Building Systems for Successful Implementation of Function-Based Support in Schools

Abstract

Supporting the full range of students with behavioral challenges requires that schools build the capacity to implement evidence-based behavioral interventions. Fortunately, a substantive body of research documents behavioral interventions are available to both decrease problem behavior and enhance prosocial skills. To date, however, this intervention technology has not been implemented widely. This article maintains that one reason for limited implementation is schools are missing the systems needed to support high-quality behavioral interventions. This article both summarizes key features of function-based behavioral interventions used to support students with more intense behavior support needs and identifies the systems needed for these interventions to be implemented with efficiency and sustainability. This article provides a case example to demonstrate the systems needed for implementation. Implications are offered for improving the large-scale adoption of function-based behavioral supports in education.