This month we will look at two questions from practitioners leading teams in developing Behavior Support Plans.

Question 1:

Dear Dr. Dru: 
I am writing a Behavioral Support Plan, but seems like I keep hitting road blocks.  So far, my team and I have spent several hours trying to put a feasible plan into place.  The teacher initially indicated that the problem behavior was that the student was banging books on the desk when he was frustrated with the work, which obviously disrupts the class.  We spent about an hour and half trying to write the plan and then decided to re-meet to finish up.  When we came back to re-meet...the teacher decides that "banging books on the desk" was not actually the problem behavior, but that now the student is doing XYZ. So now I'm thinking, do I need to totally revise what we've done?  I'm actually torn between re-writing this one, or writing a BSP for myself because I'm frustrated that I can't get these adults to focus!  What do you think?

Here’s one sent to Diana Browning Wright at the PENT website. The question and answer presume that the reader is very familiar with the concepts and writing of Behavior Support Plans. If you are not and wish to learn more, the BSP Desk Reference is the place to go: (http://www.pent.ca.gov/for/f7/bspdeskreference07.pdf

I wanted to ask you Diana, about the real need for anything other than a FERB (Functionally equivalent replacement behavior) goal.  When I work with my staff, I really only focus on those because I find the other two to be unnecessary; it's the replacement behavior I'm shooting for, and when I do that, I am instantly increasing positive behavior and decreasing negative ones.  The reason I ask is that I have been doing trainings in my district related to behavior. The training's aim is to familiarize staff with terms in our BSP trainings.  Anyway, I and almost all those on my training team all agree that the FERB is king, and don't see the point in writing the other types of goals on BSPs, or even introducing them to staff. Truly, besides mollifying some staff, most of us see the other goals as extraneous, without proof of an increase in a FERB. One person on our PENT team wants me to teach the reducing and the increasing behavior goals, to keep in line with PENT trainings.  I wonder if you can address these issues. 

Answer 1:

Dear Marsha,

How frustrating! Here’s what I might do: I’d say, “Wow, Karen. That IS another behavior worthy of a full Behavior Support Plan. Kevin sure is a handful!

Here’s an idea. The team spent a good deal of time and energy on the book banging BSP. We got some good things going on in that BSP and we learned a lot about writing one. How about if we stick with this one for now? It will give us an opportunity to implement one that we wrote, and I hope, be successful in decreasing the problem behavior.

Once the data on Kevin’s book banging decreases to the level we have set, we will get together as a team and attack this next behavior you have brought to our attention. Can you live with that?”

If she says she can, breathe a sigh of relief. It is likely that there will be some head nodding and other nonverbal signs from the other team members that will push her in that direction. If she says no, then I would sigh (and curse) inwardly and set a new time to write the new one. That gives you time to mellow out and Karen doesn’t get immediate reinforcement.

Writing a BSP by yourself is the first and greatest temptation of the behavior specialist! We can do it quicker and better! But it’s like the parent who gets impatient with the child’s inefficiency or ineptness in doing a household task like loading the dishwasher and takes it over. We want our colleagues to know how to create BSPs and if we do it for them, they won’t ever master the concepts.

Also, if you hand them a completed BSP, you’re a sitting duck; if it doesn’t go right, it’s all your fault. Buy-in is everything, even if it means you put things in that are not technically “behaviorist”, such as using labels like “defiant” (as long as you define what that looks like too).

In my experience, many school personnel have had little education in the basic concepts of behavior. I shudder to ask this, but if there is any time or any support in the administration, you could present one of the PowerPoint presentations (in segments) on writing BSPs that can be found at the PENT website, e.g., http://www.pent.ca.gov/trn/toc/Practicum.htm and http://www.pent.ca.gov/trn/toc/BehaviorPlans.htm

Consider these variables before you make a decision on the number and types of goals for a BSP:

1. Consider social acceptability for families and teachers: We need to show that general positive behaviors are increasing. It is not just about tolerable alternatives, though you are right, we MUST have goals for the functionally equivalent replacement behavior (FERB) we have taught and supported. But we are also supporting environmental changes so the student won't need a FERB at all! Some FERBs we want forever, some we hope are temporary.
   
2. What if FERB is used but there is little or no change in General POSITIVE behavior: What if the student uses the FERB frequently, but isn't improving general positive behaviors (task completion, etc.) By having both, you have checks and balances.
   
3. Consider bottom line accountability: For some behaviors, you want to be sure they AREN'T occurring. If the student bullies (calls students names, pushes to the ground, etc.) and you have a FERB for getting social attention with appropriate behaviors, some kids can do BOTH. They satisfy our FERB, but then sneak around and do the problem behavior as well. We want to measure presence of FERB and absence of problem.
   
4. What about the student who now RARELY uses FERB; we changed the environment so effectively that s/he doesn't need it. Now what are we reporting on? If no FERB was used, wouldn't we want to report on why? That either problem behavior went to 0 or general positive went way up? Otherwise we don't have objective reporting data---we only have 1/2 the picture.

Remember, all behavior plans have two strands: environmental changes to produce general positive behaviors and FERB to achieve the same function with a different form. (e.g., we want students to finish seatwork, learn the material and get good grades. That's general positive. We also want them to stop the problem behavior of swearing and running away (escape function) and we will tolerate escape (functional equivalent behavior) through using a break card.

It is my belief, supported by behavioral literature: ultimately, when we have the whole package---all 3 goals, we best monitor the results… But, that said, in many cases a FERB goal and either an INCREASE or DECREASE goal will suffice much of the time. See chapter 3, last page of the BSP Desk Reference manual for the contingency pathway chart. You want to monitor all 3 pathways.

In conclusion, if you only train on FERB, you may end up with distorted implementation and insufficient data to support the claim that the plan is "working" or "not-working."

Strive on Behavior Workers!

Dru