Adding Functional Behavioral Assessment to First Step to Success A Case Study

First Step to Success is a manualized early intervention program with documented success in reducing the problem behavior of young children. Walker and colleagues are now engaged in analyses of variables that will increase the proportion of children for whom First Step is effective. A possible enhancement to the First Step to Success protocol is the use of functional behavioral assessment, and individualized, function-based behavior support. The present analysis provides a case study with one, six-year old student who received First Step to Success. Following the “coaching phase” of First Step a reversal design was employed in which function-based features of behavior support were withdrawn and then re-implemented. Analysis of problem behavior, and academic engagement data suggest that incorporation of function-based features enhanced the impact of First Step to Success. Implications for modifications of the First Step protocol, and future research are provided. Educators face a growing expectation that behavior support in schools will emphasize evidence-based practices implemented with high fidelity (IDEA). To meet this expectation two seemingly conflicting approaches are being proposed. One touts the importance of “manualized interventions” that can be described with precision, disseminated through written manuals, and replicated with consistency (Reid & Nelson, 2002). The other emphasizes the need for behavior support that is individualized, guided by functional behavioral assessment, relies on the competence of local professionals, and is tailored to the specific child and context (Carr et al., 1999; Sugai, et al., 2000). We provide in this case study an example of integrating these two approaches using the well-documented early intervention First Step to Success. First Step to Success is a standardized, collaborative, home-school secondary intervention designed to target kindergarten to second graders at-risk for developing antisocial behavior patterns. The program incorporates three interconnected modules: screening, school intervention, and parent training. Screening occurs through use of the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD, Walker & Severson, 1992), a combined teacher report plus direct observation tool for identifying children with externalizing and internalizing problem behavior. The school intervention module (CLASS) is a consultant-based intervention focusing on reducing problem behavior and increasing adaptive, pro-social behaviors. The CLASS module requires 30 program days across three phases (consultant, teacher, and maintenance) for successful completion. In the “consultant phase” a trained First Step Coach sits with the focus student and teaches him/her to discriminate appropriate from inappropriate behavior. The consultant “coach” uses a card that is red on one side and green on the other to define a “game” where the student earns points for appropriate behavior (e.g. when coach is displaying the green side of the card), and does not earn points for inappropriate behavior (e.g., when the coach is displaying the red side of the card). As the child progresses in the program, the length of sessions and points needed to earn class rewards are extended. Once the student is demonstrating high levels of appropriate behavior the consultant turns the red/green card over to the teacher, and the teacher gradually fades from tangible and frequent reinforcement to more natural and intermittent consequences (Golly, Stiller, & Walker, 1998; Walker, Kavanagh, Stiller, Golly, Severson, & Feil, 2001; Walker, Stiller, Golly, Kavanagh, Severson, & Feil, 1997). The parenting component of First Step to Success is implemented in concert with the CLASS program at school, and involves providing families with training in limit setting, expectation definition, and supporting appropriate behaviors. Experimental studies of First Step to Success with kindergarten students have shown improvements in students’ academic engagement and aggressive behavior both during and following implementation of the program (Epstein & Walker, 2002; Golly, Stiller, & Walker, 1998; Walker, Kavanagh, Stiller, Golly, Severson, & Feil, 2001). A replication study examining effects for three first and second grade students found similar positive results (Lien