Re: Requesting a 'real' FBA

[Guest guest]

Jen,

Okay, I had to go to my previous post and pull up what I wrote but here it is

below.

A functional behavior assessment by a board certified behavior analyst would

help identify social issues and make recommendations. Some states now require

the BCBA certification but most do not. So most Districts will conduct their on

FBA. It usually will be done by a CST member who has went to one seminar on

FBAs. This is not what you want. So let them do there thing and then request and

independent. They might offer a list of people that don't have the designation.

You don't have to accept it. Write them back with your denial and request a new

list that include board certified behavior analysts.

So now what you need to do, is to write a letter requesting for an independent

FBA. If they grant it, then follow the process in the paragraph above and

interview the BCBAs to find out their experience with your child's challenges.

You will need to find one that will incorporate all three environments, school,

home, and community. That means that the BCBA will observe your child in all

three and interview you as the parent and other people outside of school.

Now, if they refuse, which they are within their right to do, you will have to

decide whether or not you are able to fight them. This will mean procuring

legal counsel or an educational advocate. In some states, there are legal

services that are probono depending on your income level. If you choose that

you can fight them legally, you just might have to file for due process.

Sometimes, though, just having a legal representative come to the meetings with

you puts a bit of fire under their buns. They start taking you a bit more

seriously. They will start calculating how much in attorney fees they will have

to spend for hearings compared to just working with you.

Please remember that FBA are not just for violent behaviors. They are very

useful in identifying challenges with social skills and self-management. The

child study team, which includes the parents, are responsible for teaching the

child life skills as well. So take heart in knowing that your concerns are

legitimate and valid in the eyes of IDEA. So take heart.

Regards,

>

> My daughter is 5 and prior to starting Kindergarten, the CSE demanded

> her preschool do a FBA (which I had been asking them to do for months).

> The preschool's social worker did a pathetic useless job. At the IEP

> meeting, she was assigned a behaviorist and I thought she would be

> evaluated by this person. Apparently, the teachers came up with a

> 'behavioral plan' by telling this behaviorist how my daughter acts in

> class and using her IEP I can only assume. I got a copy of the

> behavioral plan and it is ridiculous. No info on WHY she acts as she

> does which would help to make sure that the interventions are right for

> her.

>

> Her spec ed teacher says they will not do a new FBA. I didn't make a

> formal written request, just kind of mentioned that I wanted one. Her

> explanation is that her behavior doesn't warrant it. Yes, she is not

> aggressive or violent but does get into altercations via poor social

> skills triggering other students and also flips out at times if she

> can't have a toy another kids has, or if she feels 'slighted.' She can

> also be extremely bossy which I feel is due to anxiety and I told the

> teachers this during the parent-teacher conference... That her rigidity,

> like many (most?) Aspies is due to anxiety or feeling a lack of control

> over the situation.

>

> Please help me with what I need to request.. I remember reading in the

> group about asking for a certain type of behavior analyst with certain

> training to do the FBA? What should I ask that they look for? What

> reasons can I give? Do I have good reason to request one even though she

> is not attacking students and teachers (yet)?

>

> I also have to request an independent OT eval after their pathetic

> 'screening' but that's another post.

>

> Jen

> 5yo Aspie

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much ! This info will really help!

Jen

5yo Aspie

On 12/13/2010 2:03 PM, wrote:

Jen,

Okay, I had to go to my previous post and pull up what I

wrote but here it is below.

A functional behavior assessment by a board certified

behavior analyst would help identify social issues and

make recommendations. Some states now require the BCBA

certification but most do not. So most Districts will

conduct their on FBA. It usually will be done by a CST

member who has went to one seminar on FBAs. This is not

what you want. So let them do there thing and then request

and independent. They might offer a list of people that

don't have the designation. You don't have to accept it.

Write them back with your denial and request a new list

that include board certified behavior analysts.

So now what you need to do, is to write a letter

requesting for an independent FBA. If they grant it, then

follow the process in the paragraph above and interview

the BCBAs to find out their experience with your child's

challenges. You will need to find one that will

incorporate all three environments, school, home, and

community. That means that the BCBA will observe your

child in all three and interview you as the parent and

other people outside of school.

Now, if they refuse, which they are within their right to

do, you will have to decide whether or not you are able to

fight them. This will mean procuring legal counsel or an

educational advocate. In some states, there are legal

services that are probono depending on your income level.

If you choose that you can fight them legally, you just

might have to file for due process.

Sometimes, though, just having a legal representative come

to the meetings with you puts a bit of fire under their

buns. They start taking you a bit more seriously. They

will start calculating how much in attorney fees they will

have to spend for hearings compared to just working with

you.

Please remember that FBA are not just for violent

behaviors. They are very useful in identifying challenges

with social skills and self-management. The child study

team, which includes the parents, are responsible for

teaching the child life skills as well. So take heart in

knowing that your concerns are legitimate and valid in the

eyes of IDEA. So take heart.

Regards,