Why march is the best time to request an FBA or BIP update

By: Dr. Gabrielle Baker, President & Advocate

March is one of the most strategic times of the school year to request a Functional Behavioral Assessment or update a Behavior Intervention Plan. Many families wait until behaviors escalate or until the end of the year, but by then valuable instructional time has already been lost.

If your child’s behavior supports are not working, March is the moment to act.

Here is why.

The Data Is There

By March, schools have collected months of behavior data. There should be discipline records, office referrals, progress monitoring, intervention logs, and classroom documentation available. This is no longer a situation where a team can say, “Let’s wait and see.”

Under IDEA, when a child’s behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports. If the current plan is not effective, the team has a duty to review and revise it.

March gives you enough data to show patterns, not just isolated incidents.

You Still Have Time to Fix This School Year

If you wait until May, meaningful change is unlikely. Even if the team agrees to adjustments, implementation may be inconsistent due to testing schedules, field trips, or end-of-year transitions.

In March, there is still time to:

• Conduct or update an FBA
• Revise the BIP based on current data
• Train staff on implementation
• Monitor whether the changes are working

That means your child can benefit before the year ends.

Behavior Often Escalates in the Spring

March can be a challenging month for students. Routines shift. Testing pressure increases. Fatigue sets in. For students with ADHD, autism, emotional disabilities, or executive functioning challenges, this period can trigger increased dysregulation.

If you are seeing more:

• Refusals
• Elopement
• Aggression
• Shutdowns
• Frequent calls to pick up

That is not a reason to remove supports. It is a signal to strengthen them.

Spring Escalation Does Not Mean the Plan Is Working

Sometimes schools say, “This is just typical spring behavior.” But if your child already has a BIP and behaviors are intensifying, that suggests the interventions are not sufficient, not consistently implemented, or not based on accurate function data.

An FBA should identify why the behavior is happening. Is it task avoidance? Sensory overload? Communication breakdown? Anxiety? Attention? If the function is misunderstood, the interventions will fail.

March is the right time to reassess the function before patterns solidify.

It Protects Against Discipline Consequences

Waiting can carry real risk. If behavior escalates and results in suspension or removal, you may find yourself in manifestation determination territory without updated data to support your position.

A current FBA and properly implemented BIP provide documentation that:

• The behavior is disability related
• The school has a duty to provide appropriate supports
• The team was on notice that interventions needed revision

Being proactive in March strengthens your legal and educational position.

How to Make the Request

Keep it simple and written.

You can say:

“We are requesting a Functional Behavioral Assessment and IEP meeting to review and update the Behavior Intervention Plan. We are concerned that the current interventions are not effectively addressing the behaviors we are seeing. We believe updated data and revised supports are necessary to ensure FAPE.”

The school must respond to your request. If they refuse, they are required to provide Prior Written Notice explaining why.

What to Look for in an Updated FBA

A strong FBA should include:

• Clear operational definitions of behaviors
• Direct observation data
• ABC data collection
• Identification of the function
• Data analysis, not just summary statements

A BIP should include:

• Preventative strategies
• Replacement skills to be taught
• Staff responsibilities
• Data collection method
• A clear review timeline

If those elements are missing, it may not be sufficient.

Do Not Wait for a Crisis

March is early enough to prevent crisis and late enough to have meaningful data. It is the window where action can still change the trajectory of the school year.

If your child’s behavior plan feels outdated, ineffective, or inconsistently followed, this is the time to act.

The goal is not punishment. The goal is support, skill building, and access to education.

And March is your opportunity to make sure that happens.