We have been to a number of IEP meetings where the results of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) were presented. You won’t believe some of the things we have heard! Check out this list:
- Your child doesn’t need an FBA. FBAs are for children who have severe emotional problems.
- Here is our FBA form, let’s fill it out so we can write the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).
- You cannot ask for an independent FBA. An FBA is not an assessment.
- We finished your child’s FBA. The function of your child’s behavior is anxiety.
- We finished your child’s FBA. The function of your child’s behavior is control.
- We tried to do an FBA but your child does not have any behaviors.
- I don’t know how to graph your child’s functional analysis results. They didn’t teach me how to graph in school.
- We don’t need a behavior analyst to do the FBA. Our special education teacher took a class on behavior. She can do it.
- Why did your report say the child escaped? Our staff keep children within arm’s length at all times.
And the number 1 craziest thing we have heard about FBAs:
10. We cannot do an FBA as part of the initial evaluation. We have to see how he behaves in special education first.
Please share! What crazy things have you been told about an FBA? Behavior analysts, what have you heard?
My favorite was someone (whose field specialty shall remain nameless) wrote an ENTIRE “Functional Behavior Assessment” (over several pages long) without at any point any where even mentioning the word function or why the behavior was occurring.
Wow! That’s a good! We will have to add that to our list!
The craziest things I see are the “check the box” FBAs and BIPS, where multiple topographies are listed, alongside multiple functions (including ‘control’!) alongside a laundry-list of interventions… Sort of a “throw the spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks” method to behavioral interventions.
I LOVE the check the box forms! Those are my fave!
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