BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN

In situations regarding children with special needs and behavior problems, the School District that the child attends is responsible for assisting parents in correcting the child’s inappropriate behavior. The federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides that state educational agencies, state agencies, and local educational agencies receiving certain federal funding are required to implement an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that will address the student’s specific behavioral needs. Whenever a child’s behavior negatively affects his/ her or other student’s learning, the IEP team should conduct a meeting to consider behavioral intervention strategies that will positively correct the child’s behavior. Any strategies that the team agrees to implement in effort to correct the child’s behavior should be written into the child’s IEP. This is done by way of a behavioral intervention plan, sometimes referred to as a BIP. A behavior intervention plan is a written plan created specifically for the child. To develop a BIP, the IEP team should first conduct a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). The FBA should identify the causes of the child’s inappropriate behavior and provide strategies to positively correct it. The FBA will involve the student being observed in the educational setting. The student should also be observed at home. The assessment should include a variety of behavioral analysis to determine what will best serve the child. Once the functional behavioral assessment is done the IEP team will develop the behavior intervention plan (BIP). Each of the Student’s teacher’s and the Parent should have a copy, and the BIP will be used as a guide on how that child should be corrected in a case of inappropriate behavior. The behavior intervention plan is not punishment, but rather a plan to help the student’s behavior to improve over the course of the school year. In some instances, parents may need additional help or training to learn how to recognize and address behavioral triggers and inappropriate behavior of the child while at home. In that case, the school district may be required to provide specialized training to the parent. Give us a call to learn more about the behavior intervention plan and how it may assist you and your child.