How will the school address my child's behavior?

If your child receives special education services, IDEA gives the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team the responsibility of addressing student behavior. Remember you are a member of that team. You should plan ahead and discuss any possible behavioral difficulties your child might have. Read the school rules and behavioral expectations and ask yourself:

• Can my child control her behavior?
• Can he follow the school rules?
• Does she understand what will happen if she doesn’t follow the rules?

IDEA states that your child’s IEP team shall:

“… in the case of a child whose behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others, consider, if appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address that behavior.”
34CFR Section 300.346 (a)(2)(i)

What does positive behavioral support mean?

Behavior is how we act and react. Some children behave in an appropriate manner, others use challenging behavior to meet their needs. This challenging behavior may interfere with their learning and the learning of others. Behavior happens for a reason. Positive behavioral support helps to understand the purpose of inappropriate behavior. Positive behavioral support teaches the skills necessary to replace the inappropriate behavior with acceptable ways of acting and reacting. The child can then substitute acceptable behavior that meets his needs. The child can learn better ways to make her feelings and needs known to teachers or parents.

A positive behavioral support plan is different than traditional behavior management. Behavior management plans were designed to focus on the student. The goal was to stop the undesired behavior, often with punishment. Research has shown that punishment will stop one behavior in one setting, but the student will replace that behavior with a different, even worse, behavior. Positive behavior support replaces undesired behavior with new behavior or skills. The child can then use this new behavior in a variety of places, in and out of school.

Positive behavioral support does not focus on changing the student and stopping the inappropriate behavior. Rewarding appropriate behavior, altering environments, and teaching appropriate social, academic or behavior skills are some positive behavioral support strategies.  

What is a functional behavioral assessment?

Finding that reason is called a “Functional Behavioral Assessment” because it tries to understand the “function” or use of the behavior. This finding-out process is a method of collecting and testing information. It should include observations of your child’s behavior. It could also include interviewing you, your child, your child’s teacher and other school staff who know your child.

 A functional behavioral assessment should answer the questions about your child’s behavior. To prepare for these discussions, ask yourself the following:

• What triggers your child’s inappropriate behavior?
• What does the inappropriate behavior look like?
• How often does it happen?
• When is it least likely to happen?
• How long does it last? How do you or the teacher react?
• How much is it interfering with your child’s learning?

A functional behavioral assessment should:

1. Describe the behavior exactly. This should be in specific, observable, and non-judgmental terms. Anyone hearing the description of the behavior should know what it is.
2. Identify where the behavior happens. Where does it not happen? What happens before the behavior? What happens after?
3. Figure out the most likely purpose or use of the behavior for your child. What is your child gaining from this behavior? What is she avoiding because of it?
4. Develop a “best guess” (hypothesis) about why this behavior happens when and where it does.

What strategies could be used to encourage my child’s appropriate behavior?

Change the environment—The environment should be organized for success. If you know that your child is sensitive to noise, the school could provide earphones or a quiet place in the classroom during noisy times. If your child reacts to smells, textures or colors, accommodations might be made to avoid problems. Your child may need his space clearly defined. Or he may need more space to avoid bumping others or being bumped. If your child does not see or hear well, sitting up front will help her succeed. If your child’s behavior is distracting, sitting in the back of the classroom might work best. Sitting next to children who demonstrate appropriate behavior could be desirable. On the other hand, there may be other children who may not be desirable neighbors.

Appreciate positive behavior—A reward for one child may not be a reward for another. When your child is rewarded for appropriate behavior those behaviors will likely happen again. Praise, positive comments, and sincere affection from teachers work for most children. Some children may need more tangible rewards.

Make things predictable—Children feel secure when they know what will happen next. Make sure your child knows what to do and when to do it. Teach her where to go, what supplies to bring, and if talking is allowed. Ask the teacher for the daily routine and help your child learn the schedule. A daily activity chart might help. With the teacher, you can prepare your child for any changes in the daily routine. Discuss and practice for the unexpected such as fire and tornado drills or for what will happen if there is a substitute teacher or paraprofessional (aide).

Give choices whenever possible—Your child feels in control when he can make some of his own choices. Allow your child to make a choice from several acceptable alternatives. If your child is trying to avoid a task, provide several tasks from which to choose. Young children can choose what to wear from two coordinated outfits. Honor the choices the child makes. Children need to practice making choices to learn to make decisions as grown-ups. Giving choices avoids power struggles that lead to inappropriate behavior.

Adapt the curriculum—Your child will behave appropriately if she is interested in what is being taught and is not frustrated by the level of difficulty. Find out how your child learns best. Does he remember things he has seen or does he need to hear information? Perhaps she understands things she can touch and feel. Teachers can use all of these methods to get information to students. Does your child need assignments shortened to avoid frustration at not getting done with the other students? Is your child bored because the pace of the class is too slow? Does she need more stimulation to keep her interest and avoid inappropriate behavior?

Provide extra support for your child—Children with challenging behavior may need more support with academic and social skills to avoid frustration that could lead to inappropriate behavior. Talk with the other members of the IEP team to decide if your child might need more help from the teacher, from an aide or from other students. Peer tutoring, instruction by another student, may be helpful.

 Provide extra support for the school staff—Discuss training that might be needed for staff who work with your child. For example, if your child has autism, the staff may need some specialized training in understanding autism and learning effective strategies. Teachers may need additional time for collaborative planning for addressing your child’s challenging behavior.

Monitor improvement—How will progress be measured? The IEP team must decide. What is each person’s responsibility in carrying out the positive behavior support strategies? When will the IEP team reconvene to discuss how the strategies are working? Does the plan need to be changed?  

What do I need to know if the school takes disciplinary action?