Operational definition
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An operational definition describes a behavior in observable, measurable terms, so different people would agree on whether it happened.
Topic: Measurement and data collection
In plain terms
"Disruptive" means different things to different adults. An operational definition says exactly what the behavior looks like and sometimes what it does not include: "speaking without raising a hand and being called on, at a volume others can hear, not counting answers during choral response." It may also define when an episode starts and ends.
How it shows up in an IEP
Behavior goals and FBAs need operational definitions so data from different staff and days can be trusted. Writing the definition into the IEP or the behavior plan keeps everyone counting the same thing.
Example
A team replaces "has meltdowns" with: "drops to the floor, cries or screams for more than 10 seconds; the episode ends after 2 minutes of calm." Two staff then agree on 9 of 10 episodes.
Related terms
- Target behaviorA target behavior is the specific behavior chosen to measure and change, defined clearly enough that anyone could count it.
- Measurable annual goalA measurable annual goal is an IEP goal written so that two different people could observe the student and agree on whether it was met.
- Event recording (frequency)Event recording is a way of collecting data by counting each time a behavior or skill happens during a set observation period.
- FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment)An FBA is a process for figuring out why a behavior happens, by studying when it occurs, what triggers it and what it gets or avoids for the student.
- ABC dataABC data is a record of what happened just before a behavior (antecedent), the behavior itself, and what happened right after (consequence).
On IEP Atlas
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