When Is It Time for an FBA? Understanding Behavior, Data, and Support with Dr. Desiree

When a child is struggling with behaviors at school, how do you know when it’s time to take a closer look at what’s really going on? And if a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) could help identify what’s behind those behaviors, how long should a team wait before moving forward? Today, we’re welcoming Dr. Desiree back for a candid conversation about FBAs, behavior intervention plans, data collection, and why it’s so important to understand not just what a behavior looks like, but what may be causing it.

Amanda shares a recent IEP experience involving a young student who was struggling with behaviors like elopement, unwanted physical contact, and property destruction. The team had already agreed to move forward with an FBA once the new school year got underway, but a new behavior specialist recommended waiting while the school tried more interventions and collected additional data. That raised an obvious question: If one of the purposes of an FBA is to collect and analyze behavioral data, at what point does waiting simply delay getting a student the support they need?

Dr. Desiree helps us unpack what should happen next. We discuss why behaviors need to be clearly and objectively defined, how understanding a behavior's function can guide appropriate supports, and why collecting good data is only part of the equation. The teachers, paraprofessionals, and other team members implementing the plan also need the training and tools to make it work. We also look at the difference between educational and medical services and how understanding both can help families make informed decisions about supporting their child.

Show Highlights:

Why a team might consider an FBA when a student’s behaviors are interfering with learningAmanda’s experience with a behavior specialist who recommended delaying an already-planned FBAWaiting to collect data before conducting an assessment intended to collect and analyze data may be problematic.The importance of identifying and clearly defining target behaviorsWhy behaviors such as elopement can look different from one school year, classroom, or environment to anotherHow the function of a behavior can be misunderstood when everyone on the team is using a different definitionWhy observations and behavioral data should be objective rather than relying solely on subjective reportsImportance of identifying antecedents and understanding what may be triggering or reinforcing a behaviorWhy an effective behavior plan requires more than a well-