Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior support (PBS) was originally designed to focus on the needs of individuals who exhibit patterns of problem behavior. A great deal of research has demonstrated the efficacy of PBS in addressing the challenges of behaviors that are dangerous, highly disruptive, and/or impede learning and result in social or educational exclusion (Carr et al., 1999; Koegel, Koegel, and Dunlap, 1996). PBS has been used to support the behavioral adaptation of students (and other individuals) with a wide range of characteristics, including developmental disabilities (Horner and Carr, 1997; Meyer and Evans, 1989; Vaughn, Dunlap, Fox, Clarke, and Bucy, 1997) and emotional and behavioral disorders (Clarke et al., 1995; Lane, Umbreit, and Beebe-Frankenberger, 1999).

PBS with individual students is most effective when there are positive classroom and school-wide systems in place. In addition, the design and implementation of individualized supports are best executed when they are conducted in a comprehensive and collaborative manner. The process should include the individual with behavioral challenges and people who know him/her best all working together to promote positive change. It should be tailored to people's specific needs and circumstances. It should involve a comprehensive approach to understanding and intervening with the behavior, and should utilize multi-element interventions. The goal of PBS with individual students is to diminish problem behavior and, also, to increase the student's adaptive skills and opportunities for an enhanced quality of life.

PBS with individual students involves a process of functional behavioral assessment and a support plan comprised of individualized, assessment-based intervention strategies. The intervention strategies can include a wide range of options, but typically they involve: (1) guidance or instruction for the student to use new skills as a replacement for problem behaviors, (2) some rearrangement of the antecedent environment so that problems can be prevented and desirable behaviors can be encouraged, and (3) procedures for monitoring, evaluating, and reassessing of the plan as necessary. In some cases, the support plan may also include emergency procedures to insure safety and rapid de-escalation of severe episodes (this is required when the target behavior is dangerous to the student or others), or major ecological changes, such as changes in school placements, in cases where more substantive environmental changes are called for.

Process:

Individual systems of positive behavior support are developed through a flexible, but systematic, process of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and comprehensive intervention. The following outline offers a general description of the process.

1. Identify goals of intervention. Based on the available information, the team identifies the specific concerns and goals:

what the student is doing that is problematic (observable behaviors)

to what extent (e.g., frequency) these behaviors are occurring

what broad goals the team hopes to achieve through intervention


2. Gather relevant information. Members of the behavioral support team gather information through a variety of sources:

review of existing records

interviews of support providers

direct observation of patterns


3. Develop summary statements. The team uses the information to create statements that describe relationships between the student's behaviors of concern and aspects of the environments. These statements include:

when, where, and with whom the behavior is most/least likely to occur

what happens following the behavior (what they get or avoid)

other variables that appear to be affecting the person's behavior


4. Generate behavioral support plan. A plan is developed, based on the summary statements, to address the behavioral concerns and fit within the environments in which it will be used. The behavioral support plan (for students who have IEPs this may also serve as the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) includes:

adjustments to the environment that reduce the likelihood of problem

teaching replacement skills and building general competencies

consequences to promote positive behaviors and deter problems

a crisis management plan (if needed)


5. Implement and monitor outcomes. The team works together to insure that the plan is implemented with consistency and is effective in achieving the identified goals. The team identifies the training and resources needed, determines who is responsible for monitoring implementation, evaluates outcomes (via continued data collection), and communicates periodically, making adjustments in the plan, as needed.

See www.pbis.org for more information on Positive Behavior Support.