Tier 3 Interventions for Behavior Wyoming Department of Education

What now?... Tier 1 preventative programs are in place. Students who need additional support are receiving tier 2 behavior interventions. But… there are a few students who are still struggling. Tier 2 interventions include check in/check out, social skills groups, and mentoring. If we are not seeing the changes we want, should we just throw out the intervention and start from scratch?

Data-Based Individualization “Data-Based Individualization is a research-based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions through the systematic use of assessment data, validated interventions, and research-based adaptation strategies” (National Center for Intensive Intervention).

Intensifying Behavior Interventions A new way to think about tier 3 Quantitative Intensification Changes in frequency, duration, and intensity Qualitative Intensification Function-based thinking Functional Behavior Assessment Often tier 3 interventions are thought of as a completely different intervention than tier 2. This is sometimes an appropriate approach but no necessary in many cases. Examples of times when to skip quantitative intensification is if the behaviors are extreme such as physical aggression or when a student with a disabilities’ discipline is such that a change of placement is coming.

Quantitative Intensification Frequency-Provide the intervention more often Duration-Provide different lengths of training within the intervention Examples include checking in more frequently on a checkin/checkout tracker, providing social skills instruction more time per week, providing mentoring more times per week. Examples include shortening the amount of time required to earn a reinforcer with checkin/checkout (Morning/Afternoon), providing more time with a mentor or social skills group. With academic intensification group sizing is also a consideration however it is not usually useful with behavior. For instance, one on one instruction for social skills is not as effective as group instruction.

Intensified Check in/Check out Tracker

Graph to Show Quantitative Intensification

Qualitative Intensification Function-based Thinking Functional Behavior Assessment The point of this presentation is not to teacher you how to conduct FBA’s. The point is to let you know that to be able to create effective interventions and to have a comprehensive behavior support system you need to have the capacity to conduct high quality FBA’s.

Function-Based Thinking “FBT is a model for thinking and a systematic process for defining problem behaviors and selecting interventions that match the function of the behavior” (Hershfeldt et al, 2010). “FBT is intended to be efficient and minimally invasive in terms of teacher time, cost, and management efforts” (Hershfeldt et al, 2010). One the of things these researchers from John Hopkins University discovered is that FBA’s were no be utilized to create behavior plans.

Steps for Function-Based Thinking Gather information Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence Collect baseline frequency/duration data Develop a plan Hypothesize the function of the interfering behavior Teach a replacement behavior Determine if the plan is working Collect ongoing frequency/duration data You can collect ABC data in a couple of different ways with FBT (observation and interview)

Functional Behavior Assessment A FBA is a set of procedures used to determine the underlying reasons why people exhibit particular behaviors. The FBA utilizes principles from applied behavior analysis, specifically experimental analysis. Example of functions of behavior: Obtain or avoid attention Obtain or avoid tangibles Obtain or avoid activity Obtain or avoid sensory

Objectives of Functional Behavior Assessment Determine the underlying function of interfering behavior. Determine the most appropriate replacement behavior. Develop a plan for how to place the interfering behavior on extinction. Develop a plan for how to teach and reinforce the replacement behavior. Extinction means to no longer provide reinforcement to the interfering behavior.

Steps for Functional Behavior Assessment Collect ABC data Collect interview data Collect setting event data Collect frequency/duration baseline data for the interfering behavior Develop hypothesis of the function for the interfering behavior Conduct experimental analysis Place interfering behavior on extinction Determine a replacement behavior Teach and reinforce replacement behavior Collect ongoing frequency/duration data Setting events are events that occur outside of our control that influence behavior. You can see that a FBA is staff and time consuming but the information rendered is extremely important. Experimental Analysis is the process of testing the hypothesis that a behavior is tied to a specific function. Let hypothesize that a student’s physical aggression is used to escape a specific person. An experimental analysis is to have a different person present the exact same task/activity as the non-preferred person. Another way to conduct an EA is to have the non-preferred person provide a preferred activity with the student. If the student is aggressive during the preferred activity and not aggressive during the task with the other person then we can reasonably conclude that the function of the students behavior is in fact to escape from a non-preferred person.

Graph to Show Qualitative Intensification

Other Considerations at Tier 3 Wrap Around Services Outside psychological services Medical/psychiatric evaluations Supports to alleviate setting events Parent training

Review If tier 2 intervention is not working… Quantitatively intensify it, then if that does not work... Qualitatively intensify it Function-based intervention/adjustments Take data to determine if things are working or not. If needed, look at wrap around supports from outside the school.