Save on your hotel - www.hotelscombined.com

The Functional Behavior Assessment Steps Specialists Take To Understand What Motivates Your Child

By Michelle Patterson


Some children have a difficult time adjusting to the rules and regulations that have to be followed in the classroom. They may be inattentive, disruptive, and have trouble getting along with teachers and classmates. If you are the parent of a child with behavioral issues, you have probably already met with teachers, school psychologists, and administrators. When normal remedies are unsuccessful, these professionals may suggest taking functional behavior assessment steps.

To be an effective partner in the process, you have to understand exactly what functional behavior assessment, or FBA, involves. Most educators genuinely care about the youngsters they teach. When children struggle, they want to help. Inappropriate behaviors don't just happen. There are reasons for them. Finding those reasons and changing them into positive energy is the goal.

There are a number of professionals involved in the FBA process. The school psychologist often leads the team and talks to individuals who have regular contact with your child. She also sits down with your child to evaluate his thought process and to conduct behavioral testing. Other members of the immediate team usually include the child, the parent, classroom and special education teachers, and school administrators.

In order to assess inappropriate behaviors, they must be defined. Words like inappropriate or disruptive are not specific enough to work with. The professionals need detailed descriptions of incidents that have happened in and out of the classroom. The more specific information they can gather, the easier it will be to formulate a plan for change.

Analyzing the data is the next step. The experts are looking for clues to the reasons behind the behaviors. They analyze when and where instances occur and how often. They want to know if there are common factors at play immediately preceding an incident, and if particular people might trigger an inappropriate outburst. Conversely, specialists analyze the times when the child is calm and happy. They try to find out whether this happens at certain times, in certain places, or around specific people.

With the data they have gathered, the professionals are usually ready to try and get to the root of the behaviors. This can be difficult and time consuming. Some children act out when they feel threatened, frightened, or confused, and want to avoid or escape those feelings. The way they behave is their attempt to do that.

The final step in the process is the intervention plan. This plan involves creating an atmosphere conducive to promoting positive behaviors and then rewarding this child for his cooperation. Sometimes this plan includes restructuring teaching methods, changing the physical environment, varying or stabilizing routines, and changing consequences for continued inappropriate behavior. The appropriate person will sit with your child to discuss the changes being made and what will be expected of him going forward.

Being a kid is harder for some than others. Sitting still, listening instead of talking, and being judged by test papers can be too much for certain types of kids. Getting to the root of the reasoning behind inappropriate responses to classroom routine can set a special child on the road to academic success.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment