IDEA's Proactive Requirements to Prevent & Address Challenging Behavior

IDEA emphasizes the need of State and local educational agencies to work to ensure that superintendents, principals, teachers and other school personnel are equipped with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to appropriately address behavior problems when they occur. In fact, research has shown that if teachers and other school personnel have the knowledge and expertise to provide appropriate behavioral interventions, future behavior problems can be greatly diminished if not totally avoided. The fact that school-based discipline problems frequently interfere with teaching and learning suggest that much more staff development may be needed.

IDEA also includes provisions that focus on individual children.  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, strategies, 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 must be provided. 

In fact, previous hearings and court cases suggest that problem behaviors requiring IEP services may include:

a. Disruptive behaviors that distract teachers from teaching and students from learning

b. Noncompliance

c. Verbal and physical abuse,

d. Property destruction

e. Aggression towards students or staff 

Best practices would suggest that these behavioral intervention plans should be based on a “functional behavioral assessment.” Consequently, when a student's behavior interferes with his/her learning, initial evaluations and reevaluations, as well as subsequent reports should describe that behavior, how it interferes with learning, possible causes of the behavior and recommendations to address the behavior.

In fact, IDEA mandates that special education evaluations include a functional assessment of behavior where appropriate. In addition, the special education code mandates that evaluation reports include relevant behavior (observed &/or reported) and the relationship of that behavior to the student's academic functioning.

Consequently, legal mandates and best practices would suggest that individual evaluations should assess the causes and strengths of inappropriate behaviors and recommend interventions to decrease inappropriate behaviors. In this way, subsequent IEPs, positive behavior support (PBS) plans, related services, teachers' lesson plans, and parental assistance can all utilize the assessment results and recommendations to address inappropriate behaviors.

PREVENTING AND ADDRESSING CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR

Revised on October 15, 2005