When results of descriptive functional behavior assessments are unclear, hypothesis testing can help school teams understand how the classroom environment affects a student's challenging behavior.

Operationally define challenging behaviors. Challenging behaviors should be defined in terms that are specific, observable, and measureable (i.e., one can see and count the behaviors).

Perry A. Zirkel, State Special Education Laws for Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans, Behavioral Disorders, Vol. 36, No. 4 (August 2011), pp. 262-278 ...