The Concord Carlisle High School's Special Education Parent Advisory committee points out that a behavior management plan, or BMP, also known as a behavior intervention plan or a behavior management intervention, cannot exist in isolation. The BMP is the result of a student already having a functional behavior assessment, or FBA, which forms part of the student's individual education program, or IEP. Either a school behaviorist or an outside specialist can conduct the FBA, which informs the target behaviors outlined on the BMP.
Step 1
Assemble the concerned parties to create the BMP. Teachers, administrators, school counselors, special education interventionists, social workers, specialists, doctors, caregivers and parents may attend. Adults should discuss whether or not the child should attend the meeting.
Step 2
Review key issues on the IEP and the FBA. These documents help inform professionals about key strategies and best practices for supporting the student in the classroom. In addition, the IEP and FBA records may address underlying medical, psychological, developmental or other issues that affect the child's behavior in class.
Step 3
Identify the student's behaviors that need addressing. The Circle of Inclusion, a branch of the University of Kansas Department of Education, provides a simple chart in which people can list the specific behaviors, which may range from impulse control and yelling out to aggressive behaviors such as hitting and biting.
Step 4
Delineate a sequence of interventions and consequences, beginning with the mildest form of intervention. A typical first intervention includes telling the student to stop or using a hand signal to warn the student. If the student follows directions, plan a positive consequence, such as thanking him. If the student does not follow directions, move to a more assertive intervention, such as moving the student to a different part of the classroom or giving a time out.
Step 5
Set goals for overall behavior improvement rather than expecting a target behavior to vanish. Daily, weekly or monthly goals may be appropriate, depending upon the student and the type of behavior.
Tips and Warnings
- The Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project advises keeping goals, interventions and consequences simple and consistent.
- The WCCIP warns against labeling a child bad or good and instead focusing on the behavior.
Things You'll Need
- Functional behavior assessment
- Individual education plan
- School records
- Records of outside specialists
