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Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Chapter 8
Functional Behavioral Assessment
The Trinity of Behavior Management
• Teachers must define behaviors and identify causes, or the functions, of the behaviors
before they can effectively manage the inappropriate behaviors of students.
• The three-step process that a teacher uses to define a student’s inappropriate behavior,
identify the function of the behavior, and develop intervention strategies is known as the
• A functional behavioral assessment is a problem-solving process for addressing student
behavior by identifying the characteristics of the behavior through observation.
• The teacher gathers information regarding the student’s behavior, identifies the
environment and consequences that affect the behavior, and determines why the student
behaves in a particular manner.
• Using a functional behavior analysis, the teacher develops a behavioral hypothesis that
suggests ways to modify the behavior through the alteration of the antecedent or the
consequences.
• The results of the functional behavioral assessment and functional behavior analysis are
used to develop and implement a behavior intervention plan.
Culturally Responsive Functional Behavioral Assessments
o It is important to for those conducting the assessments to determine whether the
behaviors at issue are related to the students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
o Teachers must be culturally sensitive to the student’s behavior by understanding their
own cultures and how their cultural beliefs influence their perceptions of the student.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment
• A functional behavioral assessment is conducted when (a) a student with a disability is
suspended or removed for school for more than 10 days, (b) a student’s educational
placement has been changed, and (c) when behavior goals and/or objectives have been
added to a student’s individualized education program.
• Under a universal design for classroom management, schools should use functional
behavioral assessments for all students displaying behavior difficulties.
• Many teachers lack training in conducting functional behavioral assessments.
Defining the Target Behavior
o The first step in conducting a functional behavioral assessment is to define the target
behavior. Target behaviors must be observable, measurable, and repeatable.
o Observable behaviors are overt behaviors that students display and are easily
perceived.
o Teachers must keep in mind that a student’s culture may affect how he responds to a
situation or event.
Behavioral Observations
• Behavioral observations are used to assess students’ behaviors in natural settings.
• ABC analysis is a commonly used behavioral observation method. The observer notes the
antecedent (A) that occurs before the behavior (B) and the consequence (C) that follows.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
• The purpose of the ABC analysis is to identify the target behavior through the antecedent
that prompts the behavior and the reinforcing consequences that maintain the behavior.
Describing the Behavior
o Once the operational definition of the target behavior has been determined, it is
important to understand the characteristics of the behavior so teachers can observe
and measure the behavior.
o The duration of a behavior is the length of time the student displays that behavior.
There are two types of duration. Duration per episode is simply the amount of time a
student engages in a behavior during one episode. Total duration per observation
measures the cumulative amount of time the student engages in a behavior.
Measuring Behavior
• Teachers need to collect data on students’ behaviors so that they can make informed
decisions about which behavior intervention strategies to implement.
• There are four general types of recording method: event-based recording, interval-based
recording, time-based recording, and permanent products recording.
Event-Based Recording
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Interval-Based Recording
o In interval-based recording, the observation period is divided into equal time intervals
that measure the behavior as occurring or not occurring during specified time
intervals.
o During whole-interval recording, the student must display the target behavior during
the entire interval for the event to be recorded.
Time-Based Recording
o Time-based recording measures the duration or latency of a behavior.
o Duration recording measures how long a student engages in the target behavior.
Duration can be reported as total duration or average duration.
o Permanent products are the actual physical by-products of a behavior.
o Permanent products are the results of the behavior, and offer an easier form of
measurement than event-based, interval-based, or time-based recording methods.
Reliability of Behavioral Observations
o Reliability refers to the accuracy of the data, which is maintained when similar results
are obtained upon repeated measurement of the same thing.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
o Another reason for determining reliability is to reduce observer bias, which may
include unintentional cultural biases.
o Interrater consensus within the acceptable range indicates that the target behavior is
well defined.
Charting the Behavior
• Well-designed and well-organized graphs can reveal behavior patterns that are easily
understood by teachers, students, parents, and administrators, and can provide visual
representation of a student’s progress.
Simple Line Graphs
o A simple line graph is the most common visual format for displaying academic or
behavioral data obtained from event-based, interval-based, time-based, and
permanent products recording methods.
Cumulative Graphs
o In a cumulative graph, the frequency count of the target behavior for each session is
added to the data plotted from the previous session.
Bar Graphs
o A bar graph, or histogram, uses vertical bars to depict the data.
