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Why Are They Misbehaving?

Applying Function-Based Intervention Across All Three Tiers

Chris Borgmeier, PhD

Portland State University

Chris.Borgmeier@pdx.edu

www.BasicFBA.com @BasicFBA

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Session Description

Students with persistent recurring problem behavior are a challenge in all schools. To maximize systems of support, it's important that all staff have a common knowledge and language to understand and support students with challenging behavior. Research identifies function-based intervention as the most effective and efficient way to support students with challenging behavior. Traditionally, function-based intervention has been reserved for students requiring Tier 3 behavior support through FBA/BIP, but to maximize benefits across a continuum of behavior support we should incorporate function-based intervention at all three tiers. This session will introduce how function-based intervention is applied differently across tiers and provide tools schools can use for training and applying function-based intervention across all three tiers.

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  • Who is here today?
    • Teachers?
    • Special Education Teachers?
    • School Psychologists?
    • School Counselors? Social Workers?
    • Administrators?
    • Paraprofessionals?
    • District Behavior Specialists/BCBAs?
    • Consultants?

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The Logic Behind Multi-Tiered Behavioral Support

  • SWPBIS creates a school climate that supports the appropriate academic and social behavior of ALL students with a focus on:
    • PREVENTION
    • EARLY INTERVENTION

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Typical Practice… How are we doing?

  • We often use our most effective tools only after challenging behaviors have become severe and/or dangerous (Scott et al., 2010)

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  • Students who engage in persistent, lower-level challenging behaviors are more likely to receive less effective, exclusionary practices
    • Verbal Reprimands
    • ODRs
    • Suspensions

(Renshaw, Christensen, Marchant, & Anderson, 2008)

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A Proactive Approach to Behavior Support Planning

  • Many of problem behaviors that teams encounter do not require comprehensive FBA-BSP

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  • Using simplified FBA-BSP procedures that “match” the level and intensity of problem behavior
      • Provide FBS at the first signs of persistent problem behavior

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Basic FBA/BSP:

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Non-Dangerous Behaviors and Maintaining Functions are Easily Defined and Identified

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Complex FBA or Functional Analysis:

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Behaviors and Maintaining Functions Vary, and are not Easily Defined and/or Identified

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School-wide Positive Behavior Support is:

  • A systems approach for establishing the social culture and individualized behavioral supports needed for schools to be effective learning environments for all students.

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  • Evidence-based features of SW-PBIS
      • Prevention
      • Define and teach positive social expectations
      • Acknowledge positive behavior
      • Arrange consistent consequences for problem behavior
      • On-going collection and use of data for decision-making
      • Continuum of intensive, individual interventions.
      • Administrative leadership – Team-based implementation (Systems that support effective practices)
      • Common understanding of the Basics of Behavior & Behavioral Intervention across ALL Staff

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    • What benefits can you see to training all staff in the Basics of Behavior and Function-Based Behavioral Intervention?

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Barriers to Implementation of Behavior Support Plans (Bambara et al., 2012)

  • Survey of 293 School-based professionals on barriers & enablers to implementation of BIPs in schools:
  • The most frequently identified barriers to BIP implementation:
    • “Basic IPBIS principles and practices not understood by the entire school staff” (91.7%)

Training in Basics of Function-Based Intervention

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Benefits of Common Training in Understanding the Basics of Behavior & Behavioral Intervention

  • Staff have more tools to understand behavior & implement effective interventions in their classroom prior to referral
  • Staff can collect data prior to intervention on function of behavior
  • Staff can more effectively complete discipline referral forms
  • Increase efficiency & accuracy of FBA interviews with staff
  • Increased understanding of behavioral interventions (increase buy-in to plan & reduce resistance)

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Establishing a Social Culture

Common Vision/Values

Common Experience

Common Language

  • Function-Based Thinking
  • Antecedent/Trigger
  • Behavior (observable definitions)
  • Consequence
  • Function/ Possible Motivation
  • Setting Event
  • Replacement Behavior

Common Language

MEMBERSHIP

for Supporting Students w/ Challenging Behavior

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A Continuum of Function-Based Assessment & Intervention

  • Expanding our use of function-based intervention across tiers

Basic FBA/BSP:

Complex FBA or Functional Analysis

Tier 2: Preliminary FBA to Match Intervention:

ABC Tracker & Teacher Plan

Function Friendly Classroom & School

Function-Based Thinking

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Doing the smallest things that make the biggest impact… for students with persistent challenging behavior�

  • Supporting Students with Persistent Challenging Behavior requires applying Function-Based Intervention across all 3 Tiers
    • Tier 1 – Basic training in function-based thinking & intervention….. & reviewing school-wide policies & practices
    • Tier 2 – Using function to match students to intervention
    • Tier 3 – FBA/BIP - Matching intervention to individualized student needs

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Tier 1:Function-Based Thinking…. � On the Fly��Sometimes the function of behavior is crystal clear…�� through training we can support staff to identify the obvious functions?

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Function-Based Thinking� …..On the Fly Application

  • I’ve seen this behavior 4 times in the last week… let me think about this for a moment:
    • Can I identify any patterns in the triggers and consequences for the problem behavior? A🡪B🡪C
    • What do I think is the Function of Behavior?
    • Should I collect more data? – the ABC Tracker?
    • What are implications for how I should be responding?... Or providing support?

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Goals

  • Give teachers & staff knowledge, skills and practice to implement function-based thinking on the fly:
    • Understanding behavioral function
    • Focus on what we can change
    • Think about interventions to match functions

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  • Provide a framework & skills to change the language in intervention planning meetings
    • Focus on what we can change
    • Intervention focused

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Why is Function so Important?

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Filter & Horner, 2009

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Ingram, Lewis-Palmer & Sugai, 2005

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What is a Function-Friendly School?� “Have you ever seen….”�

  • “Lantana, you skipped 2 school days, so we’re going to suspend you for 2 more.”
  • “Phoebe, I’m taking your book away because you obviously aren’t ready to learn.”
  • “You want my attention?! I’ll show you attention,…let’s take a walk down to the office & have a little chat with the Principal.”

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  • What’s the problem with each of these responses to student behavior?

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Basic FBA to BIP School-wide Training

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www.BasicFBA.com

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Video Overview to Basic FBA to BIP �e-learning modules

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ABC Tracker�Teacher completes in Classroom

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SWIS & Possible Motivation

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  • 5,290,881 ODRs written in SWIS

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  • Almost 33% listed “Unknown” as the perceived motivation

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  • That’s about 1.7 million “Unknown” Possible Motivations

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Function of Behavior = � Possible Motivation on Referral

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Homework �Task��ABC �Tracker

Summary of Behavior

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Add it to the Chat

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    • Any questions or thoughts about School-wide Training Module 1?

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ABC Tracker

Application across Tiers

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Teacher can ID patterns and match to interventions to support student prior to Tier 2 referral

Tier 1

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Incorporate A-B-C & Function into Student Request for Assistance & Intervention Planning

  • Have Staff turn in an A-B-C Tracker as part of Student Request for Assistance

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  • Review Office Discipline Referrals for trends in:
    • A – Location/Time/People Involved
    • B – Behavior
    • C – Administrative Decision/ Possible Motivation

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  • Use trends in A-B-C & Function to inform intervention planning

Tier 2

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The Tier 2 Team can use results from the ABC �Tracker to inform Intervention Planning

Tier 2

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The Tier 2 Team can review Referral patterns and Possible Motivation to inform Intervention Planning

Tier 2

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At Tier 3 completing the ABC �Tracker in advance can increase the efficiency & accuracy of FBA Interviews

Tier 3

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Goals

  • Create a common language for approaching student problem behavior across the school

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  • Increase Teacher’s Capacity to
    • Understand and clearly communicate student problem behavior
    • Generate effective function-based interventions

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  • Incorporate data about function in to Tier 2 intervention planning
    • ABC Tracker information
    • Possible Motivation patters on Discipline Referrals

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  • Increase the effectiveness and efficiency with which teacher can participate in formal FBA/BIP

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ABC Tracker�Impact on Team Discourse

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Deficit Ideology, Deficit Thinking & Deficit Talk

  • Deficit thinking – at it’s core – is an endogenous theory – positing that the student who fails in school does so because of internal deficits or deficiencies (manifests allegedly in limited intellectual abilities, linguistic shortcomings, lack of motivation to learn and immoral behavior. (Valencia, 2010)

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  • Blaming the Victim & Admiring the Problem
    • Blame the Student
    • Blame the Family
    • Blame the Community/Culture

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  • Weiner (2006) argues that associating student and family deficits to achievement is “seductive” as it “locates responsibility outside of their classroom” (p. 45).

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Jeremy is just not making progress. He is really defiant and refuses to follow direction.

He often seems really angry when he gets to school; do you think that plays into it?

Yes, I do. He has mentioned that his stepdad is really mean and that his parents fight a lot. I bet that is really bothering him.

I bet it is too, he has a high ACES score. Also, doesn’t’ his older sister have ADHD? Maybe he does too.

He lives in the rough part of town. So he needs to be tough.

I am in my happy place…

He is a handful. . He has ADHD so that’s why he acts out too.

Maybe, he makes excuses for his behavior. I don’t think his family really pushes him or values education.

You know, Jeremy is in my afternoon class and he is really difficult there too. Do you know what he did last week….

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  • Significant reduction in total number of deficit statements (descriptive deficit + problem deficit) across interviews (F(1.309,20.945) = 15.400; p = .000).
    • 4.88 (Interview 1) → 1.59 (Interview 2) → .88 (Interview 3)

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w/ ABC Tracker

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Homework �Task��ABC �Tracker

Summary of Behavior

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Not a significant difference, but increase in Generative statements following collection of ABC Tracker data

w/ ABC Tracker

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Add it to the Chat

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    • Initial thoughts on the impacts of the ABC Tracker on team discourse about the student?

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Module 4�Function-Based Intervention

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Why the Replacement Behavior?

Success, teacher acknowledgment

Sent to hall to ‘calm down’ Function: escape task

Complete math assignment

Crying, pushing papers off desk

Raise hand & ask for break

Given double-digit addition problems

Routine: Math

Why not go straight to the Desired Behavior?

1. This is what we’re asking the student to do.

2. This is what the student is currently obtaining.

3. Look how different this is from what’s happening now

4. The student is going to need to gain math skills before being able to do this like peers

5. So… in the meantime we use the Replacement behavior

Nadia

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Use Results of ABC Tracker ��ABC �Tracker

Summary of Behavior

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ABC Tracker: Summary of Behavior

  • Use the Summary of Behavior to guide Intervention Planning

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    • Teacher can use it to clarify understanding of behavior & brainstorm interventions
    • Teacher Assistance Team can use it to begin to guide intervention planning

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Homework Task

  • Teacher adds Summary from ABC Recording form to Competing Behavior Pathway

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  • Generates intervention ideas to implement with the student in their classroom

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Users, Feedback & Data

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Completers who filled out the Google Survey Evaluation

  • Behavior Specialist
    • Mod 1 – 8097
    • Mod 2 - 6052
    • Mod 3 – 4917
    • Mod 4 – 6398
    • Mod 5 – 8941
    • Mod 6 – 435 *(no data since 3/19/20)
    • Mod 7 – 373 *(no data since 2/4/20)

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  • School Wide Training
    • Mod 1 – 5722
    • Mod 4 - 3441

Data as of Nov 3rd 2026

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Basic FBA to BIP e-Learning Module 1 User Evaluation Data

Data as of Nov. 4th 2022

Data as of Mar. 2nd 2023

Data as of Apr 17th 2025

Data as of Oct 2, 2025

Data as of Nov 3, 2026

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How are Schools using the Modules?

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School-wide Training: � Module 1

  • Out of 4119 Completers of the School-wide Training, who completed the module as part of their Professional Development at work:
    • 73% were required to provide evidence of module completion
    • 19% were required to complete and turn in the homework.
    • 55% identified that there was a coach available to answer questions they had about the module content or homework task
    • 30% reported the opportunity to receive feedback following completion of the homework task.

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Data as of

Nov. 3rd, 2026

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Add it in the Chat

  • Initial thoughts about the modules
  • How might you be able to build common language and understanding of Function-Based Thinking in your School?

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Thank You!

  • All Basic FBA to BIP materials can be found at:
  • www.BasicFBA.com

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  • For more information please email:

chris.borgmeier@pdx.edu

@BasicFBA

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