Behavior Assessments and Interviews

Behavior Assessments and Interviews

Methods of gathering information specifically on the student’s behaviors may include behavior checklists, standardized self-reports, structured interviews, rating scales, and other appropriate assessment techniques. Analysis of work samples can also be useful. Here, instructors/observers are asked to focus on observable behavior in the school setting and describe what students do in nonbiased, objective, and behaviorally related terms. Some assessments use a triangulation method, so parents and the student may also need to fill out questionnaires and rating scales.

Some specific behavior assessments that are frequently used include Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS 2, 2nd ed.), and the Systematic Screening for Behavioral Disorders (SSBD).

A functional behavior assessment (FBA) is often used and can gather information from different environments, include antecedents, and help to direct intervention plans such as a behavior intervention plan (BIP), which is then included in the student’s IEP. Often, there can be accompanying academic interventions required in conjunction to the behavioral intervention.

Academic Assessments

There are two different approaches when considering achievement tests and they are norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments. Norm-referenced assessments compare the student’s current academic abilities “… to the performance level of a national sample of students administered the same test by the test author. This population of students is typically called the norm or standardization sample” (Yell et al., 2009, p. 53). Whereas, a criterion-referenced assessment can be more individualized since it will help make “… judgments about a student’s performance in comparison to a predetermined criterion or standard” (Yell et al., p. 53). Criterion assessments give a percentage rather than standard scores or equivalence derived from norm-referenced assessments. No one single type of assessment should be used for eligibility requirements.

Curriculum-based assessments (CBA) use direct observation and recording of the student’s achievement in a local and current curriculum. It can be very reliable and valid and can be used to understand how effective an instructional program is for a specific student. However, different schools can use different curriculum, and, overall, CBA can lack standardization. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) has standardized procedures and can integrate components of traditional and behavioral assessment within academics, such as reading, writing, and math. These types of CBM assessments can establish a measuring and graphing process over a length of time to establish goals that would directly correlate to interventions and the individualized education plan (IEP).

Conclusion

The special education team evaluates all of the assessment results, after being interpreted by the required qualified specialists. By mandates through the IDEA Improvement Act (2004), the team consists of a local educational agency representative (LEA), the regular and special education teachers, and a person to interpret the testing results, as well as the parent and/or student. There are also protocols in place to protect the rights of the student and parents.

Ideally, the reason for any assessment should be for intervention and a successful remediation. The programming needs to focus on more than deficits and needs to consider all areas of the individual both now and for the future. The student with EBD is much more than just a “troubled kid.” There continues to be a call for improvement in assessments and, particularly, for individualization. There also needs to be more support in the execution of interventions with continued training for all involved with the student. Although there has been tremendous headway made in the last century for assistance for students with ED, there continues to be room for more improvement.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Washington DC: Author.

Heward, W. L. (2003). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: R .R. Donnelley.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 94-142, § 20 U.S.C. 1400 (2004).

Kauffman, J. M. (2001). Characteristics of emotional and behavior disorders of children and youth (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Smith, T. E. C., Polloway, E. A., Patton, J. R., & Dowdy, C. A. (2004). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings(4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Yell, M. L, Meadows, N. B., Drasgow, E., & Shriner, J. G. (2009). Evidence-based practices for educating students with emotional and behavioral disorders.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson.

http://www.casponline.org/pdfs/pdfs/nasp04.pdf

Cognitive Behavioral Interventions/Social Skills/Collaboration

Order from us and get better grades. We are the service you have been looking for.