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Functional Behavioral Assessment

Lindsay ODell

SPE 320-330/325-335
Dr. Kindzerski

Spring, 2012



























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Functional Behavioral Assessment


Demographic Information

Mark Di Domenico is a twelve year old student in sixth grade. His date of birth is
4/23/00, parents names Patricia and Gary Seymour, phone number 875-9876. Mark is
currently in a blended sixth grade, with a general education teacher Mrs. Aaserud, and
pull out for remedial reading instruction three times a week in a small group setting for
forty minutes.
Description of Problem Behaviors
Mark displays defiance, non-compliance, verbal aggression in the form of
swearing, rude responses to teachers and peers, tantrums, and physical aggression in the
form of initiating fights with other male students. Mark demonstrates non-compliance in
the classroom by exhibiting a problem with attendance and tardiness. Many of his
absences correspond with days that tests are given. He has also been tardy thirty three
times this year, although his attendance has improved from previous years. Mark say his
reason for being late to school is disliking his teachers, and being bored in class.
Academically, Mark demonstrates weak computation skills in math, and weak decoding
skills in reading, and writing, and he will not write without a computer. This seems to
correspond with his acting out and frustration level when he has difficulty expressing
himself and his needs. This also seems to correspond to low confidence levels with his
academic abilities Also demonstrating non-compliance, Mark almost never turns in his
homework, and has low motivation levels. Mark needs to feel that he has choices for his
learning, but requires limited choices and structured settings. He exhibits problems with
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attention and attending to task for certain subject matter that he does not enjoy. He learns
best with hands on activities and direct instruction to stay on task. He is highly disruptive
in class and works best in small groups. He needs one to one individual attention to stay
on task during whole group instruction. He does work independently in math class. Mark
displays non-compliance with adults unless he likes them.
Mark also exhibits poor social skills and interactions with peers and adults. He
initiates physical and verbal fights, usually at unstructured periods during the day. He
exhibits this inappropriate behavior when he does not agree with what others say. He
often does not respect the authority of other adults unless he likes and gets along with
them. Mark also demonstrates frequent and sudden mood changes. Currently the general
education teacher is sending home a behavior report with mark at the end of the day, or
making a phone call home to discuss his behavior. Mark has consequences for not giving
his mother the behavior reports.
Target behaviors. The first target behavior that Mark exhibits is physical
aggression. Marks interaction with his peers will be observed for verbal and physical
aggression. He will be observed for initiating verbal as well as physical fights with his
other students, as well as the antecedents to this behavior, as well as where these problem
interactions take place. The second target behavior that mark will be observed for is non-
compliance in the classroom attributed to disruptive behavior and his frustration level.
The behavior that Mark will be observed for is contributing to the class discussion, but
telling untrue stories and interrupting the class discussion. He will be observed for the
triggers of this behavior as well as his goals for these behaviors.
Methods of Date Collection:
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The methods used to gather data on Marks target behaviors are classroom
observations and CSE reviews. Interval recording will be used when Mark is observed in
unstructured settings and unstructured periods to observe his behavior. The teacher will
record when the behavior occurs during these periods. Partial interval recording will be
used, because the aggression will only have to be observed once to be noted. For verbal
aggression, but not physical, observers will also use event recording to record the
antecedents and triggers of the behavior.
Baseline Data:
Behavior: The target behavior being observed is physical aggression.
Frequency: Mark displays physical aggression with his peers at least once a week
Intensity: Marks physical aggression can become quite intense if not intervened
with. He has been observed throwing objects at his peers, yelling at his peers, and hitting
peers. Marks behavior is often self-initiated.
Duration: Without adult intervention, Marks physical aggression varies. Often he
does not stop his behavior until adult intervention occurs.
Triggers: Triggers for Marks physical aggression seem to be during unstructured
periods of the day such as during transition periods and other unstructured periods.
Another trigger for this behavior is negative social interaction. He often initiates these
negative interactions when he does not like or agree what one of his peers says or does.
Concurring events: Events that are concurrent events to Marks aggression would
be crowded settings like the lunch room, unstructured activities such as lunch, and
unstructured settings like the lunch room or other times when he does not have one on
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one attention from an adult to mediate his behavior. The other concurrent event that is an
antecedent to his inappropriate behavior is attention from his peers.
Consequences: Consequences for Marks inappropriate behavior is reprimands
and warnings from adults, loss of privileges, being sent to the office, and conferences
with his parents to discuss the behavior. When the physical and verbal aggression is
severe and injurious to others, Mark is suspended from school.
Appendix A: ABC Data Collection Form
Partial Interval recording: Lunch period, week of March 4
th
, 2012
Monday-
verbal/physical
aggression
exhibited
Antecedent: In
the lunch room,
Sam called
Mark a pussy
Description of
behavior: Mark
threw food at
Sam, and then
hit him
Consequences:
Mark was
given lunch
detention
Individuals
response:
Mark
completed
the lunch
detention
response
sheet, but did
not take
responsibility
for his
actions.
Tuesday: no
behavior exhibited

Wednesday:
verbal/physical
aggression
Antecedent:
John laughed at
Mark for
something he
said during
reading class
that morning
Behavior: Mark
took Johns
milk, then when
John protested,
Mark tried to
push him off his
chair.
Consequences:
Mark was sent
to the office
since he
exhibited
physical
aggression
earlier in the
week.
Individual
response:
Mark again
did not take
responsibility
for his
actions, but
said John
deserved it
for picking
on him.
Thursday:
verbal/physical
aggression
Antecednet:
Lining up after
lunch to return
to the
classroom, Sam
Description of
behavior: Mark
yelled, and then
pushed Sam.
Consequences:
Mark was sent
to ISS, then
suspension
from school
Individual
response:
Mark yelled
at the teacher
when he was
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accidentally
bumped into
Mark from
behind
for three days. escorted to
ISS, and said
it wasnt fair
that Sam
didnt get
ISS as well.
Mark was
suspended.
Friday: no
behavior
exhibited.


Function of the Behavior:
The function and goal of Marks aggression seems to be tangible. He desires a
cause and effect relationship for his interactions with other students. Sometimes he is
provoked by the other students, but still exhibits an inappropriate response, and other
times the behavior is an accident, and Mark still reacts strongly with aggression.
Means to Collect Information:
The means used to observe this information was observation of the student using
event, and partial interval recording.
Skill deficits:
The skill deficits that Mark exhibits that contributes to his aggression with his
peers seems to be poor social skills and social interactions. He does not exhibit age
appropriate interactions with his peers. He initiates physical and verbal fights for
comments from his peers that should be overlooked, or that are accidental.
Hypothesis Statement:
When unstructured periods or settings enter into Marks day, often combined with
attention from his peers, the student displays aggression verbally as well as physically
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towards these peers in order to receive a tangible response from these peers in a cause
and effect relationship.
Recommended Intervention:
The recommendation to address Marks aggression toward other students is to
have a one to one aide with him during these unstructured periods during the day, such as
transition periods, lunch, and any other unstructured setting or period where the behavior
occurs. This intervention has been selected for Mark, because his behavior seems to arise
from negative interactions with his peers when he has no mediator, and his academic
performance and behavior is best when he is in a small group setting with one to one
assistance and support. After Mark displays this behavior, he will also have a one to one
discussion with the teacher to discuss his behavior, and the antecedents to his behavior so
that he can see and talk through why he acted the way he did, and discuss how he thinks
situations could be resolved in the future. The student(s) that were involved can also join
in the discussion to try to resolve further problems. This intervention has been selected,
because based off of Marks lunch detention response sheet, there is evidence that he
does not take responsibility for his own behavior. On question three, when asked what
two different choices he could have made rather than throw food and hit Sam, after
admitting that he shouldnt have performed these behaviors, Mark simply wrote that Sam
should not have called him a pussy. Rather than a work sheet, if Mark was to discuss his
behaviors, there may be more positive outcomes.

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Behavior: Disruptive behavior during reading class. Mark will be observed for disrupting
class, and not listening to teacher direction to stop when he is off topic during class
discussions, and contributes untrue information to the discussion.
Frequency: Mark displays disruptive behavior about three times a day, especially during
reading.
Intensity: The intensity of Marks behavior is often related to his frustration level. If he is
having trouble completing a task, his behavior increases in intensity. If he cannot
remember, or does not understand what to do next, the intensity of his behavior increases.
Duration: Marks disruptive behavior lasts until he gets a response from other students in
the class.
Triggers: The triggers for Marks disruptive behavior are when he is asked to do
something by an adult that he does not want to do, or has trouble doing, and becomes
frustrated. Difficult tasks are another trigger for Marks behavior, especially in reading
and writing, because he exhibits problems expressing his thoughts and needs, as well as
his frustration.
Concurring Events: Concurrent events for Marks disruptive behavior are independent
seat work in reading class, group instruction, as well as adult attention, when an adult
either gives him a direction, or reminds him what he needs to do next.
Consequences: Consequences for Marks behavior are reprimands and warnings when he
becomes frustrated and acts out, trying to avoid doing his work. If the behavior persists,
and begins to affect other members of the class, Mark loses privileges, as well as having
in person or phone conferences with his mother
Appendix A: ABC Data Collection Form
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Function of the behavior: The function of Marks disruptive behavior seem to have the
goal of escape, either to avoid a demand or request to accomplish a task from an adult. Or
to avoid an activity or task altogether, or to escape the classroom or setting during whole
group instruction, which seems to cause him stress, because Marks behavior improves in
his small group reading instruction.
Means to Collect information: the means to collect this information on Marks disruptive
behavior was obtained through observations of Mark during whole group instruction
while he was not in a small group setting. Latency recording was used to record the time
between an adult giving Mark a request to complete a task, or a direction, and his
disruptive behavior, as well as event recording to record the antecedents to his behavior.
Skill deficits: Marks disruptive behavior seems to be caused by academic frustration. He
has difficulty expressing his thoughts and needs. He demonstrates often
misunderstanding of directions given to him by adults, which contributes to his
frustration level, and leads to his disruptive behavior in whole group instruction. Mark
enjoys contributing to class discussions, but gets off topic and confused, especially during
reading, which leads to him reverting to humor to distract from academic performance,
and use his disruptive behavior to affect other members of the class and avoid the task
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that is frustrating him. Mark demonstrates difficult working independently without one to
one assistance and direct instruction in larger class settings, especially in academic areas
that do not interest him such as reading, or activities that are not hands on.
Hypothesis Statement:

Recommended Intervention: