Over the years tactics centering on addressing childhood behavioral issues have undergone a steady evolution. From the reactionary responses of the past that employed authoritarian strategies, the genre has moved forward to use new, more constructive, philosophies when dealing with the behavioral issues of kids in the classroom. Utilizing research-based solutions that employ a proactive, consistent, structured, and positive response, schools now have a better chance to permanently correct the behavior of a misbehaving child. Together, these tactics comprise what is called a Behavioral Intervention Plan.
Facts
Behavioral Intervention Plans, also known as BIPs, are strategies developed by qualified school personnel that are designed to address specific and repeated behavioral issues by a student. BIPs are commonly developed by a school's IEP (Individualized Education Plan) team and can usually be found in the student's IEP folder. The BIP will identify the specific nature of the student's behavioral issue and delineate a course for the teacher to take to either prevent the issue or deal with it when it occurs.
Function
The common theory behind a BIP centers on the notion that a child's disruptive behavior inside the classroom is simply a way for that child to have his specific and unique needs met. To that end, the BIP seeks to address those needs in a constructive manner that does not negatively affect the learning environment for the rest of the students.
Significance
When dealing with a child who has behavioral issues, the importance of an effective BIP cannot be overstated. Students with behavioral issues that are not appropriately dealt with are not getting their specific needs met. Therefore, the longer a behavioral problem exists, the more the student may become disengaged from the learning process as a whole. Furthermore, students with behavioral issues can have a negative influence on the learning environment for an entire classroom, thereby negatively affecting the academic performance of their classmates.
Features
Although each BIP is specifically tailored to the requirements of the student in question, some common intervention tactics are often used. For example, when crafting a BIP for a child who has a high energy level and who tends to have behavioral issues after quickly completing her work, a daily preemptive intervention may be something as simple as giving her the task of helping her classmates after they finish their own work. For students who have difficulty staying on task, assigning a responsible classmate as a peer mentor sometimes helps keep the student in question focused throughout the lesson.
Time Frame
As with any goal-driven set of strategies, behavioral intervention plans must be reviewed at regular intervals to assess a child's progress. This is important to determine which tactics are producing the desired results, and which ones need to be altered accordingly. The BIP review intervals are usually determined by either the school or the IEP team based on school policies for such matters and the specific nature the BIP itself. It's common for BIPs to initially be reviewed quarterly, then annually in cases where a child has settled into a positive behavioral pattern.
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