Following a manifestation determination review, the ARD committee determines that a seventh-grade student's behavior issues are the result of the student's emotional disturbance. A functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and behavioral intervention plan (BIP) were already conducted this school year and were included in the student's IEP. Which action should the ARD committee take next to best address the student's behavior?

• A. ignore the FBA and proceed with discipline under IDEA
• B. reviewing the BIP and modifying it as necessary to address the student's behavior
• C. retain the current BIP without changes
• D. remove behavioral goals from the IEP

Answer: (B)

When the ARD committee determines that the student’s behavior is tied to a diagnosed emotional disturbance, the next step is to address that behavior directly through the IEP’s behavioral plan. The functional behavioral assessment has pinpointed the function of the behavior and the BIP lays out the specific strategies, supports, and conditions designed to change that behavior and support the student’s learning. If data show that current supports aren’t yielding the desired improvements, the appropriate action is to review the BIP and modify it as needed to be more effective. This keeps the intervention aligned with the identified needs and provides measurable steps and criteria to track progress.

Disciplining the student without adjusting supports isn’t appropriate when the behavior is a manifestation of a disability, because the plan should ensure the student has appropriate behavioral interventions. Retaining the current BIP without changes ignores the available information, and removing behavioral goals would diminish the focus on achieving reliable behavioral improvement.