What is Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)?

A functional behavioral assessment (FBA) means the process of determining why a student engages in behaviors that impede learning and how the student’s behavior relates to the environment. When a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) has challenging behaviors in school that are not improving, parents may request a re-evaluation to more closely examine the behaviors of concern. As part of that re-evaluation, a district may conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) to identify special education and related services and develop or modify a behavioral intervention plan.

When must an FBA be conducted?

A student’s need for an FBA must be considered whenever:

• a student with a disability is exhibiting persistent behaviors that impede his or her learning or that of others, despite consistently implemented general school-wide or classroom-wide interventions;
• the student’s behavior places the student or others at risk of harm or injury;
• the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is considering more restrictive programs or placements as a result of the student’s behavior; and/or
• the student is subject to disciplinary actions and a determination has been made that the behavior is related to the student’s disability

What must an FBA include?

The FBA must include, but is not limited to:

• identification of the problem behavior;
• definition of the behavior in concrete terms;
• identification of the contextual factors that contribute to the behavior (including cognitive and affective factors); and
• formulation of a hypothesis regarding the general conditions under which a behavior usually occurs and probable consequences that serve to maintain it.
• baseline and data collected

Is a FBA the same as a Behavioral Intervention Plan?

When an individual behavioral intervention plan is developed for a student with a disability, it must be based on the results of an FBA.   The results of the FBA must also be considered at meetings of the CSE or CPSE for the development of a student’s individualized education program (IEP).

Is consent required to conduct an FBA?

Yes.  An FBA for a student with a disability is an evaluation requiring parent consent pursuant to the requirements in section 200.5(b) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.See more information here:

• NYS Functional Behavioral Assessment Plan (NYS Education Department) View word
• FBA & BIP (George Parent to Parent) View PDF