D761 prepares special education teachers to work with students who show challenging behaviors, with a focus on behavioral and emotional exceptionalities.
WGU's guidebook lists the content: characteristics of behavior disorders, positive behavior interventions and supports, multitiered systems of support, applied behavior analysis, replacement behavior, reinforcement, culturally responsive practice, and data collection.
It also covers behavioral assessment, the functional behavior assessment (FBA), and creating and monitoring a behavior improvement plan (BIP) that could work in an authentic classroom. Candidates find it demanding because it asks for careful reasoning about why a behavior happens, not just a list of consequences.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University |
| Program | Master of Arts in Teaching, Special Education (term 2) |
| Code | D761 (check your degree plan) |
| Size | 3 competency units in the MAT guidebook; the dual licensure bachelor's guidebook lists the same title at 4 |
| Key terms | FBA, BIP, PBIS, MTSS, replacement behavior, reinforcement |
What D761 Covers
| Competency (WGU wording, summarized) | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Applies preventative and responsive evidence-based practices in ongoing collaboration to support social, emotional and educational well-being | Proactive classroom design and thoughtful responses |
| Interprets FBA data to help develop a BIP, for students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds | Reading ABC data, finding the function, planning support |
| Proposes preventative approaches and reinforcement techniques to promote desired behaviors | Choosing antecedent strategies and reinforcers |
Key Concepts Explained
The Function of Behavior
Behavior usually serves a purpose, such as getting attention, avoiding a task, getting an item or activity, or meeting a sensory need. Interventions work best when they address the function.
Example: ABC notes show a student tears worksheets when long writing tasks are given, and the task is removed afterwards. The likely function is escape. The plan teaches a replacement behavior (asking for a break with a card), shortens the task into chunks and reinforces completion of each chunk.
Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
Record what happened before, during and after. Patterns across several observations are stronger evidence than one incident.
Reinforcement and Replacement Behavior
A BIP does not only reduce a behavior. It teaches something that does the same job in an acceptable way, and it makes that new behavior work better for the student.
Example: For attention-seeking calling out, teach hand-raising, give immediate attention on the first raise, then gradually lengthen the wait.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| FBA data interpretation | Finding the function | Summarize patterns, state a hypothesis, cite the evidence |
| BIP development | Planning support | Include prevention, replacement skill, reinforcement and response plan |
| Preventative approaches | Classroom design | Link each strategy to a trigger you identified |
| Culturally responsive reflection | Awareness of context | Consider family values, language and expectations |
Building a BIP in Order
| Step | Question | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What exactly does the behavior look like? | An observable, measurable definition |
| 2 | When and where does it happen? | Triggers and settings from ABC data |
| 3 | What does the student gain or avoid? | A function hypothesis |
| 4 | What will we teach and change? | Prevention, replacement skill, reinforcement |
| 5 | How will we know it works? | Data plan and review date |
A Compact BIP Example
A short plan shows how the parts connect. This one follows the escape-function example above.
| Component | Entry |
|---|---|
| Target behavior | Tears or crumples worksheets during writing tasks, observed 3 to 5 times per period |
| Function | Escape from long writing demands |
| Prevention | Chunk tasks into three parts; offer a choice of response format |
| Replacement skill | Hands up a break card after each chunk |
| Reinforcement | Brief break after each chunk completed; praise for using the card |
| Response to the behavior | Calm reminder of the card; no extended debate |
| Data | Daily tally of incidents and card use; review in two weeks |
Describing Behavior Objectively
The first skill in the course is describing what you can see. Compare the two lines below.
| Subjective | Objective |
|---|---|
| Jamal is defiant | When asked to start work, Jamal says "no" and puts his head down for more than one minute |
| Ana is hyper | Ana leaves her seat without permission an average of four times in a 30-minute lesson |
Objective descriptions can be counted, which is what makes data collection and plan review possible.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Vague definitions. "Disruptive" cannot be counted. Describe what you would see.
- Consequence-only plans. Add prevention and skill teaching.
- Guessing the function. Tie your hypothesis to the data.
- Overlooking culture. Behavior expectations differ across families and communities.
Study Tips for D761
- Practice writing one observable definition for three common behaviors.
- Make a table of four functions with a sample replacement behavior each.
- Keep the BIP to what a real teacher could do daily.
- Check each rubric line against your plan.
How We Help with D761
Send the instructions, rubric and case data. We explain FBA and BIP logic, prepare custom outlines or review your draft. For the legal context of discipline and rights, see D762.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. Our work is a study and reference aid: use it to understand the method, then write and submit your own work under WGU's academic integrity policy.
Every order is written from scratch, plagiarism-checked, includes free revisions within the scope of your original request, and is refunded in full if it is late.
Get Your D761 Behavior Plan Right
Share the case and your draft. We prepare a worked FBA and BIP outline or feedback against the rubric.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A functional behavior assessment gathers data to understand why a behavior happens and what purpose it serves.
A behavior improvement plan that uses FBA findings to set out prevention, replacement skills, reinforcement and monitoring.
The MAT guidebook lists 3 units in term 2; the dual licensure bachelor's guidebook lists the same title at 4 units.
Yes, the course description names positive behavior interventions and supports and multitiered systems of support.
Use the case data provided by your course. Never share real student information with outside helpers.
No. We tutor, prepare custom outlines and give feedback. You submit your own work.