Contracted behavior specialists report reduced incidents at Max Larson Elementary

Integrated Functional Supports (IFS) presented to the Coldwater Board of Education on May 18 with data from work at Max Larson Elementary showing reductions in targeted behaviors after functional behavioral assessments (FBAs), implementation of behavior intervention plans (BIPs) and staff training.

"When we implemented the behavior plan and collected treatment integrity we can see that the behavior has decreased," said Lindsay Williams, co-owner of Integrated Functional Supports, describing graphs for multiple students that showed lower frequencies of aggression, property destruction and elopement after intervention.

Presenters described spending roughly 30–35 hours on an FBA and associated plan and training, collecting data in classrooms, hallways, cafeteria and recess in 30-minute intervals. They highlighted cases where a student required crisis intervention and psychiatric support; in that case they reported behavior returned to near zero following treatment and medication.

IFS recommended more teacher professional development early in the school year to set clear expectations, increase social-emotional learning and improve teacher implementation fidelity, and noted that some classrooms showed persistent implementation gaps that limited effectiveness.

Board members thanked the presenters for integrating teacher training with direct student supports and asked clarifying questions about timelines and staffing; presenters said they would continue to collect data and participate in transition meetings for students moving between schools.