Making IEP Behavioural Goal Action Plans with ChatGPT
Continuing on in my new special interest, how can I get the most out of ChatGPT, I wondered if it could help me with writing action plans to support students’ IEP goals. You see, IEP goals are just one step in the process. Part of being a SpEd teacher is providing the structure to student and staff to achieve those goals. I like to prepare action plans to assist the general education teachers who don’t have dedicated SpEd support in their classrooms so they can accommodate students as best as possible.
Here’s the scenario. Behavioural goals are the hardest on teachers. Students with behavioural goals likely received these goals because the team noticed student behaviours that were disrupting learning. Following some sort of functional analysis, a goal is created to address the behaviour that is interrupting the learning.
Here’s an example. A student with an eligibility of Other Health Impairment (OHI) struggles to begin learning tasks. Remember, in America, schools don’t diagnose, they issue eligibility statements through the IEP process. OHI is a category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that encompasses a range of medical and behavioural conditions. The specific conditions that can qualify a student for an IEP under the OHI category may vary depending on the state and its interpretation of the law. However, here are some examples of medical and behavioural conditions that can potentially lead to eligibility for an IEP under OH:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Students with significant ADHD symptoms that interfere with their ability to learn and access the curriculum may be eligible for an IEP.
Chronic Health Conditions: Various chronic health conditions that have an adverse impact on a student's ability to learn and participate in school may qualify for an IEP. Examples include diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell anemia, and significant allergies.
Tourette Syndrome: Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. Students with severe tics that disrupt their ability to focus, engage in academic tasks, or socialize effectively may be eligible for an IEP.
Anxiety Disorders: Students with severe anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, or panic disorder, that significantly impede their academic performance or social interactions may be eligible for an IEP.
Mood Disorders: Mood disorders like major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder may qualify for an IEP if they have a substantial impact on a student's ability to learn, concentrate, or function in a school setting.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a debilitating condition characterized by extreme fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and other symptoms. If CFS severely limits a student's ability to attend school or participate in educational activities, they may be eligible for an IEP.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Students who have experienced a traumatic brain injury, resulting in cognitive, physical, or behavioural impairments that affect their learning or socialization, may be eligible for an IEP under Other Health Impairment.
In our example here, we suspect ADHD. But, again, all we have are the behaviours and the OHI eligibility.
The student has the following behavioural goal: “[student] will increase their starting of non-preferred assignments and completing 70% of assignments with minimal to no cues towards independence to reduce ‘won't do’ behaviours and increase replacement behaviours of starting assignments and tasks in all courses, in 3/4 trials for 3 consecutive weeks.”
With the goal in hand, I asked ChatGPT 3.5 to help me create an action plan. For those that are paid subscribers, read on. For those have a free subscription, I encourage you to support my work with a paid subscription.
Prompt: “For the following IEP goal, create an action plan for the student to achieve the goal: the student will increase his starting non-preferred assignments and completing 70% of the assignments with minimal to no cues towards independence to reduce 'won't' do behaviors and increase replacement behaviors of starting assignments and tasks in all courses, in 3/4 trials for 3 consecutive weeks.”
ChatGPT 3.5 response
—begin response—
IEP Goal: The student will increase his starting non-preferred assignments and complete 70% of the assignments with minimal to no cues towards independence to reduce 'won't do' behaviors and increase replacement behaviors of starting assignments and tasks in all courses, in 3/4 trials for 3 consecutive weeks.
Action Plan:
1. Baseline Assessment:
- Conduct a baseline assessment to determine the student's current level of starting non-preferred assignments and completion rate.
- Collect data on the frequency of 'won't do' behaviors and replacement behaviors during the baseline period.
2. Setting Clear Expectations:
- Clearly communicate the expectations to the student regarding starting non-preferred assignments and completion.
- Explain the importance of starting assignments promptly and reinforce the benefits of completing tasks.
3. Visual Cues and Reminders:
- Develop visual cues and reminders to prompt the student to start assignments promptly.
- Use visual aids such as timers, checklists, or task cards to provide clear instructions and reminders.
4. Task Breakdown and Time Management:
- Break down complex assignments into smaller, manageable tasks.
- Teach the student effective time management strategies, such as using a planner or setting specific time limits for each task.
5. Reinforcement and Rewards:
- Establish a system of reinforcement and rewards for the student's efforts and progress.
- Provide immediate verbal praise, tokens, or small rewards when the student successfully starts and completes non-preferred assignments.
6. Modeling and Guided Practice:
- Demonstrate and model the desired behaviors of starting assignments promptly and independently.
- Provide guided practice sessions where the student receives support and guidance in initiating tasks.
7. Self-Monitoring and Self-Reflection:
- Teach the student to self-monitor his progress and reflect on his behaviors.
- Use self-assessment tools, such as checklists or rating scales, for the student to evaluate his starting and completion behaviors.
8. Data Collection and Progress Monitoring:
- Continuously collect data on the student's starting and completion behaviors during assigned tasks.
- Monitor the frequency of 'won't do' behaviors and replacement behaviors.
- Analyze and review the data regularly to assess progress towards the goal.
9. Collaboration and Communication:
- Maintain open communication channels with the student, parents, and relevant school staff.
- Collaborate with teachers to ensure consistency in expectations and strategies across all courses.
10. Generalization and Transfer:
- Promote the generalization of the target behaviors to different settings and courses.
- Provide opportunities for the student to apply the learned skills in various contexts.
11. Evaluation and Review:
- After three consecutive weeks, evaluate the student's progress based on the established goal criteria.
- Review the data collected, assess the effectiveness of the action plan, and make adjustments as necessary.
Remember, this action plan should be tailored to the individual student's needs, and it's crucial to involve the IEP team and relevant professionals to create a comprehensive and effective plan.
—end response—
As before, I wondered if ChatGPT 4.0 beta would return a different response. At the time of my writing this, the plug-in service is not working. So the response uses the default 4.0 settings.
ChatGPT 4.0 beta response
—begin response—
Creating an action plan for the student involves breaking down the goal into achievable steps, providing support where needed, and tracking progress to adjust the approach as necessary. Here's a potential action plan to support this student in reaching their IEP goal:
1. **Baseline Data Collection**: Begin by identifying the student's current level of performance. How often does the student initiate non-preferred assignments on their own? How much of the assignment do they usually complete? How often do they exhibit "won't do" behaviors, and in which specific scenarios?
2. **Identification of Non-preferred Assignments**: Identify the assignments or tasks the student consistently avoids or shows the least interest in. Involve the student in this process to ensure their input and buy-in.
3. **Cue Reduction Strategy**: Gradually reduce cues or prompts to enhance independence. Begin with verbal prompts, move to gesture prompts, and finally to independent task initiation. For instance, start with a verbal prompt ("It's time to begin your math assignment"), then a gesture prompt (pointing to the math book), and finally expecting the student to start on their own.
4. **Gradual Increase in Completion Expectation**: Instead of expecting the student to immediately complete 70% of assignments, start with a smaller, manageable percentage and gradually increase it over time. Provide feedback and reinforcement as the student makes progress.
5. **Behavior Replacement Strategy**: Teach and reinforce positive behaviors that serve the same function as the 'won't do' behaviors. For example, if the student tends to avoid tasks due to difficulty, teach them to ask for help instead.
6. **Rewards and Incentives**: Implement a reward system for initiating and completing non-preferred tasks. The reward could be a break, access to a preferred activity, or earning points towards a bigger reward. Ensure the reward is something the student values and is motivated to work towards.
7. **Progress Monitoring**: Regularly collect data on the student's progress towards the goal. This includes the frequency of task initiation, completion rate, and instances of 'won't do' behaviors.
8. **Regular Meetings and Reflection**: Have regular check-ins with the student to discuss their progress and address any concerns. Encourage self-reflection on their part – what strategies are working for them, what challenges are they encountering, and how can they overcome these challenges?
9. **Collaboration with Other Teachers**: Collaborate with other teachers to ensure consistency in expectations and strategies across all courses. This will help the student generalize the skills learned to different contexts.
10. **Modify Plan as Needed**: Depending on the student's progress, make necessary modifications to the plan. This could involve adjusting the completion expectation, changing the reward, or implementing additional support strategies.
Remember, it's essential to foster a supportive and encouraging environment where the student feels comfortable and motivated to work on non-preferred tasks. Be patient and celebrate all small victories to boost the student's confidence and motivation.
—end response—
Notice that 4.0 beta is more verbose than 3.5. I do like the structure of 3.5, and the language of 4.0. With my paid subscription to OpenAI, I can generate both responses and blend them together into a final product. It’s nice to have that option.
For me, an autistic RSP teacher who happens to be a Gestalt Language Processor working in their L2 (English), I love that ChatGPT gives me “sentence starters” for my work. It is helping me build my library of gestalts. It’s like a vocational rehabilitation tool, a professional development session, and a virtual assistant in one.
For new SpEd teachers, it can offer a quick and effective way to get up to speed fast, especially in environments that aren’t as supportive with goal and plan development.
Here’s what I mean in relation to the student we’ve been working with here.
Prompt: “Create an IEP SMART goal for a student with an OHI eligibility for special education services who struggles to get and stay on task.”
ChatGPT 3.5 response
—begin response—
Student Name: [Student's Name]
IEP SMART Goal:
By [Date], when given a task, [Student's Name] will improve their ability to get and stay on task, as measured by teacher observations and data collection tools, from [current level of performance] to [desired level of performance] in [number] out of [number] opportunities across all academic settings.
Objective and Criteria:
1. Objective: Improve task initiation.
Criteria: [Student's Name] will independently initiate a task within [specified time] after it is assigned, without reminders, in [number] out of [number] opportunities across all academic settings.
2. Objective: Improve task persistence.
Criteria: [Student's Name] will work on a task or assignment without significant breaks or distractions for a minimum of [specified time], independently, in [number] out of [number] opportunities across all academic settings.
3. Objective: Improve task completion.
Criteria: [Student's Name] will complete assigned tasks or assignments within [specified time], independently, in [number] out of [number] opportunities across all academic settings.
4. Objective: Improve task organization.
Criteria: [Student's Name] will organize materials and resources needed for a task or assignment independently and in a timely manner, in [number] out of [number] opportunities across all academic settings.
Progress Monitoring:
Progress towards the IEP SMART goal will be monitored through the following methods:
1. Teacher observations: The teacher will observe [Student's Name] during various academic tasks and document their ability to initiate, persist, and complete tasks independently.
2. Data collection tools: The use of checklists, task completion logs, or other appropriate data collection tools will be employed to record [Student's Name]'s task-related behaviors.
Review and Reporting:
The IEP team will meet [frequency] to review [Student's Name]'s progress towards the goal. Progress reports will be shared with the student's parents or guardians [frequency] to ensure collaboration and support at home.
Note: The specific details and measurable criteria should be determined based on the individual student's needs and abilities. The above examples provide a general framework for developing an IEP SMART goal for a student struggling with task initiation and persistence.
—end response—
It’s so fun and easy. AI doesn’t replace us, it augments us. And … thus far … I think that’s pretty cool.