Applied Behavior Analysis

A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three. Under IDEA, autism is one of the 13 disability categories. Students with ASD may need supports for communication, social skills, sensory processing, behavior, and transitions.

A written plan based on an FBA that describes the strategies, supports, and interventions to address a student's challenging behavior. A BIP should include preventive strategies, replacement behaviors to teach, response strategies, and a plan for monitoring effectiveness. It becomes part of the IEP.

A systematic process for identifying the underlying function (purpose) of a student's challenging behavior. An FBA examines what happens before the behavior (antecedents), what the behavior looks like, and what happens after (consequences). The results are used to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

A consequence that increases the likelihood that a behavior will occur again in the future. Positive reinforcement adds something desirable (praise, a token, a preferred activity); negative reinforcement removes something unpleasant (taking away a demand when a student asks for a break). Reinforcement is a core strategy in BIPs and ABA.