Functional Assessment: A Systematic Process for Assessment and Intervention in General and Special Education Classrooms

education agencies (LEAS) are required to con-duct a functional assessment and develop a Behavioral Intervention Plan for students with disabilities when their behavior is an issue. This article describes a 10-step process that educa-tors can use when conducting functional assess-ment in the schools. Also included is a case study designed to assist the readers in completing the aforementioned forms. According to the IDEA Amendments of 1997, the recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, local education agencies (LEAS) are required to con-duct a functional assessment for any student with a disability (a) who is suspended, (b) before mani-festation is determined, or (c) when a change in edu-cational placement or service is being considered. Furthermore, the new IDEA regulations stipulate that a Behavioral Intervention Plan be implemented. This plan should include interventions and strategies that address the student's behavior. This article describes a 10-step process for conducting functional assessment in the schools. Increasingly, teachers in our public schools are respon-sible for teaching students with varying disabilities (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1994). Students with special needs bring problems and behaviors to classrooms that the majority of general education teachers are not equipped to address (Bradley & West, 1994; McAuley & Johnson, 1993). Behaviors typically exhibited by these students that teachers find particularly challenging include th