Understanding Behavior (Function)

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Why it works

A function-based view of behavior, central to positive behavior support, holds that challenging behavior is maintained by what it achieves for the student: gaining attention, access, or control, or escaping a demand or situation. Identifying the likely function, through observing the antecedents and consequences, lets teachers respond to the underlying need and teach a better way to meet it, which changes behavior more durably than reacting to the surface.

The research: Functional behavior assessment; positive behavior support research.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: find the function and respond to it

Teachers leave with a hypothesized function and a response that meets the need and teaches a replacement.

Pick a recurring behavior.
Observe what tends to happen before it (the trigger) and after it (what the student gets or avoids).
Hypothesize the function.
Plan a response that addresses the need and teaches a better way to meet it; for serious cases, note involving the team.

Ask what the behavior is forBehavior is communication. Figure out what a student is getting or avoiding, meet that need a better way, and teach the replacement.

Facilitator notes

Look at antecedents and consequences.
Hypothesize the function, then address the need and teach a replacement.
Involve the team for serious, persistent behavior.

Reacting to the surface rarely lastsIf you only respond to the behavior and never address what it is for, it comes back. Find the function and meet the need a better way.

Adapt it

Elementary: simple get or avoid thinking, teach replacement skills.
Secondary: function-based thinking, dignity-protecting responses.
All settings: observe triggers and payoffs, teach a better way.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Function of Behavior: what is it for?

Behavior is communication: find what it gets or avoids, meet the need a better way, teach the replacement.

The recurring behavior:
What happens before it (trigger):
What the student gets or avoids after it:
My hypothesis of the function:
My response that meets the need and teaches a replacement:

Make it stick

Meet the need, teach the replacement:

Ask what the behavior is for.
Teach replacement skills.
Bring a behavior you changed by its function to the team.

Common questions

Isn't this just making excuses for behavior?

No. Understanding why a behavior happens is how you change it. Responding only to the surface, without addressing the function, usually does not work for long.

What are the main functions?

Broadly, to get something (attention, an item, control) or to avoid something (a hard task, a situation). Most challenging behavior maps to one of these.

Do I need to do a formal FBA?

Formal functional behavior assessments are a team process for serious, persistent behavior. But every teacher can use function-based thinking: what is this behavior getting or avoiding, and what need can I meet a better way?