PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Opinion Papers (120) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150)

This paper reviews provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and findings from court cases regarding behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for students with disabilities. The following eight recommendations are provided for school districts as they strive to implement the behavioral intervention provisions of IDEA and meet the needs of students: (1) when school district personnel are concerned about behaviors exhibited by a student or when the student is exhibiting a pattern of behavior, it is important that the district conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services; (2) all behavioral concerns should be documented in writing; (3) Individualized Education Programs should address behavioral concerns of the student; (4) the BIP should be based on the functional assessment of the student; (5) the BIP should be followed by those individuals responsible for implementation, which requires those individuals to have a copy of it; (6) the BIP should b