Behavior intervention plan (BIP)
A written plan, developed by the supervisor from assessment results, that describes how to prevent, respond to and replace a client's problem behavior.
A behavior intervention plan (also called a behavior support plan or behavior plan, depending on the setting) tells everyone working with the client exactly what to do about problem behavior. It is based on a functional behavior assessment, so the strategies match the function of the behavior. The supervisor writes it; the RBT implements it.
A typical plan includes operational definitions of target behaviors; the hypothesized function; antecedent strategies to prevent problem behavior; replacement behaviors and how to teach and reinforce them; how to respond when problem behavior occurs (for example, extinction or a specific consequence); crisis or emergency procedures if needed; data collection methods; and criteria for reviewing progress. Plans that include restrictive or punishment-based procedures usually also document required consent and review.
Under the RBT Ethics Code (2.0), RBTs follow the direction of their supervisor, accurately implement services, and implement restrictive or punishment-based procedures only when included in a documented behavior-change plan and after the supervisor has verified their competence. The RBT should read the current plan before working with a client, ask the supervisor about anything unclear, and not change, skip or add procedures on their own.
Accurate implementation (procedural fidelity) and accurate data let the supervisor judge whether the plan works. If the RBT or caregivers have concerns, or the plan does not seem to fit the situation, the RBT reports this to the supervisor.
Example and non-example
| Example | Before starting with a new client, the RBT reads the plan, which defines the client's biting, lists noncontingent attention every 5 minutes and FCT for a "help" card, and states how to block and record biting. The RBT asks the supervisor to model the blocking procedure. |
|---|---|
| Non-example | An RBT notices a client is often aggressive before lunch and starts giving snacks at 11:00 on their own. Changing procedures without the supervisor is not following the BIP, even if the idea seems reasonable; the RBT should share the observation with the supervisor. |
Don't confuse it with
| Functional behavior assessment | A functional behavior assessment identifies the function of problem behavior, while the BIP is the intervention plan built from those results. |
|---|---|
| Crisis intervention | Crisis intervention covers emergency safety steps, which may be one section of a BIP. |
Test yourself
-
Question 1Why does identifying the function of problem behavior matter when the supervisor builds a behavior plan?
Show answer
B: The plan can teach a replacement behavior that meets the same need. Knowing the function lets the supervisor design a plan that teaches an appropriate way to get the same reinforcer and stops the problem behavior from being reinforced.
- A: Function-based plans focus on reinforcement-based strategies, not on finding the strongest punisher.
- C: Function is about what maintains behavior, not about diagnosis.
- D: The supervisor designs the intervention; the RBT implements it.
Task B.3 · 40-hour curriculum section D · Task D.3
-
Question 2Why are strategies in a behavior plan based on the function of the problem behavior?
Show answer
A: Strategies matched to the reinforcer are more likely to work. When the plan addresses the consequence that maintains the behavior, it can withhold that reinforcer for problem behavior and provide it for appropriate behavior, which makes success more likely.
- B: Function describes a behavior-environment relation; it does not determine a diagnosis.
- C: Function-based plans favor reinforcement-based strategies; they are not a route to punishment.
- D: How often a behavior occurs is measured with frequency or rate, not by identifying function.
Task D.1 · 40-hour curriculum section A
-
Question 3What should guide an RBT's actions during a crisis with a client?
Show answer
B: The client's crisis plan and the organization's emergency procedures. Crisis and emergency procedures are planned ahead by the supervisor and the organization. The RBT follows them as trained, not on-the-spot ideas.
- A: Speed alone is not a guide; unplanned actions can harm the client.
- C: Procedures from other clients' plans may not be safe or approved for this client.
- D: The RBT follows the written plan and policy and reports any conflict to the supervisor.
Task D.7 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task D.7 Crisis and emergency procedures in content area D, Behavior Reduction, which is 14 of the 75 scored questions.