Definition

Positive behavior support (PBS) involves the assessment and reengineering of environments so people with problem behaviors experience reductions in their problem behaviors and increase social, personal, and professional quality in their lives.  PBS is the application of behavior analysis and systems change perspectives within the context of person-centered values to the intensely social problems created by behaviors such as self-injury, aggression, property destruction, pica, defiance, and disruption. It is an approach that blends values about the rights of people with disabilities with a practical science about how learning and behavior change occur.  The overriding goal of PBS is to enhance quality of life for individuals and their support providers in home, school, and community settings.  The excitement about positive behavioral support lies in the promise it holds for addressing the very real and difficult challenges posed by problem behaviors (Horner, 1999).

Positive behavior support is a collaborative, assessment-based process to develop effective, individualized interventions for individuals with challenging behavior. Support plans focus on proactive and educative approaches.

Background

Positive behavior support (PBS) emerged out of a dissatisfaction regarding traditional methods for addressing serious behavior problems which were often too narrowly defined, focused exclusively on consequences, inappropriate within integrated settings, unacceptably intrusive, and/or ineffective in helping people to realize meaningful changes in behavior and lifestyles. Instead, PBS incorporates recent trends in research and practice that emphasize designing positive and effective interventions that are based on a comprehensive assessment of the variables affecting a person’s behavior (Horner et al., 1990; Ruef, Poston, & Humphrey, 1999). This trend is supported by recent mandates, including the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which call for the use of functional behavioral assessment and positive supports and strategies (Tilly et al., 1998).

For more information, see the RRTC-PBS Materials List, Research Briefs, or JPBI Abstracts

Key Features

Positive behavior support (PBS) has three primary features: 1) functional (behavioral) assessment, 2) comprehensive intervention, and 3) lifestyle enhancement (Horner & Carr, 1997; Koegel, Koegel, & Dunlap, 1996).

Functional Assessment. The cornerstone of PBS is the design and use of functional (behavioral) assessment to understand what maintains an individual's challenging behavior. Individuals engage in a behavior because it is functional; it helps them acquire some form of reinforcement (e.g., they get something desirable or pleasant, or they avoid something undesirable or unpleasant). They also engage in behavior because circumstances in both the internal and/or external environment (i.e., antecedents, setting events) trigger or ‘set the stage’ for behavior to occur. Functional assessment is a process for identifying the events that trigger and maintain problem behavior. (Demchak & Bossert, 1996: Foster-Johnson & Dunlap, 1993; Repp & Horner, 1999). This process involves information gathering through record reviews, interviews, and observations and the development of summary statements that describe the patterns identified. According to O'Neill and colleagues (1997), primary outcomes of the functional assessment process include:

• A clear description of the problem behaviors
• Events, times, and situations that predict when behaviors will and will not occur (i.e., setting events)
• Consequences that maintain the problem behaviors (i.e., functions)
• Summary statements or hypotheses
• Direct observation data to support the hypotheses

Comprehensive Intervention. The insights gleaned from conducting a functional assessment process help support teams to develop and implement behavioral intervention plans that are positive, proactive, educative, and functional. PBS plans include multiple, interwoven strategies and generally prescribe 1) proactive strategies for changing the environment so triggering events are removed, 2) teaching new skills that replace problem behaviors, 3) eliminating or minimizing natural rewards for problem behavior, and 4) maximizing clear rewards for appropriate behavior. A hallmark of PBS planning is emphasis on improving overall lifestyle quality (relationships, activities, health) as an integrated part of behavior support. (Carr et al., 1999; Horner & Carr, 1997).

Lifestyle Enhancement. PBS focuses not only on reducing behavior problems, but on enhancing a person’s overall quality of life (Meyer & Evans, 1993). Outcomes include lifestyle improvements such as participation in community life, gaining and maintaining satisfying relationships, expressing personal preferences and making choices, and developing personal competencies. Such improvements in quality of life are facilitated by establishing a positive long-range vision with the individual and his/her family (e.g., through person-centered planning) and mobilizing natural supports through effective teamwork (Kincaid, 1996).

PBS Process

Positive behavior support is a dynamic, problem-solving process involving goal identification, information gathering, hypothesis development, support plan design, implementation and monitoring. A support team, often facilitated by individuals skilled in this approach works through this process to develop an individualized plan (Hieneman et al, 1999).

Identify Goals of Intervention: Based on the available information, the team identifies the specific concerns:
*     what the person is saying or doing that is problematic (observable behaviors)
*     to what extent these behaviors are occurring
*     what goals the team hopes to achieve through intervention

Steven's aggressive behavior is interfering with his ability to participate in home, school, and family routines and he is unable to sustain lasting friendships. His aggression involves slapping and kicking other people and destroying materials. Family and teacher observations indicate that these behaviors occur 10-15 times per day. Steven is also failing academically. The team determines that their goals are to:

*     improve participation in school activities
*     build his friendships with same-age peers
*     decrease Steven's aggressive behavior
*     reduce his disruptions of typical routines

Gather Relevant Information: Members of the behavior support team gather information through a variety of sources:
*     review of existing records
*      interviews of support providers
*      direct observations

Members of Steven's team divide responsibility for information gathering. The school counselor and parents review his records. The behavior specialist and assistant principal conduct interviews with Steven, his family, his teachers, and a bus aide. The teacher and parents record incidents of aggressive behavior and circumstances that may be affecting Steven's behavior. The team reviews the information gathered to discern patterns.

Develop Summary Statements: The team uses information gathered to create statements that describe relationships between the individual’s behavior of concern and the environment. The statements include:

• when, where, and with whom the behavior is least/most likely to occur
• what happens following the behavior
• other variables that appear to affect the person’s behavior

The team develops the following summary statements:

During difficult tasks that involve working independently for longer than 10 minutes, Steven slaps other people or destroys the materials; this results in adults asking him what is wrong and offering to help.

If Steven's aggressive behavior continues following redirection (and people begin to complain), an adult may send him to time-out, which results in his avoiding or delaying the activity.

Steven's behaviors of concern never occur when listening to music or working with peers or siblings.

Generate Behavior Support Plan: A plan is developed, based on the summary statements, to fit within the typical daily settings and routines in which it will be used. The behavior support plan includes:

• modifications in the environment that reduce the likelihood of problems
• teaching replacement skills and building competencies
• natural and minimally intrusive consequences to promote positive, and deter problem, behavior
• a crisis plan (if needed)

The team generates a behavior support plan to include:

* Increased use of cooperative learning strategies in the classroom and support from his siblings at home.
* Modifying activities when possible to make them easier to understand and complete independently.
* Incorporating music into unpleasant tasks or situations.
* Teaching Steven to ask for "help" or a "break."
* Providing assistance or attention whenever Steven requests it, even if just to say "I'll be there in a minute."
* Minimizing the use of time-out; instead, allowing Steven to earn time off for work completed.
* Encouraging Steven to join band and other activities, and facilitating the development of friendships (e.g., by identifying peer buddies, teaching interaction skills)

Implement and Monitor Outcomes: The team works together to insure that the plan is implemented with consistency and that it is effective in achieving their goals. The team identifies 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.

Members of Steven's team determine responsibilities for implementing and monitoring the plan. The counselor assists the teacher in modifying some classroom activities, and behavior specialist works with the family to do the same. All team members implement the plan and Steven’s mother and teacher monitor his aggressive behavior. Team members communicate by phone at least weekly, making changes to the plan as needed. Six weeks later, the team reconvenes to evaluate the outcomes and to celebrate the positive changes.

References

Carr, E.G., Horner, R.H., Turnbull, A.P., McLaughlin, D.M., McAtee, M.L., Smith, C.E., Ryan, K.A., Ruef, M.D., Doolabh, A. (1999). Positive behavior support for people with developmental disabilities: A research synthesis. Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.

Carr, E.G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J.I., Kemp, D.C., & Smith, C.E. (1994). Communication-based intervention for problem behavior: A user’s guide for producing positive change. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Demchak, M. & Bossert, K.W. (1996). Assessing problem behaviors. Innovations (no. 4). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.

Foster-Johnson, L. & Dunlap, G. (1993). Using functional assessment to develop effective, individualized interventions for challenging behaviors. Teaching Exceptional Children, 25, 44-50.

Hieneman, M., Nolan, M., Presley, J., De Turo, L., Gayler, W., & Dunlap, G. (1999). Facilitator’s Guide on Positive Behavioral Support. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Positive Behavioral Support Project.

Horner, R.H. (1999). Positive behavior supports. In M. Wehmeyer & J. Patton, (Eds.), Mental Retardation in the 21^st Century (pp. 181-196). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Horner, R.H., & Carr, E.G. (1997). Behavioral support for students with severe disabilities: Functional assessment and comprehensive intervention. Journal of Special Education, 31, 84-104.

Horner, R.H., Dunlap, G., Koegel, R.L., Carr, E.G., Sailor, W., Anderson, J.A., Albin, R.W., & O’Neill, R.E. (1990). Toward a technology of "nonaversive" behavioral support. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 15, 125-132.

Kincaid, D. (1996). Person-centered planning. In L.K. Koegel, R.L. Koegel, & G. Dunlap (Eds.), Positive behavioral support: Including people with difficult behavior in the community (pp. 439-465). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Koegel, L.K., Koegel, R.L. & Dunlap, G. (Eds.) (1996), Positive behavioral support: Including people with difficult behavior in the community. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Meyer, L.H. & Evans, I.M. (1993). Meaningful outcomes in behavioral intervention: Evaluating positive approaches to the remediation of challenging behaviors. In J. Reichle & D. Wacker (Eds.), Communicative alternatives to challenging behavior: Integrating functional assessment and intervention strategies (pp. 407-428). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

O’Neill, R.E., Horner, R.H., Albin, R.W., Sprague, J.R., Storey, K., & Newton, J.S. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical handbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Repp, A.C. & Horner, R.H. (Eds.) (1999). Functional analysis of problem behavior: From effective assessment to effective support. Pacific Grove: CA: Brooks/Cole.

Ruef, M., Posten, D., & Humphrey, K. (1999). PBS: Putting the "positive" into behavioral support: An introductory training packet. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, Beach Center on Families and Disability.

Tilly, W.D., Knoster, T.K., Kovaleski, J., Bambara, L., Dunlap, G., & Kincaid, D. (1998). Functional behavioral assessment: Policy development in light of emerging research and practice. National Association for State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE).

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