A behavior intervention plan, or BIP, is the written "what we will do" that follows a functional behavior assessment. If your child has behavior that is unsafe or gets in the way of learning, you may end up with one BIP from your ABA provider and another from your child's school. This page explains the parts of a good BIP, who writes each kind in Florida, and how to keep the two plans pulling in the same direction.
What is a behavior intervention plan?
A BIP is a plan for a specific behavior, based on the reason that behavior is happening. It tells every adult around your child how to make the behavior less likely, what skill to teach instead, and how to respond when the behavior does happen. A plan that is not built on a functional behavior assessment (FBA) is guessing. Federal special education rules link the two directly: after certain discipline decisions, the IEP team must "conduct a functional behavioral assessment" and "implement a behavioral intervention plan" (34 CFR 300.530(f)).
The BACB's ethics code describes what a sound plan looks like from the clinician's side: interventions should be based on assessment results and scientific evidence, should "prioritize positive reinforcement procedures," and should fit the needs, context and resources of the family. Restrictive or punishment-based procedures may be used only after less intrusive ones have not worked, or when the team decides the risk of harm from the behavior outweighs the risk of the procedure.
What are the parts of a BIP?
| Part | What it says | Example for a child who hits to escape handwriting |
|---|---|---|
| Target behavior | A clear, measurable definition | "Hits with an open hand on an adult's arm during writing tasks" |
| Function (hypothesis) | Why the FBA says it happens | Hitting usually ends or delays the writing task |
| Prevention (antecedent) strategies | Changes before the behavior | Shorter writing blocks, a choice of pencil or keyboard, a visual timer, a first-then card |
| Replacement skill | What to teach instead that meets the same need | Handing over a "break" card or saying "break please" |
| Response strategies | How adults react when the behavior happens | Calmly block, do not end the task because of hitting, prompt the break card, honor the break when asked |
| Reinforcement | What strengthens the new skill | Breaks honored right away at first; praise and a preferred activity after finishing a short block |
| Safety or crisis plan | What to do if anyone is at risk | Move other students, remove hazards, call for support |
| Data and review | How progress is measured and when the plan is reviewed | Count hits and break requests per writing block; review every two weeks |
This example is for illustration only. A real plan is built from your child's own FBA.
Who writes a BIP in clinic ABA, and who writes it at school?
Clinic, home or community ABA
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) writes the behavior plan as part of the ABA treatment plan your insurer reviews. Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) carry it out in sessions under the BCBA's supervision, and you learn it in parent training so it works at home too. At Hope Center, BCBAs write every plan, the clinical director reviews each plan before it goes to insurance, and parents are trained weekly.
Florida public school
The school's BIP is written by the district team, often a school psychologist, behavior specialist or ESE teacher, and becomes part of or linked to the IEP. Florida's discipline rule for students with disabilities (Rule 6A-6.03312) requires a manifestation determination within 10 school days of a decision to change a student's placement. If the behavior is a manifestation of the disability, the team conducts an FBA and implements a BIP, or reviews the existing one, and returns the student to the prior placement unless you and the district agree otherwise.
Florida's restraint law also matters here. Under Fla. Stat. 1003.573, which covers K-12 students with an IEP, school staff may not use seclusion, may not use mechanical restraint (with narrow exceptions for school safety staff in grades 6 to 12), and may use physical restraint only when positive supports have been exhausted and there is an imminent risk of serious injury. After a student is restrained a second time in a semester, the school must develop a crisis intervention plan with the parent. If your child has been restrained at school, ask for that plan and for the BIP to be reviewed.
How do I keep the clinic and school plans from conflicting?
Conflicting plans confuse children. If the clinic teaches "ask for a break" and the classroom ignores break requests, the old behavior often comes back. Florida law speaks to this directly. Fla. Stat. 1003.572(2) says that "coordination of services and plans between a public school and private instructional personnel is encouraged to avoid duplication or conflicting services or plans." Subsection (3) says the private BCBA or RBT you hire must be permitted to observe your child at school, collaborate with school staff and provide services there, as long as the teacher and principal agree to the time and place and the provider meets the background screening rules. The district may not add other requirements or charge fees for this.
Practical steps:
- Share both plans. Give the school a copy of the clinic behavior plan (with your consent), and give your BCBA the school BIP and IEP.
- Agree on the same replacement skill. Same words, same card, same signal in both places.
- Agree on how adults respond. The biggest conflicts are usually about what happens right after the behavior.
- Invite your BCBA to the IEP meeting. Many Florida families ask the provider to attend; Hope Center staff can join IEP meetings where allowed.
- Ask for a school observation under 1003.572, and put the request in writing to the teacher and principal.
- Compare data. If the behavior drops at home but rises at school, that is a signal to meet.
Our guide on how teachers and therapists collaborate has more ideas, and our school-based ABA page explains how we work in schools.
How do I know if a BIP is working?
- The plan has numbers: how often the behavior happened before, and how often now.
- The replacement skill is going up, not just the problem behavior going down.
- Your child seems calmer and more willing to take part, not more anxious.
- Adults can actually follow it. A plan too complicated to use on a busy day will not be used.
- There is a review date. Plans should change as data comes in; the BACB code requires corrective action when outcomes are not being realized.
If a plan relies mainly on taking things away or on physical management, ask what prevention and teaching strategies have been tried and what the data shows.
Getting help with a behavior plan
If your child has behavior that is unsafe or keeps them out of class, an ABA assessment can lead to a plan that works at home and lines up with school. Hope Center's approach is assent-based and uses the least intrusive strategies, with no restraint. Contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation and benefits check.