Special Educators’ Use of Behavior Support Strategies for Students With Behavior Intervention Plans

Behavior intervention plans (BIPs) represent an important document in communicating a set of strategies to ameliorate behavior problems of students with disabilities. However, little is known about how in-service teachers implement a range of these strategies. Using a large-scale survey, this study examined teachers’ use of 18 behavior support strategies and statistical predictors of their use. Respondents included 655 certified special educators (pre-K through transition) with at least one student with a BIP. Results indicated that teachers use general strategies, like modeling and consistent routines, most frequently and specialized strategies, like visual schedules or token economies, least frequently. Factor analyses showed that teachers package these strategies into three factors: General Behavior Supports, Promoting Independence Supports, and Specialized Behavior Supports. Some statistical predictors were unique to one factor, while others, like behavioral internship experiences and school supports, were consistent across all factors. In addition, teachers who had caseloads with neither an emotional disturbance (ED) nor autism diagnosis implemented behavior support strategies less frequently. Future research, training, and policy implications are discussed.