Before concluding, we would like to share possible obstacles to the development and use of effective behavioral intervention plans and supports. One or more of these obstacles may sometimes require the attention of school personnel to enable the implementation of a positive behavioral intervention plan and supports. Incorrect interpretation of the functional assessment data collected by the IEP team or others. Inconsistent or incorrect application of one or more parts of the intervention plan. Failure to adequately monitor the implementation of the intervention plan or to adjust the intervention plan over time, as needed, based on on-going monitoring and evaluation, and to adequately evaluate the impact of the intervention plan.
Teachers lack skills and support necessary to teach behavioral skills.
Finally, IEP Teams should keep in mind that differences in behavior may exist that relate to gender, ethnicity, language, or acculturation. Throughout this series on functional behavioral assessment and positive behavior intervention plans, we have emphasized that IEP teams should develop multi-step programs that capitalize on existing skills and the idea that knowledge of the functions causing the original misbehavior can shape more appropriate, alternative behavior. In that way, emphasis is on building new skills rather than on simply eliminating student misbehavior. For this reason, IEP team members must exercise patience in implementing behavioral intervention plans and supports.