As part of the TN-TAN network, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s TRIAD provides technical assistance for complex behavior support needs and associated training within Tennessee schools. TRIAD’s focus is to improve student and educator outcomes related to safety, engagement, inclusion, and/or independence.
The majority of requests for technical assistance received are related to individual students presenting with severe and complex behavior, including aggression, self-injury, and elopement. TRIAD provides student-specific staff training, consultation, and ongoing coaching on individualized behavior assessment and intervention implementation, as well as the skill acquisition required to maintain communication, academic, and social growth opportunities for these students. Much of TRIAD’s evidence-based work is individualized to the needs of the students and educators TRIAD serves.
Intensive (student-specific) technical assistance is designed for school teams interested in support from TRIAD to improve an individual students’ safety, engagement, inclusion, and/or independence. This program is intended for school teams working with a specific student who has been receiving a high level of support and has utilized most/all services in their district. Together the student, caregivers, the school team and TRIAD will identify a 12-week goal to be prioritized for technical assistance. Goals might include decreasing behavior related to student safety, the use of restraint/isolation and other disciplinary actions which will allow the student to have increased cooperation with learning goals and autonomy.
Technical Assistance Format
Most assistance, including training, will be conducted remotely using technology tools when possible. Site visits can be conducted when coaching and consultation activity/goals cannot be achieved remotely. School participants should expect to be able to participate in daily data collection, weekly remote team meetings, weekly remote observations, as well as implementing student assessments and interventions. It is required for educators to be able to implement 1:1 intervention with the target student for at least 30 minutes per day.
Student Behavior
Technical assistance is designed for students engaging in behaviors similar to self-injury, physical aggression towards others, elopement, tantrum, disruptive behaviors, or goals related to cooperation with instruction, social or prevocational opportunities.
School Team Composition
The school team needs to be committed to improving outcomes for a student with severe and complex behavior needs. All team members are required to consent for video recording, data collection, and document sharing. Team members will include:
- Special education teacher
- Paraprofessionals
- Building level administrator (required)
- District SPED administrator (required)
- Behavior specialist/BCBA (if applicable)
- General education teacher (if applicable)
- SLP or other related service providers (if applicable)
Intensive (Student-Specific) Technical Assistance Components
In order to meet team goals the school team will progress through phases of technical assistance.
- Screening (Pre-enrollment)
Prior to enrolling, the team will complete a series of applications/sub applications for TRIAD to learn more about student needs and team goals. An enrollment decision will be made collaboratively between the school team and TRIAD.
- Orientation
Once enrolled, the team will complete a series of activities to allow TRIAD to become oriented to the student. This will include:
- Online learning modules/data collection training
- Baseline data collection (3-5 days collected by school team)
- TRIAD review student records (IEP, FBA, BIP, existing data, etc.)
- Remote student observation
- Data analysis training
- Student and Family Interview
- Assessment and Intervention
Once baseline data is collected the TRIAD and the school team will work together to identify additional behavioral assessments to support intervention planning. Assessment could include a preference assessment, concurrent operants analysis (COA), structured ABC data, or a functional analysis. TRIAD and the school team will collaborate to analyze all data to develop an intervention. TRIAD will provide training to team members regarding intervention plan and support implementation through remote observations and ongoing data analysis and intervention monitoring.
- Fading/Generalization
TRIAD will collaborate to fade support and increase school team independence for implementing intervention.
Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan Quick Consult
The digital FBA-BIP Self-Assessment Tool within this consult model allows participants an opportunity to self-score their FBAs and BIPs and assess alignment with Tennessee’s current standards, as well as evidence-based practice. Additionally, this tool provides TRIAD-created examples of each score for each section. After self-assessment has been completed, participants have the option to attend a TRIAD consultant led office hour to discuss their score. Please note that while participants may use the self-assessment tool as often as they like, for as many assessments as they would like, only one FBA and BIP per person can be submitted per office hour.
Additionally, when using the self-assessment tool, please note that your self-assessment score is NOT a compliance score. If you would like to compare scores for compliance, please sign up for an office hour.
TRIAD Behavior Leadership Webinar Series
The TRIAD Behavior Leadership Webinar Series provides a professional development community for school- and district-level staff who serve in administrative, consultative, or leadership roles with respect to student behavior. The goal of the webinar series is to create a space that fosters awareness, growth, and collaboration for leaders who serve or support others in serving students with exceptional behavior needs. Each webinar session will have a topic of focus, featured expert and practitioner panelists, and many opportunities to ask questions and engage in discussion. Topics for the series will include:
- Crisis procedures and documentation (e.g., restraint and isolation)
- Discipline for behavior of students with IEPs (e.g., Manifestation Determination)
- Providing Free Access to Public Education (FAPE) for the most exceptional students (e.g., novel interventions and shortened school days)
- Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Planning (BIP; e.g., conditions to conduct, resource allocation, and capacity building).
This webinar series will meet four times during the 2024-2025 school year. Consider registering to join us for one or more of these sessions!
This 56 minute video provides an opportunity for viewers to
- Interpret and support current state requirements for Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans in schools.
- Examine FBA and BIP practices and products to identify strengths and areas of need.
- Develop goals and action steps to build capacity relative to FBAs and BIPs.
TRIAD Intensive Behavior Community of Practice for Educators
The TRIAD Intensive Behavior Community of Practice for Educators is a monthly virtual professional development community started in Fall 2024. The goal of the CoP is to create a space that fosters growth and collaboration for special education teachers who continue to serve students with complex behavior needs. Our community will connect around the topics of behavioral assessment, intervention, skill-building, intervention fidelity, fading, and more. Participants will earn 1 PDP point for each month of participation and will benefit from the experience and expertise of this dynamic community, consider joining us during the 2024-25 school year!
BCBA Community Group
The purpose of the BCBA Community group is to create an interactive, collaborative space for school-based BCBAs to share resources, provide support to one another while navigating through school cases and to connect BCBAs to one another across the state of Tennessee. The topics covered in this group are dictated by the members’ current interest and needs with an emphasis on most effective practices for working in the school system.
Participant Requirements
- Currently working as a school based BCBA in a Tennessee school
- Currently supervising BCBAs in Tennessee schools
- Working towards your BCBA, and employed as a school-based professional to support students with challenging behavior, including designing and implementing FBAs and BIPs.
Format
Group meets once a month online to discuss specifics related to working as a school-based BCBA in Tennessee. Participants are encouraged to read articles, listen to podcasts, or review other recommended media as it relates to each topic.
Download and print behavior resources below produced by VKC TRIAD. If you need materials in an accessible format, please contact
kc@vumc.org or call (615) 322-8240.
FBA/BIP and Supporting Documents
A functional behavior assessment (FBA) involves evidence-based processes for understanding the factors in a student’s environment that are influencing the occurrence of dangerous and/or interfering behavior. Information from an FBA often directly informs a behavior intervention plan (BIP), which helps all members of the team implement consistent evidence-based practices aimed at reducing dangerous and/or interfering behavior while simultaneously ensuring that students and staff are safe and that student needs are met to the extent possible.
Here we offer some materials to (a) help develop FBAs, (b) use FBAs to inform BIPs, and (c) incorporate additional safety and rapport building practices into BIPs.
This 46 minute video provides an opportunity for viewers to
- Examine the State Board of Education FBA and BIP requirements
- Investigate the components of an FBA compliant with Tennessee regulations
- Distinguish the components of a BIP complaint with Tennessee regulations
This 32 minute video provides an opportunity for viewers to
- Distinguish between baseline data collection options available for a compliant FBA within the state of Tennessee
- Critique a sample FBA using rubric on data collection metric
- Judge sample FBA using rubric regarding systematic observation
This 24 minute video provides an opportunity for viewers to
- Examine SMART goals within a BIP
- Critique a sample BIP using rubric on replacement behavior
- Evaluate a progress monitoring plan to make decisions and adjustments to intervention
Interested in additional FBA/BIP training? Please view this document for directions on how to access our online FBA/BIP training.
Crisis Management
Managing a crisis in a school setting can be stressful. The resources below include supports for approaching crisis situations in a way that honors the dignity of the individuals in crisis as well as others who may be present.
This 14 minute video includes an overview of why intervening early in the cycle of escalation to de-escalate challenging behavior is an ideal approach.
Behavior Supports
Educators and families frequently have questions about the best way to support students with behavioral goals. The videos and tip sheets below highlight some strategies to consider when addressing these goals.
This 25 minute video provides learners an opportunity to
- Apply knowledge of common mental health concerns in IDD
- Analyze how some evidence-based mental health strategies could be used with students in their buildings
- Develop a preliminary plan to use select mental health resources with educators, students, and families
This 22 minute video provides learners an opportunity to
- Examine the intersection of trauma and intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Recommend basic trauma-informed strategies for use with students in schools
- Distinguish TRIAD’s approach to trauma-informed care
This 40 minute video provides views an opportunity to
- Recognize several of the common underlying reasons for challenging behavior in school.
- Follow a process for determining which underlying reasons for challenging behavior are most likely through an analysis process.
This 46 minute video provides viewers an opportunity to evaluate how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) describes free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in regards to students engaging in severe challenging behavior.
Manifestation Determination
Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) can be part of a student’s school experience. Please view our resources below for additional information about MDRs.
This 52 minute video provides information specific to Manifestation Determination Reviews
- Change of Placement
- The MDR Process
- Zero Tolerance Offenses and Interim Alternative Educational Settings
- MDRs for Non-IDEA Students
- Prior Written Notices