Functional Assessment of Behavior (FAB/FBA)
The purpose of a Functional Assessment of Behavior is to provide teachers and other school based professionals with a better understanding of how the student’s behavior relates to and affects their academics and overall school experience. As part of a comprehensive assessment, the FBA collects data through observations of behavior, interviews, and a review of records, in order to understand the function or reason behind these exhibited behaviors.
The four main functions of behavior are as follows
Escape - to avoid a task or experience
Attention - provides access to people or interactions
Sensory - behavior feels good to do
Tangibles - provides preferred items or activities
Understanding the function of a student’s behavior by analyzing an FBA takes the “opinion” out of why a student is behaving the way that they are and allows for modifications of challenging behaviors. We cannot change a behavior without accurately understanding it’s source. The evaluation results are used to develop the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in order to remediate , alter, prevent , or replace target behaviors.