Speaker: Dr. James Artesani
Session begins at 9am and ends by 3:30pm. Sign-in opens at 8:30am
Wells Conference Center, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04473, USA
With the emergence of inclusive educational practices, addressing challenging student behaviors that are sometimes exhibited by students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in school settings has increasingly become the responsibility of all educators. Function-Based Thinking (FBT) is a process for thinking systematically about behavior, the environment in which it occurs, and developing interventions that match the function of the behavior.
FBA has proven to be among the most effective methods of assessing challenging behavior in school settings. However, more severe forms of challenging behavior typically require a comprehensive FBA process, which can be time consuming and require a level of behavioral expertise that is not in the toolbox of most educators. Over the past decade, briefer forms of FBA have emerged, which has resulted in more time-efficient methods for assessing less severe, but persistent student behavior. Whether comprehensive or brief, the process involved in FBA is based on the same empirically verified behavioral principles. While it is not realistic to expect every educator to be an “expert” in behavioral assessment and intervention, briefer forms of FBA have made the core elements of this proven process available to a wider range of school-based personnel. In recent years, FBT has emerged as a promising approach for helping general education teachers assess the environmental factors that contribute to challenging behaviors, as well as the function such behavior serves for the individual student being assessed. Further, FBT allows educators to systematically problem-solve solutions for less severe, but ongoing behaviors, which interfere with academic achievement and social/behavioral growth.
Dr. James Artesani, Chair of the Department of Teacher and Counselor Education at the University of Maine, and Associate Professor of Special Education, will provide this workshop. Dr. Artesani provides professional development and consultation to many Maine schools in the areas of schoolwide positive behavioral intervention and support, and individualized behavioral assessment and intervention.
Those in attendance with leave this workshop with:
1. An understanding of the difference between comprehensive and brief FBA, and the applications for each.
2. An understanding of the core principles of behavioral theory upon which both FBA and FBT are founded.
3. Efficient strategies for collecting behavioral data.
4. A process for using sound behavioral principles to analyze student behavior within the settings in which it most commonly occurs.
5. How to use FBT to develop effective behavioral supports and interventions for students with less severe, but persistent interfering behaviors.
6. Strategies for building capacity for utilizing FBT in participants’ schools.
For more information about MAIER Professional Development Series, click here