Many ABA sessions focus on building social skills, learning to communicate, completing activities of daily living, and other foundational skills essential for learning. For some children, there may also be a bit of focus on behaviors that others may find unsafe or otherwise concerning. This is where Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) come into play.
A BIP, in short, is a personalized list of strategies and interventions that aim to reduce problem behaviors and teach other, more appropriate alternative methods of communication. The strategies and interventions used in a BIP are based on the foundational principles of applied behavior analysis.
This article will go through the basics of BIPs, what they cover, how they are used, when they are used, and how they work.
What is a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)?
A behavior intervention plan is an individualized plan that aims to reduce challenging behaviors by teaching and increasing more appropriate alternatives. All behaviors serve a purpose, and challenging behaviors are no different. ABA practitioners use this basic principle to determine why a behavior is occurring and then use that information to create a plan. The plans almost always include alternative behaviors that enable the child to communicate their needs in a way that others can better understand and respond to.
A BIP differs from a behavior support plan (BSP) in that BIPs are a bit more formal and data-driven and are often included as a part of a child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), while BSPs are more informal and are not an official part of an IEP. BIPs also often require the completion of an FBA, allowing interventions to be more individualized and created with the specific function of the behavior in mind.
When and Why is a BIP Needed?
BIPs are typically created when an individual exhibits behaviors that interfere with learning, daily living, or social interactions. All children will occasionally exhibit challenging behaviors, but BIPs are typically used for those who engage in such behaviors frequently or whose behaviors are more intense than can be managed by others. Such behaviors can include aggression, self-injury, task refusal, property destruction, elopement, disrobing, inappropriate sexual behaviors, screaming, and more.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with an IEP may have a BIP created for them if they engage in such behaviors frequently, if the behaviors seriously impact their ability to learn, or if more standard behavior intervention strategies do not work.
From there, a functional behavior assessment (FBA) would be conducted to determine why a behavior is occurring. A handful of different interviews, assessments, and observations are conducted over a short period of time, and the results are used to determine the function of the problem behavior. FBAs help to ensure that the BIP is as effective as possible.
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Components of an Effective BIP
A BIP typically begins with a function-based summary of the behavior, which outlines what the behavior is and why it may be occurring. In this section, specific and observable definitions are crucial. The information in this section typically comes from the completed FBA results. This section helps readers identify what they are looking for when observing behavior and provides them with a more behaviorally based perspective.
The next component, and my personal favorite, typically involves strategies to prevent the behavior from occurring. It is possible that changing the environment, recognizing cues, adjusting interactions based on those cues, setting clear expectations, and employing other antecedent-focused strategies can significantly help reduce problem behaviors. Antecedent strategies can be incredibly helpful for changing behavior with the least effort.
BIPs also often include replacement behaviors that should be taught and consequences to reduce the problem behavior. Consequences sound much harsher than they are in practice. Often, consequence strategies focus on reinforcing alternative behaviors rather than challenging behaviors.
Punishment procedures are rarely used in BIPs, and when they are, they typically include time-outs or the removal of preferred items. Throughout my career in behavior analysis, I have never implemented punishment procedures in a behavior plan.
For most BIPs, especially those created for severe or dangerous behaviors, emergency and crisis plans are also written.
Finally, all BIPs include information on how data is collected, how progress is determined, and when adjustments should be made. This helps eliminate any guesswork about whether behavior has changed (e.g., he seems to be doing a lot better lately!) and provides more concrete evidence of behavior changes.
Creating a BIP: What to Expect
For Practitioners
The process of creating a BIP always begins with an FBA. No good behavior plan can be made without knowing why a behavior is happening. The BIP strategies and interventions can only be chosen after a function is determined. Once an FBA is conducted, interventions can be chosen. Interventions should be selected after collaboration with teachers, parents, and other team members.
Some behavior interventions work incredibly well when implemented correctly, but may not be the best choice for a behavior plan due to their complexity. If a teacher has many other children to supervise simultaneously, this should be considered. If one of the caregivers is physically disabled, that should also be considered.
Interventions chosen should be practical and easy for all parties to implement. Other collaborators can also help to determine the best possible reinforcement and teaching strategies based on what has and has not worked for them in the past. BIPs should also have clearly defined and measurable goals. More strictly defined goals and definitions leave less room for assumptions and guessing.
For Parents
While parents don’t necessarily write BIPs on their own, they are indeed involved in the process. This typically includes answering interview questions, sharing observations, collaborating with others on the behavioral team, and voicing any concerns.
Parents should not hesitate to ask any questions they may have and should voice any concerns they may have over intervention strategies. BIPs are also typically written in a way that is easy for those implementing strategies to understand. ABA professionals usually try to avoid using behavioral jargon when writing out things that non-ABA professionals are going to read. If a BIP is written using behavioral terms that are unfamiliar, definitely reach out to the ABA professional for clarification.
For implementing BIP strategies to be successful, consistency is key. That is why collaboration among all parties involved is so important. Any person in charge of implementing a strategy should consistently implement it correctly. If someone is not doing it consistently or correctly, the inconsistency can carry over across environments.
This means that some of the people involved may require additional training and that regular check-ins are ideal. For parents, reinforcing the BIP at home may include using the same prompts, reinforcement systems, and language that were used at school or in therapy. Parents can also ensure that they check in with the school and other therapists to confirm that strategies are up to date and being implemented correctly. Formally integrating the BIP into the IEP also helps ensure the school is accountable and will follow through with the BIP.
Monitoring and Updating the BIP
Once a BIP is created and in place, it is necessary to track progress through consistent and accurate data collection. This might include data on how many times a behavior occurs, how long it lasts, how intensely it occurs, or how many intervals it occurs over a period of time.
These data points help to determine whether the interventions are effective and if the individual is learning and using the replacement behaviors as intended. Regular team meetings or check-ins are great for sharing and reviewing this information, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
If the data shows little or no improvement, or if new problem behaviors arise, it may be a sign that the BIP isn’t working as well as it could. In these cases, adjustments are likely to be necessary. The adjustments should be based on what is being observed.
Additionally, it may be required to conduct another FBA to ensure that the correct function was identified. If the BIP is working as intended and is successful, the team may also consider gradually fading support and interventions. This allows individuals to maintain independence while experiencing fewer instances of problem behavior. A good BIP always evolves with the individual and adapts to them as needed.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
One of the most common issues with BIPs is writing goals that are too vague or not measurable. Clear definitions are a must. Observable definitions are a must. Without those, there is considerable room for interpretation. What one person might consider aggression, another might consider play. The only way to ensure consistent behavior recording is to ensure that everyone involved knows exactly what constitutes aggression and how it might look.
Another common mistake is misidentifying the behavior’s function during the FBA. The entire BIP is written to focus on the behavior’s function, so writing an entire plan based on the wrong function is almost always going to fail.
Even if the BIP is well written and has the correct function, inconsistent implementation is one of the biggest hurdles to behavior change. When the BIP is not applied uniformly or inconsistently across team members, individuals are not learning across all environments. This can significantly slow or even reverse progress made.
Finally, it is just as important to focus on building skills as on stopping behaviors. Behaviors are a way of communicating needs. Just because a behavior goes away doesn’t mean the need for something does. Replacing a behavior leads to long-term success and improved quality of life, while suppressing behavior can cause significant problems.
Mi punto de vista como BCBA
As someone who has worked with children with BIPs, I would say that the biggest issue is inconsistency in implementation, especially with children who have BIPs in school.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to BIPs, especially considering how many people need to be trained on the BIP. All individuals responsible for the child at any given point should be trained on the BIP. That is a lot easier said than done.
Often, after a short period, people start to drift from the written plan and stop implementing it consistently and correctly. When the plan begins to fail due to inconsistency, people quickly lose momentum and feel that it is because the plan itself is flawed.
This is especially true for more complex plans that involve multiple components. This can very easily cause tension between all parties. The ABA providers get frustrated with other members for not implementing the plan, and the other members get frustrated that the plan is not working. Collaboration and open communication are necessary.
ABA providers also have to be open to adjusting their plans to ensure everyone can easily implement them, even if they are confident the current plan would work well. A BIP strategy is only as strong as its least trained participant.
Conclusión
Behavior intervention plans are not punishments. They are proactive and supportive strategies that help individuals learn skills and reduce challenging behaviors. For parents, they offer structure and clarity during stressful times. For practitioners, they are a pathway to significant and positive change. The success of a BIP relies on collaboration, consistency, adaptability, and more collaboration. When done well, a BIP will help individuals to grow, thrive, and learn.
