Challenging Behavior Case Study

Challenging Behavior Case Study Essay
Module 1 essay submitted by Charles LaRocca

Under the IDEA act, there is a greater responsibility to provide a positive learning environment for all students not just those with disabilities. IDEA is the vehicle that drives special education policies and procedures throughout the nation.
Before IDEA, there was a very myopic view for teaching students with disabilities. In the past special education teachers provided instruction to their students in the classroom with little or no input from other teachers. Today, students with disabilities are more inclusive in the general curriculum and their education is a cooperative collaborative effort. In almost any public school today, you will observe the special education teacher sitting in the general education teachers classroom (CC) collaborating and engaging with their students.
The teacher’s expanded role because of IDEA to ensure a conducive environment for learning for all students is evident in the case study challenging behavior. My first impression is that Ms. Allison has other special education students in her room since she has a teaching assistant. I mention this only to
further illustrate that general education teachers have an increasing role as members of IEP teams in the collaboration process.
In the case study, the teacher, Ms.
Allison has identified Leonard’s challenging behavior which is the first step before a functional behavioral assessment can be implemented. By simply moving his seat to the back of the room will not do any good in effectively intervening or preventing his behavior. The teacher has taken the next step in her referral by listing in concrete and clear terms examples of Leonard’s challenging behavior. She has collected data as to when it occurs by observing his behavior in different settings and during different types of activities. The teacher has collected enough data to form the opinion that Leonard’s challenging behavior is a result of ADHD. She has demonstrated that is behavior is affecting his learning and is interfering with the learning of his/her
peers.
In this case study, all of the IDEA rights and requirements are met for an IEP team to begin to devise a plan for conducting a functional behavioral assessment. The team must explore the need for strategies and support systems to address any behavior that may impede the learning of the child with the disability or the learning of his or her peers (614 (d)(3)(b)(I); The fact that Leonard’s parents refuse testing and refuse the consent for special education services means that he is subject to the same disciplinary actions as those who receive no special services. He has no IEP, therefore he would not be protected under the IDEA act that addresses any disciplinary actions by school personnel. In response to certain disciplinary actions by school personnel, the IEP team must within 10 days, meet to formulate a functional behavioral assessment plan to collect data for developing a behavior intervention plan, or if a behavior intervention plan already exists, the team must review and revise it (as necessary), to ensure that it addresses the behavior upon which disciplinary action is predicated (615)(k)(1)(b). In this case the role of the parent and their consent is an important part of the IEP team by refusing to sign the child will receive no services. However, if the school district wants to go to due process in over -turning the parent’s decision they may do so but in my opinion that is not very likely unless they can prove his behavior is a threat to himself and to others.