Behavior Basics

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Behavior Basics

IDEA's focus on the needs of children as individuals includes provisions that focus on children with problematic behaviors. If a child has behavior problems that interfere with his or her learning (or the learning of others), the IEP team must consider whether strategies, including positive behavioral interventions and supports, are needed to address the behavior. If the IEP team determines that such services are needed, they must be added to the IEP and these services must be provided.

The 2004 IDEA reauthorization resulted in significant improvements to discipline provisions in order to add significant clarity and common sense to the discipline provisions within IDEA. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce has clarified the behavior provisions of IDEA 2004 in their publication entitled "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Guide to Frequently Asked Questions." Read excerpts from the Discipline section.

FBA

The Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice supports and promotes a reoriented national preparedness to foster the development and the adjustment of children with or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance. From their homepage, you can access their miniweb on Functional Behavioral Assessment.

BIP

Behavior Intervention Plans
Once data from an FBA has been collected, the IEP team should write a behavior intervention plan that includes positive strategies, programs or curricular modifications, and supplementary aids and supports required to address the behaviors of concern.

Emphasis should be placed on helping the student attain skills necessary to developing more appropriate behaviors while providing proper motivation.

Maryville City Schools has an updated Behavior Intervention Plan. You can view Susan Williamson's sample plans by clicking on one of the following links:

Manifestation Determination

When a special education student violates a school discipline policy that would result in a suspension of over ten days (or a suspension that would, with previous suspensions that year, total more than ten days) or expulsion, it is considered a change of placement under IDEA. The IEP team must conduct a manifestation determination to investigate whether there is a relationship between the student's action(s) of concern and his/her disability. The team must decide whether the student's action(s) were a reflection of his/her disability or perhaps the result of it. The National Association of School Psychologists explains this process in an NASP Communiqué, "Implementing IDEA '97 Manifestation Determination."

Info

(OSERS): The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education has developed a series of documents on IDEA 2004 that address changes to IDEA provisions. Read the document regarding discipline changes effective as of July 1, 2005:
IDEA Reauthorized Statute on Discipliine