If you have a child who can't seem to adjust to the classroom, has trouble concentrating and sitting still, and becomes disruptive when bored, you have probably already talked to the teacher. You may have had meetings with the school administrators to discuss your child's issues. At some point, when the usual remedies have been tried and proven unsuccessful, professionals may recommend taking functional behavior assessment steps.
As the parent, you need to understand exactly what a functional behavior assessment, or FBA, is and how the process works. This is not done to punish or single out an unruly child. Educators generally love the kids they work with and, when they are struggling, want to find ways to help. That involves discovering the reasons behind the unacceptable behaviors and developing a comprehensive plan to turn negative behaviors into positive ones.
An FBA may involve a whole team of professionals. A school psychologist often heads up the team. If so, she will meet with others who interact with your child to get their thoughts and ideas. She will speak directly with your youngster and may conduct some behavioral testing. The other members of the team can include the classroom teacher, special education teachers, administrators, the child, and you, as the parent.
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 specialist examines the reported events looking for common threads between what the behaviors were, when they happened, and what was going on immediately preceding an incident. It also important for them to analyze times and situations when the child behaves appropriately. They look at where the child was, who was with the child, and if the child is more compliant at certain times of the day.
Once the data has been analyzed, the professionals try to come up with a hypothesis for the reasons behind the inappropriate behaviors. This is not an easy process. Many times it is a process of elimination. Specialists have to assess the possibilities that the child is evading or trying to escape an uncomfortable situation. They know behavior is the child's way of accomplishing a goal.
Finally, the specialists have to come up with an intervention plan to teach positive behavior and reward it. Each child is unique, so every plan must be tailored to the specific issues surrounding the individual child. This can involve changing teaching methods, routines, physical environment, or consequences for negative actions. Before the plan is put in place, trusted professionals sit down with the child to explain their expectations and assess his motivation to change.
Childhood is not easy for everybody. Some kids have issues that make classrooms places that bring out destructive and inappropriate responses. When adults, in and out of the academic world, work together, a troubled child can begin to thrive.
As the parent, you need to understand exactly what a functional behavior assessment, or FBA, is and how the process works. This is not done to punish or single out an unruly child. Educators generally love the kids they work with and, when they are struggling, want to find ways to help. That involves discovering the reasons behind the unacceptable behaviors and developing a comprehensive plan to turn negative behaviors into positive ones.
An FBA may involve a whole team of professionals. A school psychologist often heads up the team. If so, she will meet with others who interact with your child to get their thoughts and ideas. She will speak directly with your youngster and may conduct some behavioral testing. The other members of the team can include the classroom teacher, special education teachers, administrators, the child, and you, as the parent.
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 specialist examines the reported events looking for common threads between what the behaviors were, when they happened, and what was going on immediately preceding an incident. It also important for them to analyze times and situations when the child behaves appropriately. They look at where the child was, who was with the child, and if the child is more compliant at certain times of the day.
Once the data has been analyzed, the professionals try to come up with a hypothesis for the reasons behind the inappropriate behaviors. This is not an easy process. Many times it is a process of elimination. Specialists have to assess the possibilities that the child is evading or trying to escape an uncomfortable situation. They know behavior is the child's way of accomplishing a goal.
Finally, the specialists have to come up with an intervention plan to teach positive behavior and reward it. Each child is unique, so every plan must be tailored to the specific issues surrounding the individual child. This can involve changing teaching methods, routines, physical environment, or consequences for negative actions. Before the plan is put in place, trusted professionals sit down with the child to explain their expectations and assess his motivation to change.
Childhood is not easy for everybody. Some kids have issues that make classrooms places that bring out destructive and inappropriate responses. When adults, in and out of the academic world, work together, a troubled child can begin to thrive.
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You can get an overview of functional behavior assessment steps and more info about Vizually Speaking services at http://www.vizuallyspeaking.ca right now.
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