State Special Education Laws for Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans

Abstract

A comprehensive search identified 31 state statutes and regulations specific to functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP) in the special education context. A systematic tabulation of the state law provisions that exceed the rather narrow foundation requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) revealed that most of these additions were of notably limited scope and specificity, with California being the leading exception. For example, contrary to recommendations in the special education literature, neither the IDEA nor any state special education law requires both a FBA and a BIP when the behavior of a child with a disability interferes with the learning of the child or others. As another example, only 17 state laws provided definitions of FBAs and/or BIPs, and the vast majority of these definitions merely mentioned some of the key elements in the special education literature, such as “function” for FBAs or “interventions” for BIPs. The discussion explores the disparity between the professional literature and the legal requirements, suggesting the need for more scholarship to recognize and address this differentiation.

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