Behavior plan glossary
The words and abbreviations you will meet in behavior assessments, plans, and meetings. Where a federal rule applies we name it. Entries marked as practice terms are not defined in the federal rules, and districts and publishers may use other names.
A
- ABC data
- A record of what happened before a behavior (antecedent), the behavior itself, and what followed (consequence). Practice term. Teams use it to look for patterns in when and why a behavior happens. It records observations. It does not by itself explain a behavior.
- Antecedent
- What happens right before a behavior, such as a task, a direction, a change in routine, or a peer comment. Practice term. Antecedents are sometimes called triggers. Changing an antecedent is one of the main ways a plan tries to prevent a behavior.
B
- Baseline (behavior)
- How often, how long, or how intensely a behavior happens before a plan begins. Practice term. A baseline is a dated record taken the same way you will take later data, so that you can tell whether the plan changed anything.
- Behavior intervention plan (BIP)
- A written plan that describes how a team will teach new skills and change the setting to address a behavior. The federal discipline rules refer to a behavioral intervention plan but do not list what it must contain. States and districts set the format. Most plans name the behavior, a hypothesis about its function, prevention steps, replacement skills, responses, and a data and review plan.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.530(f)
C
- Consequence
- What happens right after a behavior, such as attention, a break, or a task being removed. Practice term. A consequence is what follows, not necessarily a punishment. A plan looks at which consequences may be keeping a behavior going.
- Crisis plan
- A section of some plans that says what staff do if there is a safety risk. Practice term. Whether a plan has one, and what it must say, depends on state and district rules. This site does not describe physical interventions.
D
- Data sheet
- A form for recording a behavior in the same way each time, with the date, time, and setting. Practice term. A good sheet is simple enough that the people who use it will complete it, and states the definition of the behavior at the top.
F
- Fidelity (plan fidelity)
- How closely a plan is carried out as written. Practice term. If a plan is only partly followed, flat data say little about the plan. Teams often check fidelity before they change a plan.
- Function of behavior
- The purpose a behavior serves for the student, such as getting or avoiding something. NCII uses this definition. The function is a hypothesis built from data, and it can be revised when new data come in.
- Functional behavioral assessment (FBA)
- A process for gathering information about why a behavior happens, so that a plan can be built on it. The federal discipline rules use this term and describe when one is required after certain removals, but they do not define the steps. States and districts set the process.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.530(d)(1)(ii) and (f)(1)
H
- Hypothesis statement
- A short statement of the likely function of a behavior, linked to the situation where it happens. Practice term, also called a summary statement. It usually names the situation, the behavior, and the likely function. It is a working guess to test, not a diagnosis.
I
- Interval recording
- Dividing an observation into equal intervals and noting whether a behavior occurred in each. Practice term. It gives an estimate of how much a behavior occurs, not an exact count.
L
- Latency
- The time between a cue or direction and the start of a response. Practice term. It suits goals about how quickly a student begins a task or follows a direction.
M
- Manifestation determination
- A review by the school, the parent, and relevant IEP team members of whether certain conduct was a manifestation of the student's disability. It applies in specific situations involving a change of placement for a code of conduct violation. The review asks whether the conduct was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the disability, or was the direct result of a failure to implement the IEP.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.530(e)
O
- Operational definition
- A description of a behavior in observable, measurable terms that two people would read the same way. Practice term. NCII describes the target behavior in a goal as one that reflects an action that can be directly observed and is measurable.
P
- Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS)
- An approach that teaches expected behavior and changes the setting, instead of relying on consequences alone. IDEA asks the IEP team to consider positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, for a child whose behavior impedes the child's learning or that of others.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(i)
R
- Reinforcement
- Something that follows a behavior and makes that behavior more likely in the future. Practice term. What reinforces a behavior depends on the student. A plan names what will be used, how often, and how it will be faded.
- Replacement behavior
- The behavior the educator wants the student to use instead of the behavior of concern. NCII uses this definition. A replacement behavior usually serves the same function as the behavior it replaces and is easier or more effective for the student.
S
- Scatterplot
- A grid that shows when a behavior occurs across time periods and days. Practice term. It helps show patterns tied to the time of day or the activity, and it is quick to fill in for frequent behavior.
- Setting event
- A condition further removed in time that makes a behavior more likely, such as a poor night's sleep or a missed meal. Practice term. It is often found by talking with the family or reviewing records, because an observer in the room may not see it.
- Special factors (IEP)
- Items the IEP team must consider, including behavior that impedes learning, language, communication, and assistive technology. The rule lists these factors, and the first is the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports for a child whose behavior impedes learning.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)
- Systematic direct observation
- Watching a student for a set time and recording behavior in a planned way. NCII describes it as the process of watching a person or environment for a period of time and systematically recording behavior.
T
- Target behavior
- The behavior a team is measuring and trying to change. In an IEP goal, NCII says the target behavior identifies the performance being monitored and reflects an action that can be directly observed and is measurable.