The document discusses individual assessment and intervention for students exhibiting difficult behaviors in the classroom. It covers conducting functional behavior analyses to understand the functions and contexts of problematic behaviors. This involves observation, data collection, and using the insights gained to design interventions tailored to the student, teacher, and environment. The goal is to maintain positive behavior changes over time through strategic planning and contingencies. If initial interventions are not successful, the document provides guidance on problem-solving and reviewing earlier decisions to improve outcomes.
2. The nature of teacher and student behaviour is extremely complex and variable. Factors contributing to the complexity include: Teacher and student behaviour, Classroom context, Wider environment including the community, Family, friends, siblings, and peers, Needs, demands, expectations, attitudes and pressures, Reinforcement and punishments, and Patterns of interaction that occur in the classroom.
3. When the behaviour of students in the classroom become too difficult, a RTLB can be called into the situation to offer expertise, ideas, an unencumbered view of the behaviours, and suggestions for interventions. The RTLB should be able to support the teacher to begin to unpackage and understand the learners behaviours.
4. Understanding behaviour includes: Observation, Assessment in the classroom context, Learners abilities, strengths, and challenges, Teachers abilities, strengths, and challenges, Intervention options, And, importantly, a realistic idea of what can change, What will change, and What is workable for the teacher, learner, and school.
5. In observation, our first question is: What is going on here? Followed by, what does it mean? And What functions do the behaviours of interest serve for the players in the interaction? To answer these questions we begin a functional assessment of the interactions taking place in the classroom.
6. This section is about functional behaviour analysis including: Conducting observations, Collecting data on behaviours, Using the data to plan interventions for difficult behaviour, Choosing interventions appropriate for the student, teacher and context, Maintaining and generalizing positive behaviour changes, and Reflecting on problem solving when the interventions are minimally successful or not successful.
7. All behaviour has a function. The focus of functional behaviour analysis is the function or purpose of the difficult behaviour the student is exhibiting. This information will enable us to tailor individual interventions for the student.
8. FBA is a rigorous, time-consuming process if done well . Scott, et al. (2004) discuss how the demanding methodologies of FBA can be relaxed so that it can be put into practice in classrooms by educators. Conroy and Stichter (2003) discuss examining antecedents to behaviours and using antecedent and functional assessment in the natural classroom setting.
9. Awareness of antecedents is the first step toward creating a positive and preventative classroom environment. Intelligent attention to antecedents, environment, interactions, attitudes and relationships can make creating and maintaining a positive classroom appear deceptively simple.
10. Observing and collecting data Shippen, Simpson, and Crites (2003) present an accessible and practical guide through the steps for conducting a FBA. The data should reflect the learners and teachers behaviours. The data should be presented such that everyone can understand the data and the behaviours they reflect.
11. The clearer we are regarding specifically what teacher and student behaviours we are interested in, the more accurate our data collection, the better we can understand what is occurring, the more useful our recommendations for interventions, and the higher the likelihood of effectively bringing about change.
12. Generally learners who require individualised interventions (Tier 3), do so because they have not been responsive to class-wide (Tier 1) or small group (Tier 2) interventions. First to consider in planning an intervention is what we want the behaviour/s to do: increase or decrease? Second, hypotheses regarding the behaviour and environment guide individualizing interventions.
13. Third, careful examination of and attention to the learners reactions to the intervention/s is key to testing the hypotheses and positively changing the behaviour. Fourth, was the intervention implemented with fidelity? Fifth, was data accurately collected? Sixth, did behaviour change in a positive way?
14. How can we maintain and generalize positive change? Both occur through use of Careful planning, Antecedents and consequences, Contingencies put in place in the initial situation will be put in place in subsequent situations, Self-management strategies are useful and preferable, and Natural and variable consequences promote behaviour change maintenance.
15. Maintain and generalize positive change: Create a positive classroom atmosphere where all the students feel valued, important, appreciated, and feel like they have something to contribute, and feel like something they say or do will be positively noted. Use praise, acceptance, humour, high expectations, clear directions, preventive monitoring and regard liberally.
16. Problem solving when the behaviour does not change Review earlier decisions and data which guided the choice of intervention. Examine intervention fidelity. Was there enough time? Was the intervention of sufficient intensity? Use reflective questions as a guide and checklist when working through an unsuccessful intervention. Acknowledge that not all behaviours, interactions, and environments are available to change.
17. At times a situation needs to be put right or restored. Three questions guide a restorative approach to behaviour: What has happened? Who has been affected and how have they been affected? What needs to be done to make things right again?
18. Restorative practices When relationships have broken down all persons take responsibility for what happened and commit to making things right again in restorative practice. This requires careful preparation and commitment. Restorative practices can be used in a preventive way to restore the leaner to be a meaningful and contributing part of the class, school, and culture such that resistant behaviours do not occur.