
• Is the behavior under his or her control
• Is the student aware of the short and long term
  consequences
• How does the environment contribute to the
  maintenance of the nonproductive behavior

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Step 4 Fully develop each of the selected
behavior change tools

• Try to develop plans that incorporate several
  tools
• For example, implementing belief based tools to
  change a students belief system will also
  require implementation of skill and reinforcement
  based interventions

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Step 5 Develop and describe the behavior change
plans assessment process and schedule

• A team has to be able to decide if a plan is
  working
• Decide how assessment feedback will be provided
  to all stakeholders
• Include the student in the assessment process

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Forms for gathering information

• Panico has included many forms for information
  gathering in Behave Yourself
• Student interview form
• Parent/guardian survey
• Things My Teacher Should Know About Me interest
  inventories for middle and high school
• Teachers who help me succeed (preferred teacher
  behaviors)

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references

• Panico, Ambrose Behave Yourself! Helping
  Students Plan to Do Better Solution Tree
  Bloomington, IN 2009