 |
Fostoria
Community
Schools
Behavior Specialist Brochure
|
What is A Behavior Specialist?
A Behavior Specialist is a trained,
professional who works together with students, teachers, parents, and building
administrators to develop interventions (strategies) for the classroom
and/or school environment that allows students to be successful behaviorally.
What Does A
Behavior Specialist Do?
One
of the major responsibilities of the Behavior Specialist is assisting
with the intervention process and determining the function of the student’s
behavior. The function of a
behavior is the consequence or response that is achieved by the behavior,
which causes the student to engage in a behavior pattern.
Understanding
the purpose of a student’s misbehavior, or the student’s “payoff” in
a misappropriate behavior, allows teachers to intervene and teach appropriate
behaviors.
The
Behavior Specialist works with teachers, parents, others school personnel,
and, in some cases, community agency staff to teach and build appropriate
behaviors, using a variety of strategies.
Which Students
Work With
The Behavior Specialist?
Students are referred to the Behavior Specialist through the following school
personnel:
v
Building Principals and/or Assistant
Principals
v
Building Level Assistance Teams (BLAT)
v
Intervention Assistance Teams (IAT)
v
Special Education Teams
Services Provided
By
The Behavior Specialist
The
Behavior Specialist can provide the following services once a child
has been referred to work with the Behavior Specialist. Students and
their parents can receive the following services:
v
Assessment
Referrals
v
Case Management
v
Classroom
Observations
v
Counseling
Referrals
v
Functional
Behavioral Assessments
v
Home-Based
Behavior Intervention Plans
v
Individualized
School Behavior Intervention Plans
v
Individual
Consultations
v
Multi-Disciplinary
Team Referrals
v
Parent/School
Communication
v
Parent Support
Group Referrals
v
Progress
Monitoring Sessions (Home & School)
v
School Social
Skills Groups Referrals
Students
will develop an individual plan and include some of the above services,
depending on needs.
Any
teachers can take part in the following services:
v
Classroom
Observations
v
Computer
Accessible (Common Drive) Positive Behavioral Support Resources &
References
v
Individual
Consultations
v
Group Presentations
for Improving Student’s Behavioral Outcomes
v
Monthly/Bi-Monthly Teacher Roundtables & Trainings (FBA
& BIP)
What Is A Functional
Behavioral Assessment
(FBA)?
The Functional Behavioral Assessment
(FBA) is a process to identify important relationships that apply to
a specific set of target behaviors for an individual student. The Behavior Specialist works with a team that
consists of the student, parents/guardian, regular/special education
teachers, and administrators, to conduct the FBA. Each behavior the student is exhibiting is assessed using this process,
and a FBA document is created.
The FBA document explains the description
of the behavior and the settings that the behavior occurs. The team will identify in this document the
frequency, intensity, and duration of the behavior pattern. The team will describe any previous intervention
strategies that might have been utilized with the student. The team will evaluate the educational impact
the behaviors have within the various settings.
Once the team has completed the first
portion of the FBA documentation process, the next task will be to hypothesize
the function the behavior is serving for the student. The function of the behavior will be instrumental
to establishing an individualized, student specific Behavior Intervention
Plan (BIP).
What Is A Behavior
Intervention Plan
(BIP)?
Once the multiple causes that contribute to the misbehavior have been identified
during the FBA process, the Behavior Specialist works with the team
to develop a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).
The BIP will document how the student will be taught replacement
behaviors. The process of selecting
and teaching replacement behaviors is used as an alternative strategy
to using the
The BIP process will produce a document
that describes the expected outcomes and goals the team has for the
student. The BIP will document
and specify the intervention and frequency of that intervention used
to achieve the goals. The team
will determine the person/s responsible for implementing the specific
interventions and monitoring the student’s progress.
The team will schedule a review date to discuss the student’s
progress. The BIP will be reviewed and modified according
to the student’s progress each time the team meets to discuss the progress
of the student. Research has
proven that the parents/guardians who implement BIP within the home
can improve the success of BIP made for students at school. Please contact the Behavior Specialist if you are interested in
establishing a Home-Based Behavior Intervention Plan.
School Success Formula:
School + Home = Student Success
Behavior Specialist
Staff:
Julia Marie Wedemeyer, M.A., earned her Master of Arts
Degree in Guidance and Counseling in May 1992 from Bowling Green State
University. In 1987, she received
a Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education in 1987 from Stephens College
in Columbia, Missouri, and she earned her two lifetime, teaching certifications
from Missouri in Elementary Education and Middle School Social Studies.
How Can I Contact
Fostoria Community
Schools
Behavior Specialist?
Julia Marie Wedemeyer, M.A.
Behavior Specialist
Fostoria High School
1001 Park Street
Fostoria, Ohio 44830
(419) 436-4110 V/TTY
(419) 436-4118 FAX
Together
We Can Make A Difference….
One Child
At A Time!
