Assessment, Individual Education Plans
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The Autistic Spectrum |
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  A COMPLETE IEP
CONTAINS: 1. A statement
of the student's current services and present placement. 2. A statement
of the student's abilities and present levels of performance. a. Academic strengths b. Academic needs c. Physical/Motor
development d. Self-help/Personal
care skills e. Learning style f. Social skills g. Vocational/Pre-vocational
skills 3. A statement
of annual goals that describe what the student can be expected to accomplish within the next twelve (12) month period. a. Academic goals
(i.e., math, reading, other subject areas) b. Social/Behavior
goals c. Self-help/Personal
care goals d. Physical/Motor
development goals e. Vocational/Pre-vocational
goals 4. A statement
of short-term instructional objectives. a. Objectives
that will help the student reach the stated goals. b. Objectives
written so they can be measured. 5. A statement
of the specific special education services/placement and the goals to be worked on in that setting. 6. A statement
of related services which will help the student benefit from special education. a. Date services
will begin b. How often services
will be provided c. How long services
will last per session d. When services
will end e. Location of
services f. Who will provide
each service 7. A statement
of how much the student will participate in general education classes/activities. a. All modifications
that will be made in the general education program b. The name of
the "teacher of record" who monitors how the IEP is put into effect in general education and to whom progress/needs will be
reported by general education teachers c. Who will report/communicate
with parents and how often those reports will be provided. 8. A statement
of specifically designed materials and/or assistive equipment needed by the student and who will provide it. 9. A statement
of the projected year and month in which the student will be re-evaluated. 10. A provision
for attaching written opinions. 11. A statement
of necessary transition services, if applicable. 12. For students
in early childhood special education programs, objectives for parents to implement at home may be included. 13. A statement
of extended school year services, if applicable. Individualized
Education Program (IEP) Checklist I. IEP Content A. In General The IEP for each
child includes: 1.__a statement
of the child's present levels of performance including how the disability affects the child's involvement and progress in
the general curriculum. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(I) IDEA 1997] 2.__for preschool
children, how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(II) IDEA
1997] 3.__measurable
annual goals and benchmarks (short term objectives) related to the child's needs resulting from the child's disability that
will enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(ii)(I) IDEA 1997] 4.__a direct relationship
between the present levels of performance, any assessments and the educational services to be provided and the student's goals
and benchmarks. [5 CCR 3040(c)] 5.__a statement
of the special education, related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to or on behalf of the child.
[Section 414(d)(1)(A)(iii) IDEA 1997] 6.__descriptions
of program modifications and supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child to __advance toward
attaining annual goals __be involved
and progress in the general education curriculum and participate in extracurricular activities and __be educated
and participate with other children with disabilities and with nondisabled children. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(iii)(I), (II)
and (III) IDEA 1997] 7.__an explanation
of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and activities
in #6. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(iv) IDEA 1997] 8.__a statement
of how the child's parents will be regularly informed (perhaps through periodic report cards) at least as often as are parents
of nondisabled children regarding their child's progress toward annual goals, and the extent to which that progress will enable
the child to achieve the annual goals by year's end. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(viii) IDEA 1997] 9.__a statement
of whether the child will __take district,
state-wide achievement tests __without accommodations
or modifications __with such accommodations.
[Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(v)(I) IDEA 1997] 10.__an explanation
of why the child will not participate in such assessment of the IEP team makes that decision. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(v)(II)
IDEA 1997] 11.__a statement
of how that student will be tested in state-wide or district tests are not used. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vi) IDEA 1997] 12.__the projected
date for initiating services and modifications. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vi) IDEA 1997] 13.__the anticipated
frequency, duration and location of the recommended services and modifications. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vi) IDEA 1997] 14.__the need
for extended school year services. [EC 56345(b)(5)] 15.__whether differential
graduation standards for the student will be developed. (If so, they 16.__for newly
referred pupils, documentation of the consideration of and prior use of regular education resources and that parents are aware
of the full continuum of program options. [EC 56303] 17.__documentation
that the IEP team considered __the strengths
of the child and parent concerns __the results
of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child. [Section 1414(d)(3)(A) IDEA 1997] 18.__for students
determined to have a specific learning disability, the IEP team certifies that __the disability
is not the result of visual, hearing, motor impairment, mental retardation or emotional disturbance __observations
of relevant behavior of the student __the relationship
of that behavior to the student's academic functioning __the existence
of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and academic achievement in oral and written language, reading, or mathematics
which cannot be corrected through regular or categorical services __the existence
of a psychological processing disorder. [34 CFR 300.541; EC 56337] I. IEP Content B. Transition
Requirements 19.__for students
beginning at age 14 and on an annual basis thereafter, IEP goals, benchmarks (objectives) that focus on the transition needs
of the student in his/her courses of study. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vii)(I) IDEA 1997] 20.__for students
at age 16 or younger if appropriate, a description of a coordinated set of activities designed within an outcome oriented
process and reviewed annually which promotes movement of the student from school to post-school activities [34 CFR 300.27(a)]
and __takes into account
the student's interests, preferences, and needs [34 CFR 300.27(b)] and __states the interagency
responsibilities or any needed linkages to implement the transition activities. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vii)(II) IDEA 1997] 21.__for students
not requiring transition services in one or more of the four required areas (instruction, community experiences, development
of employment, and post school adult and living objectives - and if appropriate, daily living skills and functional vocational
evaluation, an explanation of the basis on which that determination was made for each area in which service was not recommended
on the IEP. [34 CFR 300.347] 22.__related services
continue to be considered and recommended, if needed, for students in every program and age group, by the IEP team. [California
Federal Corrective Action Plan 1998] 23.__for students
for whom an agency fails to provide transition services, an IEP meeting is called to develop alternative strategies to meet
transition objectives set out in the IEP. [Section 1414(d)(5) IDEA 1997] 24.__if an invited
agency representative cannot attend the IEP meeting, steps are taken to obtain agency participation in planning transition
services. [34 CFR 300.344(b)(3)] 25.__beginning
at least one year before the student reaches the age of 18, a statement that the student has been informed of the IDEA rights
that will transfer to the student upon turning 18. [Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(vii)(III) IDEA 1997] 26.__for an eligible
child moving from an infant program who turns three, the PEA conducts, attends the IEP to establish a transition plan. [EC
56426.9 and Section 1427(a)(8)(ii)(III) IDEA 1997] 27.__transition
language in the IEP supports the movement of students from special to general education classrooms, from middle to high school,
and from infant to preschool to kindergarten to first grade programs. [EC 56345(6)(B); EC 56326.9; EC 56445(a)] I. IEP Content C. Consideration
of Special Factors 28. The IEP team
considers the following: __for a student
with a low incidence disability, considers specialized services, equipment and materials consistent with state guidelines
[EC 56345(b)(7)] __for a student
whose behavior impedes her or his learning or that of others, provide for positive behavioral interventions, strategies and
supports to address the behavior __for a student
with limited English proficiency, consider the language needs of the child __for a student
who is visually impaired, determine the appropriate medium/media for the child in accordance with state guidelines (EC 56352(d)
and 56136] __provide for
instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP team determines, after evaluation, that Braille instruction or
use is not appropriate for the child [Section 1414(d)(3)(B) IDEA 1997] __for a child
who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child's communication needs, opportunities for direct communication with peers
and professional personnel in the child's language/communication mode that meets all the child's needs, is at his or her academic
level, and meets the child's needs for direct instruction [EC 56345(e); [Section 1414(d)(3)(B)(iv) IDEA 1997] __for any child,
consider whether the child requires assistive technology and services. [Section 1414(d)(3)(B)(v) IDEA 1997] I. IEP Content D. IEP Meeting
Notice Requirements 29.__The public
education agency (PEA)* makes every effort to ensure that one or both parents of the child with a disability can attend the
IEP meeting. 30.__The meeting
notice indicates the meeting's purpose (transition, pre-expulsion, change of placement, three year review, etc.), the location,
the time of the meeting and lists who will attend. [34 CFR 300.345(b)] 31.__If the team
considers transition services for students of any age, the IEP notice must note that this is the purpose of the meeting and __indicate that
the student is invited to the meeting __identify and
invite any other agency involved to send a representative. [34 CFR 300.2345(b)(2) and 300.344(c); Section 1414(d)(vii) IDEA
1997] 32.__A copy of
the Parent Rights Notice is provided to parents along with the meeting notice. [Section 1415(d)(1)(B) IDEA 1997] 33.__The meeting
notice, Parent Rights and IEP are in the primary language of the parent unless clearly not feasible to do so. [5 CCR 3040(b);
Section 1415(b)(4) and (d)(2) IDEA 1997] *The term PEA
includes not only public schools, but also the California Youth Authority, state hospitals, developmental centers and mental
health, among others. II. IEP Process A. In General 34.__By the third
birthday of a child eligible for services, the IEP is implemented. [Section 1412(a)(9) IDEA 1997] 35.__An IEP has
been developed and implemented for each child served by the agency, including any child in private school eligible for special
education and related services from the agency. [Section 1412(a)(3)(A), see also Section 1412(a)(10)(A) IDEA 1997] 36.__The IEP is
in effect before special education and related services are provided to a child [34 CFR 300.342] and at the beginning of each
school year. [Section 1414(d)(2)(A) IDEA 1997] 37.__The IEP meeting
is nonadversarial and is held solely to make educational decisions for the good of the child with the disability. [EC 56341(h)] 38.__The IEP is
implemented as soon as possible after the IEP meeting. [5 CCR 3040(a)] 39.__The general
education teacher participates as appropriate in the IEP, including the determination of -positive behavior
interventions and strategies -supplementary
aids and services -program modifications -supports for
school personnel. [Section 1414(d)(3)(C) IDEA 1997] 40.__The IEP is
reviewed at least annually to consider whether annual goals are being achieved and __to address any
lack of progress toward annual goals and in the general curriculum __to consider
the results of any reevaluation __to consider
information provided by the parents __to consider
the child's anticipated needs __to consider
other matters as appropriate [EC 56343; [Section 1414(d)(4) IDEA 1997] 41.__The IEP team
includes: __the parents
of the child __at least one
general education teacher if the child is in or may be participating in general education (the student's teacher) __a special education
teacher/specialist __a representative
of the PEA who is qualified to provide or supervise specially designed instruction for children with disabilities is knowledgeable
about the general curriculum and the resources of the PEA __an individual
who can interpret the instructional implications of the evaluations __other individuals
with knowledge or expertise regarding the child __other individuals
as the parent or PEA wishes __the child, when
appropriate - must be invited to all IEP meetings that consider post secondary transition. [Section 1414(d)(1)(B) IDEA 1997;
EC 56341] 42.__Interpreters
for the IEP meeting are obtained for parents who are deaf or whose primary language is other than English. [34 CFR 300.345(e)
proposed] 43.__The PEA gives
the parent a copy of the IEP at no cost, and when requested and if feasible, in the primary language of the parent. [5 CCR
3040(b)] 44.__The parent
is provided with a copy of the evaluation report and the documentation that formed the basis for the determination of eligibility.
[Section 1414(a)(4)(B) IDEA 1997] 45.__For students
newly referred to special education, an assessment plan is developed and given to the parents along with a copy of the Parent
Rights within 15 days from the time the referral was made. [EC 56321(a)] 46.__Assessments
are completed and the IEP meeting held within 50 calendar days of obtaining the parent signature agreeing to the student's
assessment plan. [EC 56344] 47.__All service
providers, the school site and any outside agencies who will provide services are given a copy of the IEP or are knowledgeable
of its content. [EC 563471] 48.__The district
or PEA appoints a surrogate parent where no parent can be located or if the court has specifically limited the right of a
parent or guardian to make educational decisions for the child. [Ca GC Chapter 6.5 Section 7579.5] 49.__The parents
are informed in the Parent Rights document of their right to record the IEP meeting. [EC 56341(g)(1) and (1)] 50.__If neither
parent can attend the IEP meeting the PEA uses other means to ensure parent participation including individual or conference
phone calls. [34 CFR 300.345(c)] 51.__The IEP team
reviews the student's progress toward previous annual goals, benchmarks (short term objectives) and in the general curriculum
when developing new goals, benchmarks, short term objectives. [Section 1414(d)(4)(A)(i) and (ii) IDEA 1997] 52.__An IEP meeting
is held within 30 days of receipt of a written request from a parent. [EC 56343.5] II. IEP Process B. Interim/Administrative
Placements 53.__A student
transferring into the district is immediately placed in a district or agency program in conformity with the student's IEP
(unless the parent agrees otherwise) for a period not to exceed 30 days. [EC 56325(a)] 54.__Before the
expiration of the 30 day placement, the IEP team meets, reviews information, records, reports, any evaluations and makes a
final recommendation for placement. All the usual requirements for holding IEP meetings are followed. [EC 56325(b)] II. IEP Process
C. IEP Process
to Consider Suspension or Expulsion 55.__When a disciplinary
action involving suspension or expulsion of more than 10 days in a school year occurs, the student is provided all IEP services
on the 11th day. [Section 1415(k)(3) IDEA 1997] 56.__If disciplinary
action is considered to change a student's placement for 10 days or more because the student has violated a rule or code of
conduct applying to all children, __the parents
are notified on the same day this decision is made and given a copy of their Parent Rights [Section 1415(k)(4) IDEA 1997] __the IEP meeting
is held on or before the 10th day of suspension to consider if the behavior was a manifestation of the child's disability
and if placement was appropriate __a functional
behavioral assessment and a behavioral plan are drawn up to address the behavior that resulted in the suspension if such a
plan is not already in place. [Section 1415(k)(1)(B) IDEA 1997] 57.__In making
the manifestation determination, the IEP team must also consider whether: __services including
the behavior intervention strategies plan, were provided consistent with the IEP __the disability
impaired the child's ability to understand the impact and consequences of the behavior in question and __the disability
impaired the child's ability to control the behavior that led to the disciplinary action. [Section 1415(k)(4)(C) IDEA 1997] 58.__The IEP team,
in making the manifestation determination, considers all evaluations, parent input, health records, observations, discipline
records, implementation of the IEP, and the student's placement. Section 1415(k)(4)(C) IDEA 1997] 59.__If a parent
is unable to attend the IEP meeting, a telephone conference may be used for the IEP meeting to consider expulsion. [EC 48915.5(d)] 60.__If a parent
has received proper notice of the meeting, chooses not to participate in the IEP meeting or to consent to an extension beyond
20 consecutive school days, the meeting may be conducted without the parent. [EC 48915.5(d)] 61.__The education
program specified in the IEP must be provided to the pupil during the period of the expulsion. [Section 1415(k)(3)(B) IDEA
1997] 62.__Parents make
the student available without delay at a site determined by the district for the pre-expulsion assessment required prior to
the IEP meeting held to consider expulsion. [EC 48915.1(e)] 63.__Parents are
allowed to request a postponement of the IEP meeting of up to three school days. [EC 48915.5(d)] 64.__Parents are
informed at least 48 hours before the IEP meeting of their right to participate in the IEP meeting held to consider initiation
of expulsion proceedings. [EC 48915.5(d)] 65.__Parents have
the right to pursue a due process hearing if they disagree with the decisions of the IEP team regarding expulsion. [EC 48915.5(3)(g)] 66.__The expulsion
hearing is conducted only after the pre-expulsion assessment is completed, the IEP team convenes and finds that the behavior
was not a manifestation of the students disability [EC 48915.5(e)], that placement was appropriate, that IEP-driven behavior
plan interventions were tried and any due process proceedings were completed. [EC 48915.5(h); Section 1415(k) IDEA 1997] 67.__Relevant
disciplinary procedures applicable to all children may be carried out only when all conditions in Item 65 are met. [Section
1415(k)(5)(A) IDEA 1997] II. IEP Process
D. Behavior Intervention
Plans (Hughes Act) 68.__The IEP team
specifies the development of a functional analysis assessment if it determines that other behavioral/instructional approaches
specified in the student's IEP have been ineffective. [5 CCR 3052(b)] 69.__Parents may
request that a functional analysis assessment be performed. [5 CCR 3042(b)] 70.__The case
manager for behavior intervention is a member of the IEP team that reviews the functional analysis and develops the behavior
intervention plan, which becomes part of the IEP. [5 CCR 3052(b)] In order to fully
implement Hughes Act requirements for Behavior Intervention Plans, refer to the local procedures or guidelines developed for
this purpose in accordance with 5 CCR 3052.
* * * * * * * * * An appropriate IEP is driven by an appropriate
Evaluation Report! Reason for Referral The purpose of the evaluation is to determine: 1) if the child
has a disability and 2) if the child needs specially designed instruction. Information should be provided as to who initiated
the referral (e.g., teacher, parent), and for what reasons. The evaluation team must articulate the referral questions that
was used to design an The IEP team must consider the following special factors before
developing the IEP: visual impairment; hearing impairment; behaviors that impede learning or that of others; limited English
proficiency; communication needs; assistive technology devices and/or services; and transition services. The information needed
to make the special determinations should be collected during the evaluation, and could be addressed in the Reasons for Referral. Educational Levels of Performance and Educational Needs of
the Child This section includes the students: § current functioning The extent to which the student displays difficulties that
cannot be adequately met in a regular education program should also be identified in this section. Areas in which the student
performs well in the regular education program should be articulated, as well as the students instructional or functioning
level in comparison to the expectations of the regular class program. All assessments conducted should be reported, including
the psychological evaluation, instructional or ecological evaluations, vocational evaluations, observations, functional behavioral
assessments, teacher !!! and parent reports, !!! and the evaluations of other specialists (e.g., speech and
language, OT, PT, etc.). The most effective procedure for writing this section is to address thematically the questions posed
in the referral. This practice is preferred to a style of reporting results by assessment procedure (i.e., test by test) or
even by assessment personnel. Working in this manner, all results should be reported including The ER should list the student's relative strengths in academic,
vocational, and emotional/behavioral areas, when applicable. The student's preferences and interests must be addressed if
the student is aged for transition planning purposes, or if the IEP team determines that transition planning should
be done for a student younger. Addressing the student's strengths is particularly useful in designing effective instructional
strategies. EVALUATION DATA RESULTS OF DIRECT INTERVENTION -The team will
include information on the following areas that impact the students ability to access the general curriculum: Physical, social or cultural background information relevant
to the childs disability and need for special education. Physical, Social or Cultural Background Information Current Classroom Based Observations This section includes information from observations in instructional
settings, in or outside the classroom, which may be related to the student's strengths, needs, and areas for specially designed
instruction. Observational information is as important as testing information if the observation documents specific skills
that the student is capable of performing, or specific skills that the student needs. Observations need to be structured and
occur when the student is engaged. Observations may also include more than one subject or class, and determine task comprehension,
task completion, time spent on task, classroom environment and level of peer interaction. In addition, this section includes
results of the assessment of the students functioning in the curriculum, including curriculum-based or performance-based assessments.
For students with behavioral concerns, this may include a systematic observation of the students behavior in the classroom
or area in which the student is displaying difficulty. This information should be databased information related to the childs
suspected disability or identified disability. The information should be as comprehensive as possible across varied settings
with the identification of as many variables of learning as possible. For example: Does the student demonstrate inappropriate behaviors
only in those instructional areas where there are discrepancies, or are they demonstrated across all areas regardless of level
of competency in the area? Does the student demonstrate partial competency in areas of
academic discrepancies resulting from fragmented acquisition of skills (some phonological awareness, but no alphabetic principle)? This section should report a description of direct interventions
that may have been implemented in the regular classroom, as well as the outcomes of the interventions. For all students, current classroom-based assessments and
observations, and observations by teachers and related services providers must be conducted. For a student who is suspected of having a specific learning
disability, regulations also require that at least one team member other than the childs regular teacher observe the childs
academic performance in the regular classroom. Any member of the evaluation team may conduct this observation. Evaluation and Information Provided by the Parents Assessment Not Conducted Under Standard Conditions If an assessment is not conducted under standard conditions,
a description of the extent to which it varied from standard conditions must be included. Such deviations might include the
qualifications of the person administering the test or the method of test administration. Were tests selected appropriately
and properly validated for the student? Were sub-sections of the test given instead of the full assessment? Was the student
ill? Summary of Findings/Interpretation of Assessment Results For a child suspected of having a specific learning disability,
the documentation of the teams determination of eligibility must include a statement of: 1) whether the child has a specific
learning disability; 2) the basis for making the determination; 3) the relevant behavior noted during the observation of the
child; 4) the relationship of that behavior to the childs academic functioning; 5) the educationally relevant medical findings,
if any; 6) whether there is a severe discrepancy between achievement and ability that is not correctable without special education
and related services; and 7) the determination of the team concerning the effects of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage. For a Child Suspected of Having a Specific Learning Disability The evaluation team, in determining that a student has a specific
learning disability, must document its determination by including statements that address the issues above. In its documentation,
the team may want to identify the specific area in which the disability exists (i.e., oral expression, listening) Annotated Evaluation Report The team may not identify a child as having a specific learning
disability if the severe discrepancy between ability and achievement is primarily the result of a visual, hearing, or motor
impairment; mental retardation; emotional disturbance; or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Conclusion That the Student is a Child With a Disability A child with a disability (§300.7) is a student with mental
retardation, a hearing impairment including deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment including blindness,
emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairment, a specific learning
disability, deaf-blindness or multiple disability and needs special education and related services. If no secondary disability
has been identified, write None in the space. Recommendations regarding special education and related services
needed to enable the child to meet goals and to participate as appropriate in the general curriculum: Recommendation Regarding Special Education REEVALUATIONS Date IEP Team Reviewed Existing Evaluation Data The IEP team, including the school psychologist for certain
disabilities, may conduct its review without a meeting. (There is no requirement for a meeting at any point in the evaluation
or reevaluation process.) Information Reviewed For those students determined by the IEP team to be eligible
for transition services, the team needs to consider if additional evaluation data are needed to develop course of study, post-school
outcomes, needed transition services, etc. Data that might be collected include student interest inventories, career education
information, formal and informal prevocational and vocational assessments, and observation of work-based learning. Since some
of these surveys/assessments are routinely given to all students, the collection of such data may not require reevaluation.
Whether additional data are needed as part of a reevaluation must be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the
needs of the child and the information available regarding the child. For a child suspected of having a specific learning disability,
the documentation of the teams determination of eligibility must include a statement of: 1) whether the child has a specific
learning disability; 2) the basis for making the determination; 3) the relevant behavior noted during the observation of the
child; 4) the relationship of that behavior to the childs academic functioning; 5) the educationally relevant medical findings,
if any; 6) whether there is a severe discrepancy between achievement and ability that is not correctable without special education
and related services; and 7) the determination of the team concerning the effects of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage. For a Child Suspected of Having a Specific Learning Disability The team may not identify a child as having a specific learning
disability if the severe discrepancy between ability and achievement is primarily the result of a visual, hearing, or motor
impairment; mental retardation; emotional disturbance; or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Conclusion That No Additional Evaluation Data Are Needed Once the IEP team concludes that it does not need additional
evaluation data, there are two decisions that the team can make. If the IEP team decides that the student continues to be
eligible for and in need of special education, the LEA would issue the Invitation to Participate in the IEP Team Meeting or
Other Meeting and begin the IEP development process. If the IEP team decides that the student no longer is eligible for special
education, the LEA would issue the Notice noting this decision. Parents may request a copy of the Procedural Safeguards. Additional Evaluation Data Are Needed The LEA must get informed parental consent to conduct the
reevaluation. However, if after reasonable attempts to contact the parents the LEA has not received consent, the LEA is permitted
to proceed with the reevaluation. Copies to: * * * * * * * * *
FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT What a Functional Behavioral assessment is ... What Functional Behavioral assessment is NOT ... **Some Common Functions Served by Misbehaving** Some common functions served by misbehaving are . . . getting attention from teachers or peers - for example . . . escaping work, people, noise, or something else-for example ~
obtaining a desired object or event - for example~ **A---> B ---> C ---> Analysis** An ABC analysis enables you to analyze clues about why the student
keeps doing the same problem behavior. Your purpose is to identify patterns in order to hypothesize about the function the
problem behavior is serving. *Antecedent* what happens just before the behavior occurs identification
of the people, events, and/or things present in the situation just before each behavior *Behavior* what the student does the problem behavior stated in observable
terms *Consequence* what happens after the behavior what happens after
the student engages in the problem behavior **Example 1** HYPOTHESIS (based on the assumption that other ABCs showed a similar
pattern): avoidance of reading aloud PLAN: Ease task difficulty by having peer pairs simultaneously read
aloud assigned paragraphs from the intended story before the lesson. Then, during the reading lesson, call on Ryan to read
one of the paragraphs he and his partner had rehearsed. If the data show a decrease in the inappropriate behavior, gradually
increase the number of assigned paragraphs. Eventually have Ryan read unassigned sentences and then unassigned paragraphs. **Example 2** HYPOTHESIS (based on the assumption that other ABCs showed a similar
pattern): attention from the teacher PLAN: Teach Alf a way to gain attention by a) allowing him to be the "timer" who pushes the two-minute warning
buzzer, b) praising him for a specific work behavior or academic response
just before asking students to line up, c) posting his name on the "hard workers of the day" bulletin board,
d) allowing him to ask a peer to walk next to him on the way to gym,
and/or e) allowing him to be line leader. **About the Author** Joan M. Miller, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Mount Saint Mary College,
Newburgh, New York *teaches courses in special education, behavior management, literacy
for pupils with disabilities, and using technology with pupils with disabilities. *interests include teacher education, effective teaching research
in special education, and educational technology. Need help making a functional behavioral assessment? Visit TeAch-nology.com's
Functional Behavioral Assessment Generator at: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/fba/
ADDRESSING SKILL DEFICITS |