When to Review Your Behavior Intervention Plan Approach

Creating an effective Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is a foundational skill for Board Certified Behavior Analysts^® (BCBA^®s), especially when supporting individuals whose behaviors may interfere with learning, relationships, or well-being. But like the people we serve, our strategies must evolve over time. A BIP is not a static document. It is a living, adaptable framework that reflects an individual’s current context, support needs, and goals.

In the spirit of compassionate care and professional curiosity, reviewing and potentially revising your behavior intervention plan is just as important as designing it.

Begin with Purpose: Why We Use a BIP

Before asking when to revise your plan, it’s important to ground ourselves in why we write them in the first place.

A high-quality BIP:

Serves as a roadmap for reducing behaviors that interfere with learning, safety, or well-being
Outlines proactive supports, teaching procedures, and reinforcement strategies
Centers dignity, autonomy, and quality of life
Aligns all team members with a shared, consistent plan of action

It is not a compliance checklist. It is a compassionate tool. And because behavior is dynamic, a BIP must remain responsive to growth and change.

1. Lack of Progress or Signs of Regression

When data shows little to no improvement, or even a return to previous patterns, pause to ask:

Is the function still accurate?
Have environmental conditions shifted?
Are skills being taught in a way that is accessible and meaningful?

Even when behavior appears stable, we must question whether the individual is truly thriving or simply adapting.

2. Major Changes in Environment or Context

Transitions like moving to a new classroom, changing caregivers, or experiencing trauma can significantly shift behavioral patterns. A BIP designed for one setting may not hold up in another.

Review with these in mind:

What new antecedents or consequences are now influencing behavior?
Have new stakeholders been brought into the process?
Is the plan still culturally relevant and contextually appropriate?

3. New Behaviors Appear

Behavior is communication. The emergence of new behaviors often signals unmet needs or gaps in the current plan. Rather than labeling these behaviors as problems, we must treat them as data.

Revising the plan might involve:

Expanding the original functional behavior assessment (FBA)
Teaching new skills
Rethinking reinforcement delivery

4. Stakeholders Voice Concerns or Challenges

Feedback from families, teachers, or support staff is not a failure. It is an opportunity. When implementation feels unclear, unrealistic, or ineffective to those closest to the individual, we must listen.

Ask:

Is the plan feasible in daily practice?
Are people adequately trained?
Are there discrepancies between environments that need to be addressed?

Collaboration leads to stronger, more sustainable plans.

5. You Experience Ethical Discomfort

Over time, many BCBA^®s begin to question elements of traditional practice. You may find yourself wondering whether a strategy is truly aligned with your values or the long-term well-being of the person you serve.

If so, ask:

Is this plan trauma-informed and autonomy-affirming?
Does it reflect consent, choice, and dignity?
Would I be proud to use this plan with someone I love?

These questions are not deviations from behavior analysis. They are its evolution.

6. Revisit the Plan Even When It’s “Working”

Just because data shows improvement doesn’t mean the plan is finished. Behavior change is not the goal, flourishing is.

In this phase, reflect on:

What has contributed to the individual’s growth?
Are supports ready to fade?
Can we shift from extrinsic reinforcement to more meaningful, intrinsic motivators?

When behavior improves, use it as an opening, not a stopping point.

7. Build In a Review Rhythm

Do not wait for a problem to prompt action. Build proactive reviews into your routine. Every 6 to 12 weeks, check in with:

Quantitative data (frequency, duration, latency, etc.)
Qualitative feedback (client experience, caregiver perspective)
Alignment with long-term goals

BIPs should adapt with the individual, not lag behind them.

8. Include the Client’s Voice

Behavior intervention plans should never be written about people without including them.

Use visuals or AAC to gather input
Ask what works and what feels hard
Consider emotional safety, not just skill acquisition

A plan that aligns with someone’s goals, identity, and comfort will always be more effective.

9. Be Willing to Let Go

Sometimes, a strategy just doesn’t fit anymore. If something consistently causes distress or isn’t producing meaningful outcomes, release it. Not because it failed, but because the person deserves better.

Behavior analysis is not about rigid adherence to plans, it is about responsive support.

10. Honor the Full Picture

In traditional training, we’re often taught to start with a functional assessment and design a behavior plan based on the behavior’s function. That approach has merit, but after more than 20 years in practice and a deep commitment to understanding the human experience, I’ve come to understand that this method is incomplete.

At the Do Better Collective, we use a holistic service delivery model that prioritizes:

Connected relationships
Emotional regulation
Executive functioning
The Big 4 preventive skills (communication, attention, leisure, and navigating adversity)
Environmental supports

We believe these foundations should be in place before behavior-specific plans are developed. When a BIP is needed, it becomes one part of a broader picture, not the whole.

A Community That Grows With You

Behavior intervention planning is not just about compliance. It is about care. The choice to revisit your approach, especially when things feel uncertain, is a marker of professional integrity and compassion.

At the Do Better Collective, we offer more than CEUs. We offer a space where behavior analysts, educators, and caregivers can explore new ideas, challenge outdated practices, and build something better together.

Whether you’re looking for self-paced CEU courses or a supportive membership that keeps you inspired, we’ve got both.

🔹 Browse our individual courses
🔹 Join the Do Better Collective Membership

Together, we learn. Together, we do better.Ready to review your behavior intervention plan approach with more insight, connection, and care? Join the Do Better Collective today.