BIP without a FBA?

[Kmber4]

Hi! We just had our annual IEP meeting where we requested a 1:1 for our son for the next school year. They said no and instead presented us with a Behavioral Intervention Program. No FBA was done (to my knowledge) and it seems like this was hastily thrown together. I would like to think that I have a good relationship with his team but this was the first time we really asked for something and the whole vibe was tense during the meeting. Looking for any insight! BIP without an FBA- positive/negative? 

* my son will be in 4th grade. He has Autism and currently has “supplemental support for transitions” listed in his IEP. He has had an aide the entire year that has been in the role of a 1:1 without being an official 1:1. We were requesting it be made official for next year.

*His current SpEd teacher recommended the 1:1. It wasn’t really on our radar. She asked me to meet and told me he has done so well with the support of the aide and thinks he should continue to have that support next year. In the IEP meeting, radio silence from the teacher. She did not advocate for the 1:1. 

[Lisa Lightner]

You can get a BIP without an FBA, but it's not best practice. More here: https://adayinourshoes.com/behavior-iep-special-education/

 

And, more here (sorry I'm on my way out the door): https://adayinourshoes.com/one-on-one-aide-paraprofessional-iep-special-education/

[Kmber4]

We do not want the BIP implemented. Is this something I should state in my “after email” requesting the final draft and the PWN? Our meeting was 1 week ago but I just saw on your blog that we should do a follow up email within a day or two.
Meanwhile, my son’s teacher is emailing me on the side saying things like “off the record” and how she doesn’t know why they are giving so much push back on the 1:1 request. I just don’t feel like I can trust anyone! It’s a very unsettling feeling. 

[Carolyn Rowlett]

A BIP doesn't necessarily need parental consent, but you should reach out stating you are not in favor of it.  It's never too late to do that.  If they had done an FBA, that would have required parental consent.

I would request a social/emotional/behavior evaluation and that it include an FBA.  Schools aren't great at those, but once you receive the school's FBA, you can request an IEE.  In order to receive a 1:1 aide "officially" and a good BIP, you'll need to go this route.

Special education teachers and others are always afraid to speak up in meetings due to the pressure from "higher up's" about keeping services and supports to a minimum.

[JSD24]

I was at a presentation on FBAs.  The presenter said that there are general ed level FBAs that can be done w/o parent consent as well as more in-depth, IEP level FBAs that would need parental permission to happen.  They were not clear on what the difference is.  Realistically, if a student acts out every time they are asked to do a math worksheet, it doesn't take a behavior expert to determine that math worksheets are the antecedent to the behavior for this student.

Another example from a different presentation.  Student would 'randomly' look upset, get up and leave the classroom.  A behavior specialist came in to observe.  What they saw was the student looking upset and getting up when an ambulance could be heard in the classroom.  They later determined this student lived in a bad area and sirens had happened with some traumatic events in the student's life.  This is definitely more of an IEP level FBA given that the family needed to be involved with being able to see the full picture of why this was an antecedent for this student.

Requesting & giving permission for an FBA so there is data on how well your child is doing and how much the aide is involved with him being successful with his behavior, IMO, is what's needed.  The truth is that he's doing OK & doesn't have an aide as an accommodation on his IEP so he doesn't need an aide is the high level data that I'm seeing.  Given he's getting help from an aide, there should be info on what they are doing and how much support he's getting so it can be determined if he needs an aide.  It sounds like he doesn't have a 1:1.  He might need a 1:2.  The decision on what should go into an IEP should be based on data and if the school is refusing your request for an aide, I'd want to see the data that supports this decision...if it exists.