Developing an Individualized Behavior Management Plan

Students are expected to follow classroom rules and to respect the rights of others. However, not all students will comply with these expectations nor will they accept responsibility for their actions. Such circumstances may make it necessary to determine the cause for their misbehavior and the reinforcers or consequences with the strength to motivate behavior change. Upon determining these factors, it is possible to develop an individualized behavior management plan.Misbehavior occurs for many reasons. Some students simply choose to disregard the rules and the rights of others and to reject responsibility for their actions. Other students are unable to behave properly because they lack the prosocial skills necessary to function appropriately with peers and adults. Whatever the cause of the misbehavior, interventions may be necessary so that they can achieve success, both behaviorally and academically, within their current educational placement.Interventions may be as simple as having a discussion with the student about changing the inappropriate behavior, moving the student’s seat or adapting the curriculum. However, after exhausting the traditional methods for managing behavior, it may be necessary to use a more structured approach to analyze the behavior problem. This is accomplished by an individualized behavior management plan.There are four components in developing an individualized behavior management 1) identifying what behavior is desired of the student, 2) determining what will motivate the student to exhibit the desired behavior, 3) establishing consequences to reinforce appropriate and inappropriate student behaviors and 4) identifying adults to participate in the development and implementation of the plan.This publication provides administrators, teachers and instructional assistants with a systematic process for developing an individualized behavior management plan. The techniques suggested herein are derived from behavioral and cognitive approaches to managing children’s behavior in both the regular and special education classrooms.