Addressing Behavioral Difficulties in Schools from a Behavior Analytic Perspective

In this session, we will talk about common behavioral difficulties in schools, including school refusal and anxiety related behavior problems. We will review a flexible behavior plan that addresses typical classroom difficulties, including off-task behavior, disruption, and work refusal; including plans that change the antecedents, reinforce a workable alternative, and ways to reinforce the replacement behavior in place of the target behavior. Additional topics will be extinction bursts, morning struggles, and why a plan fails if adults follow it only sometimes. Questions are welcome, including on other school behavior issues that interest the participants.

Objectives: 1. Describe the steps of a functional behavior assessment, including writing operational definitions of target and replacement behaviors, collecting ABC data, and identifying the function of a behavior. 2. Identify when IDEA requires an FBA and a behavior intervention plan, and list the required parts of a plan. 3. Design a function-based plan for classroom behavior such as off-task behavior, disruption, and work refusal. The plan should adjust antecedents, reinforce a replacement behavior, and withhold reinforcement for the target behavior. 4. Build a graduated attendance plan for school refusal, using small required steps that increase over time, reinforcement for attending, and consequences for staying home. This includes structuring the morning routine so comfort and attention aren't tied to refusal. 5. Recognize an extinction burst, including the predictable hard days early in a school refusal plan, and explain why adults must stay consistent through it. 6. Explain how carrying out a plan inconsistently creates intermittent reinforcement that strengthens problem behavior, and why treatment integrity matters.