Functional Behavior Assessment and Positive Behavioral Intervention Plan for Students with Tourette Syndrome

Another excellent plan to manage a child or even an adult with Tourette Syndrome in the school setting is to always provide a POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN (Conners, 2008) . The development of this kind of plan is in accordance with what we call the FBA or the Functional Behavioral Assessments. The law of IDEA in 2004 requires that an FBA be conducted and a positive behavior intervention plan be developed in times when a certain behavior of the student already interferes with learning. According to Susan Conners, an education specialist, an FBA (functional behavioral assessment) is the process of determining why an individual engages in challenging behaviors and how the behavior relates to the environment. Since IDEA provides very limited guidelines and little to no funding, organizations who handle people with Tourette Syndrome or perhaps the school themselves should provide their own FBA workbooks. Professionals who will develop the FBA should first consider the main purpose of the FBA which is to understand the function of a behavior in order to teach and promote effective strategies, techniques and alternatives as well as knowing when to consciously ignore the behavior. It is also important that once the FBA is developed, the contribution to it is not the role of a single professional. The contribution to the FBA should be a collective effort from parents/ students, guidance counselors, school psychologists, teachers, OT/ PT, speech therapists, paraprofessionals, music/ art/ PE teachers, school nurse, someone knowledgeable about Tourette Syndrome and professionals outside the school like doctors and other therapists. Usually we developed the (1) Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) of a Student with Tourette Syndrome, (2) Summary of the FBA Worksheets for a Student with Tourette Syndrome which is intended to be a summary of the information from all of the completed FBA
worksheets as the final step in focusing on which specific behaviors should be addressed
when writing the PBIP, and a (3) Positive Behavior Intervention Plan (PBIP) for a Student with Tourette Syndrome. It is also important to consider certain factors in the development of the FBA like who is present during the development, when the behavior occurred, where the behavior occurred, when not, where not, environmental clues present (smell, climate, peers, teachers, activities???), other specific clues and trigger elements. The main reason why we develop the FBA is to produce an excellent Positive Behavior Intervention Plan.

Conners even added that the platinum rule is WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE CHILD PRIOR TO THE BEHAVIOR INSTEAD OF WHAT DO WE DO TO THE CHILD AFTER THE BEHAVIOR HAS OCCURRED.

SAMPLE WORKSHEETS developed by Susan Conners:

I. FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME

A. General Information
1. Student’s Name
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Name of Person accomplishing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors Observed (be specific, describe what the behavior looks like)
1. The specific behavior impeding learning is:
a. Off-task behavior
b. Refusal to work
c. Disinhibition
d. Out of seat frequently
e. Aggressive behaviors
f. Socially inappropriate behaviors with peers
g. Talking out in class
h. Disrespect
2. How often does the behavior occur?
3. Where does the behavior occur?
4. Where does the behavior not occur?
5. When does the behavior most frequently occur?
a. During completion of written work
b. In unstructured environments
c. Interacting with peers
d. During a specific task
e. When instructions were given
f. When tics are exacerbated
g. Working in groups
h. Testing situations
i. In noisy environments
6. From #s 2, 3, 4, 5, which of the following conclusions might you draw as to the possible reasons for the behaviors?

II. SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME

A.General Information
1. Student’s Name
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Name of person completing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors Observed
1. The specific behaviors impeding learning are? (target no more than 2 behaviors)
2. How often does the behavior occur?
3. Where does the behavior occur?
4. Where does the behavior NOT occur?
5. When does the behavior most frequently occur?
6. From 2,3,4 & 5 which of the following conclusions might you draw as to the possible reasons for the behaviors?
C. Strategies/ Support to be implemented
D. What positive interventions can be implemented by the staff to assist the student in maintaining positive behavior?

III. POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN FOR A STUDENT WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME
A. General information
1. Name of student
2. Grade
3. Date
4. Person accomplishing the worksheet
5. Position
B. Behaviors targeted (enumerate)
C. Behavioral supports to be implemented by staffs (enumerate)
D. Environmental changes to be implemented by staff (enumerate)
E. Positive reward to be given to students for progress in PBIP
F. Communication plan
1. Who will coordinate the PBIP?
2. What is the date of the next PBIP meeting?
3. Has every teacher/ staff member working in the PBIP signed the worksheet?
4. Have the students and parents been informed of the strategies?
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Reference: Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Intervention Plan By Susan Conners