Is an FBA required in order to complete a BIP?
• Discussion in the Federal Register on page 46683, points to specific language in §300.324(a)(2)(i) which “focuses on interventions and strategies, not assessments, to address the needs of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others. Therefore, while conducting a functional behavioral assessment typically precedes developing positive behavioral intervention strategies,” this language was not determined appropriate to include in the federal regulations. In Article 7, a BIP must describe the function of the behavior as identified in an FBA. An FBA is defined as a process that uses data to identify patterns in a student’s behavior and the purpose or function of that behavior for the student. Therefore, although an FBA or BIP “form” is not required, the elements of this process must be present in concert.
