2. Clearly describe the behavior(s)

Much initial discussion is needed to agree on the behaviors involved, and on the ultimate goal of the assessment. It is possible that one teacher sees a student’s disruptive tantrumming behavior as the priority issue, but the language pathologist sees his ritualistic behaviors as creating a serious barrier to their interactions and work together. The teacher would then be looking to solve behavior problems, and the language pathologist would be looking for reasons behind relationship building and anxiety issues. The result is that they will be in conflict about methods, data collection, and all stages of the process. While there may likely be many issues to be addressed, the team should work cohesively on each one.

So which behaviors do we target first? The one(s) chosen should be the most problematic for the CHILD, not for the adults around him/her. If there are issues that involve safety or are otherwise urgent in nature, they should take precedence. A good rule of thumb is to consider which behaviors, if changed, will have the most positive impact on the student. Questions to ask include: 1) is the behavior dangerous to the child or to others, 2) is the behavior disruptive on a frequent basis or to an intense level, 3) does the behavior interfere with socialization or acceptance from peers, and 4) does the behavior interfere with learning either academic or social/independence skills. Once the target behavior has been chosen, additional information needs to be gathered, and those next questions should include:

• Has the behavior been a problem for a long time with little or no improvement?
• Does the behavior involve aggression or damage to property?
• Is the behavior the result of the environment?
• Is the behavior the result of a skill deficit? Does he/she have the ability to learn and use the needed skill?
• What are the various perspectives among staff and family on how, when and where the behavior occurs?
• What are the signs the student exhibits that he/she is in the ‘rumbling stage’?
• Would an improvement in the behavior generate positive side effects (such as peer acceptance or improvement in grades)?

Baseline data is essential to have as a starting point in order to measure progress. All team members must agree on the language and the kinds of data measures to be used. If the team decides to measure the number of times a child talks out, for instance, members need to have clear parameters established. Is mumbling quietly “talking out”? Or is yelling during a tantrum “talking out”? What exactly defines “talking out”? If team members are not all measuring the exact same thing, the data will be skewed and may present an inaccurate picture when it is all put together. Likewise, the data collection method should be concrete enough so that information is reliable no matter who is collecting it. For example, if anecdotal comments are collected, the language and detail may differ according to the individual’s style. Therefore, charts that can be filled in, checked off, or numbered (after defining what each number might mean!) may be time efficient as well as more reliable.