Behavior Tools for Therapists & Teachers

I developed the FAB (Functionally Alert Behavior) Strategies form to provide therapists and teachers with a practical tool for individualizing strategies to improve the behavior of youth from first grade through young adults with complex behavior strategies. I use this form as a check list of strategies to use with youth who have complex behavioral challenges, check the line of then underline individualized strategies that improve their behavior, circle equipment given to the client to assure ongoing monitoring, and circle in pencil promising strategies to try further at my next session. In addition, there is a section on the bottom where I get parent permission for touch strategies and the use of adaptive equipment. While the forms are copyrighted teachers, nurses and therapists have my permission to use them with their clients.

As shown above the FAB Strategies form has four sections: Environmental Adaptation, Sensory Modulation, Positive Behavior Support, and Physical Self-Regulation. It is usually best to include at least one strategy from each section. Two lines are included at the bottom for listing additional strategies not included on the form.
The form can facilitate coordinated implementation of interventions by teachers, therapists and parents by literally enabling all team members to be on the same page. Consistency is challenging yet important among all team members, particularly for students with developmental and behavioral challenges. Strategies in bold are intended to be developed and supervised by occupational, physical and speech/language therapists consistent with their goals and scope of practice FAB STRATFORMBrief
The FAB Strategies form can be used as a checklist, documentation and planning tool. It may be easiest to copy the FAB Form after adding the name, work e-mail, and teacher/therapists most commonly used strategies (on the bottom two activities lines). Most of these strategies will be familiar to teachers and therapists, although they may refer to them by different names. All of the strategies are described and indexed in my FAB Strategies Book FAB Book for Sale on Amazon
 

I have been using these forms in my practice for over twenty years, and distributing them during my workshops for teachers, nurses as well as occupational, speech/language, physical, mental health, massage, and recreation therapists. They provide a checklist of potential strategies for youth with complex behavior challenges, a planning tool for future sessions, document helpful strategies used, can be circled to record equipment given, assure consistency of team members, and quickly allow for the development of home programs. There are also sections on the bottom to assure parent permission (especially useful for adaptive equipment and touch strategies) and offer helpful parental resources. I hope therapists and teachers find these forms useful for helping clients with complex behavioral challenges.