BIP examples by function

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A good BIP example starts from the function the FBA found. It names prevention steps that remove the trigger, a replacement behavior that gets the student the same result in a safer way, and how adults respond to both behaviors. The 12 examples below are sorted by function: attention, escape, getting an item and sensory.

A behavior intervention plan (BIP) works when every part of it lines up with the function of the behavior. If a student screams to escape a task, a plan built on sticker charts and time-outs will often make things worse, because time-out is another escape. If the plan teaches the student to ask for a break, the scream stops paying off.

Each example below shows the data behind the plan, a weak version and the strong version. All students and numbers are fictional. For how the FBA leads to the plan, see the FBA and BIP guide. For a fill-in form, use the BIP template with examples.

How to match the plan to the function

Find the row that matches the team's hypothesis. The function of behavior entry defines each one.

Function	Prevent	Teach (replacement)	Respond to problem behavior	Avoid
Attention	Give attention often, before behavior	A way to get attention: raise hand, tap, ask	Keep attention brief and neutral	Long talks after the behavior
Escape	Shorten or chunk tasks, offer choices	Ask for a break, help or a shorter task	Keep the demand, in a smaller piece	Sending the student out
Item or activity	Warnings and visual timers before endings	Ask for the item, wait, accept "later"	Item comes after a calm request	Giving the item to stop the behavior
Sensory	Build in the sensory input on a schedule	Ask for a sensory break or tool	Redirect to the tool	Removing all movement

Every replacement below has full goal wording in the replacement behavior goal templates.

Attention-maintained BIP examples

Example 1: Calling out in grade 3

Data: A median of 9 call-outs per 30-minute lesson. In 22 of 26 ABC entries, the teacher responded with "Please raise your hand," and then called on him.

Weak plan: "Remind him to raise his hand. Lose recess after 5 call-outs."

Strong plan: Prevent with a check-in from the teacher every 5 minutes. Teach him to raise a hand and wait, with a card on his desk that shows "hand up, wait." Respond to call-outs with no eye contact and no words; call on him within 30 seconds when his hand is up. Goal: raise a hand and wait to be called on.

Why it is strong: It gives the attention for the right behavior and stops paying the wrong one.

Example 2: Clowning for peers in grade 7

Data: Jokes during instruction a median of 6 times per class. Peers laughed after 15 of 18 recorded jokes.

Weak plan: "Move his seat to the front."

Strong plan: Prevent with planned, earned peer time: a 3-minute partner game at the end of class. Teach him to share a comment at a set "comment time" and to get peer attention in positive ways. Respond by moving on with the lesson; give the class a short task so peers have no audience time. Goal: positive peer attention.

Why it is strong: The function is peer attention, so the plan builds peer attention in, at times that do not cost learning.

Example 3: Following adults in kindergarten

Data: Leaves the group to follow the para a median of 8 times per morning. The para talks with her each time.

Weak plan: "Ignore the behavior."

Strong plan: Prevent with a 10-second check-in from the para every 3 minutes. Teach her to hand a "come see me" card to an adult, then wait. Respond to leaving the group by guiding her back with few words; answer the card within 1 minute. Goal: requesting adult attention.

Why it is strong: Planned ignoring alone removes attention but gives her no other way to get it.

Escape-maintained BIP examples

Example 4: Tearing worksheets in grade 4

Data: 14 episodes in 5 days, 11 during writing. Seventeen of 24 incidents ended with him sent to the hallway.

Weak plan: "Office referral after the second episode."

Strong plan: Prevent by giving writing one sentence at a time, with a check after each. Teach him to ask for a break with a card, then return in 2 minutes. Respond by keeping the task: hand him a fresh copy with one sentence marked. Goal: ask for a break instead of leaving the task.

Why it is strong: The office trip was the payoff. The plan removes it and gives a legal way out that brings him back.

Example 5: Shutting down in grade 9 math

Data: Puts head down for a median of 14 minutes per class. Teacher lets her sit, and she does 0 problems.

Weak plan: "Encourage her to participate."

Strong plan: Prevent with a worked example at the top of each page and a choice of which 4 problems to do first. Teach her to ask for help using a specific phrase ("I'm stuck on step 2"). Respond with a quiet prompt to point to the hard step; reduce the task to one problem, but do not drop it. Goal: requesting help.

Why it is strong: It treats the head-down as escape from work that feels too hard, and makes the work easier to start.

Example 6: Leaving the room in grade 6

Data: Leaves without permission a median of 3 times per day, mostly during group work. Returns after 10 to 25 minutes.

Weak plan: "Call the office every time he leaves."

Strong plan: Prevent with a set role in each group task and a written list of steps. Teach him to use a break pass to a set spot for 5 minutes. Respond to unplanned leaving with a staff check from a distance; on return, he starts where he left off. Goal: requesting a quieter space.

Why it is strong: He still gets a break, but a short, planned one, and the work waits for him.

BIP examples for getting an item or activity

Example 7: Screaming at transitions in grade 2

Data: 14 of 18 screams came when told to stop a preferred activity. Twelve ended with more time.

Weak plan: "Give a 5-minute warning."

Strong plan: Prevent with a visual timer and a first-then card that shows what comes next. Teach her to ask for "one more minute" calmly. Respond to calm requests with the minute, once per transition. Respond to screaming by ending the activity with no extra time. Goal: ending a preferred activity.

Why it is strong: The scream stops working, and a calm request works better.

Example 8: Grabbing the tablet in preschool

Data: Grabs a peer's tablet a median of 5 times per center time. Gets to keep it for a short time in most entries.

Weak plan: "Remove tablet time."

Strong plan: Prevent with a turn list and his name on it. Teach him to ask "my turn?" with a sign or picture, then wait. Respond by returning the tablet to the peer and prompting the request. Goal: requesting an item or activity.

Why it is strong: It teaches a request and waiting, the two skills he is missing.

Example 9: Arguing over "no" in grade 8

Data: Argues for a median of 6 minutes after being told no to the computer. The teacher gives in on about half the days.

Weak plan: "Be consistent."

Strong plan: Prevent by posting when computer time happens. Teach him to accept no and ask when he can have it, or to offer a deal ("Can I have it after I finish 5?"). Respond to calm offers with a yes when possible; respond to arguing with one restatement of the rule and no further debate. Goal: tolerating denial.

Why it is strong: Giving in half the time keeps arguing strong. The plan makes the calm request the only route.

Sensory BIP examples

Example 10: Rocking and humming in grade 1

Data: Rocks and hums in every setting, alone and with others. Nothing in the consequence column changes.

Weak plan: "Make him sit still."

Strong plan: Rocking that does not harm him or block learning does not need a plan at all. The plan targets only the loud humming during tests. Prevent with a wobble seat and headphones during tests. Teach him to use a hum-free tool, such as a chewy or a fidget, during quiet work. Goal: requesting a movement or sensory break.

Why it is strong: It respects behavior that helps him regulate and only addresses what affects others.

Example 11: Chewing shirts in grade 5

Data: Chews shirt collar in 80% of 10-second intervals during reading. Shirts come home wet and torn.

Weak plan: "Tell him to stop."

Strong plan: Prevent with a chew tool clipped to the desk. Teach him to swap to the tool when he notices chewing. Respond with a silent point to the tool. The OT checks whether more sensory input across the day helps.

Why it is strong: It gives the same input in a form that does not damage clothes.

Example 12: Head hitting in grade 3

Data: Hits own head a median of 11 times per day, more during loud periods and on days with poor sleep.

Weak plan: "Put on a helmet."

Strong plan: Prevent with ear defenders in loud rooms and a quiet corner. Teach him to ask for a quieter space using his device. Respond by blocking safely and offering the quiet space. Add a medical check, because pain can drive head hitting. Goal: reduce self-injury, paired with a replacement request.

Why it is strong: Safety comes first, and the plan looks for the cause, not just the behavior.

How to measure progress on a BIP

Measure the problem behavior and the replacement behavior with the same schedule. Count both on the frequency data sheet, and graph them on one chart. A plan works when the replacement rises and the problem behavior falls. If the problem behavior has not dropped after 4 to 6 weeks of consistent use, check whether the plan is being followed, then check the hypothesis.

Write the replacement into the IEP as a goal; the behavior IEP goal examples show how. Then paste the draft into the goal checker.

The IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports when behavior impedes learning.^[1] The What Works Clearinghouse guide on classroom behavior recommends changing the classroom environment and teaching new skills, which is the backbone of every plan above.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

What should a BIP include?

The target behavior and its definition, the hypothesis from the FBA, prevention strategies, the replacement behavior and how it will be taught, how adults respond to both behaviors, a crisis plan if needed, and how progress will be measured and reviewed.

Can one BIP cover two behaviors?

Yes, if both serve the same function. If they serve different functions, write a separate hypothesis and strategy set for each, even if they sit in one document.

How often should a BIP be reviewed?

Look at the data every 2 weeks and hold a formal review at least each grading period. Review sooner if the behavior gets worse, a new behavior appears, or the student's setting changes.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.