This comparison draws in part from “Quality FBAs in Schools: Practical Steps for Understanding and Supporting Student Behaviors” by Kristina Friedrich, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA, CTP (BehaviorLive), and extends it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. The decision framework, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →Schools have historically relied on two fundamentally different approaches to student behavior. Punishment-based discipline uses aversive consequences such as office referrals, detentions, suspensions, and expulsions to suppress challenging behavior through deterrence. Function-based behavior intervention uses functional behavior assessment to identify why the behavior occurs and designs interventions that teach the student alternative skills while modifying the environmental conditions that trigger and maintain the behavior. These approaches differ not only in their methods but in their underlying assumptions about why students misbehave and what schools should do in response. The evidence base overwhelmingly supports function-based approaches for producing lasting behavior change, maintaining student engagement in education, and promoting equitable disciplinary practices.
| Factor | Evidence-Based Approach | Traditional Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying Assumption | Students misbehave because the consequences for misbehavior are not sufficiently aversive; increasing consequences will deter future misbehavior | Students misbehave because environmental conditions evoke behavior that serves a function; understanding and addressing that function produces lasting change |
| Assessment Basis | Minimal assessment; discipline is applied based on the form of the behavior regardless of its function or the conditions that produced it | Comprehensive functional behavior assessment identifies the specific environmental variables maintaining the behavior for each individual student |
| Intervention Focus | Applying consequences intended to suppress the behavior; the student is expected to stop misbehaving without being taught what to do instead | Teaching replacement behaviors that serve the same function, modifying antecedent conditions, and restructuring consequences to reinforce adaptive behavior |
| Equity Impact | Disproportionately impacts students with disabilities, students of color, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline | Individualized approach reduces disparities by addressing each student's unique needs and circumstances rather than applying uniform consequences |
| Long-Term Outcomes | Removes the student from the learning environment, increasing academic gaps and reducing opportunities for the student to learn appropriate behavior in context | Keeps the student in the learning environment whenever possible, teaching skills that serve them across settings and throughout their development |
| Evidence Base | Decades of research show that exclusionary discipline is ineffective at reducing behavior problems and is associated with negative academic and social outcomes | Function-based interventions are supported by extensive research demonstrating effectiveness across student populations, behavior types, and school settings |
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Use this framework when approaching quality fbas in schools: practical steps for understanding and supporting student behaviors in your practice:
Does the data support a need for intervention? Is there a meaningful impact on the individual's quality of life, safety, or access to reinforcement?
YES → Proceed to assessment NO → Document reasoning, monitor
A functional assessment should guide intervention selection. Avoid defaulting to standard protocols without individual analysis. Consider environmental variables, setting events, and private events.
YES → Select evidence-based approach matched to function NO → Complete assessment first
Goals should be co-developed. Assent and informed consent are ethical requirements. The individual's preferences and values matter in selecting both goals and methods.
YES → Proceed with collaborative plan NO → Engage in shared decision-making
This course covers the clinical and ethical dimensions in detail with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
Quality FBAs in Schools: Practical Steps for Understanding and Supporting Student Behaviors — Kristina Friedrich · 1 BACB Ethics CEUs · $10
Take This Course →We extended this decision guide with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind each approach, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
1 BACB Ethics CEUs · $10 · BehaviorLive
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.