Quick Listen (5 minutes or less): Positive Behavior Support - A (Very) Brief and Concise Description

Positive Behavior Support. Maybe you've read all sort of definitions and descriptions, but what it actually is seems still  vague.

In under 5 minutes, you will get a clear and understandable description.

If you then want to learn more, I have a longer version in an earlier episode, and an hour long YouTube video of a training I do for my employer (Matrix Parents) in Marin County California. Here is a link to the YouRTube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WBTCmuTWD4

Thanks to  soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/) 

Transcript

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Special Education Parents Library of Useful Information. I'm David Poeschl, your host. Let's get right to the program. Positive Behavior Support, or PBS, is considered by the U.S. Department of Education to be the gold standard for both behavior interventions and prevention. PBS has been used in schools since the early 1980s and is proven to be the most effective way of not only intervening to interrupt challenging behaviors, but it also provides a way of teaching replacement behaviors that can eliminate the need for the challenging behavior. Here is why that's the case. A child's challenging behaviors do not occur in a vacuum. They reflect a deep-seated and legitimate need. A basic premise of PBS is that behaviors are communication, nothing more or less. I'm going to describe the eight steps that go into the PBS process that leads to what is called a behavior intervention plan, or BIP. A BIP is a roadmap to systematically working with the child. First, we need to describe the behavior so that we know what we're looking for specifically. It's not enough to give it a label. What does it look like is a term that I use? Can I see the behavior when I walk into the classroom? Second, we need to accurately identify the reason for the behavior. PBS posits that there are four or five reasons for almost all behaviors. They are attention, escape, sensory needs, a need for something tangible, and a fifth one that is sometimes used called power and control. Third, this consists of deciding on a replacement behavior that will meet the same need as the challenging behavior. The replacement behavior is a socially acceptable alternative. The fourth step is to teach the student how and when to use the behaviors. But not all teaching is the same. Explicit teaching is critical. A child needs to feel what the new behavior is and feel it at a deep psychological and sometimes even at a physical level. Fifth is reinforcement, possibly the most important step. Reinforcement consists of anything in the environment that can be used to increase the chance of the child using the new behavior. The ways to reinforce are limitless, but they are best when they occur naturally in the environment. The most important thing is that reinforcers are used strictly in a positive manner. 6. We plan how to ignore or minimize the old problem behavior. This is an important piece because we don't want to unintentionally reinforce the old behavior by bringing attention to it. On the reverse side, we want to make sure we provide positive attention to the student when they are exhibiting the behaviors we want to see or getting close to them. This is called approximating success. The seventh step occurs with a major escalation of the old behavior, and it is going to happen. The period of time between the implementation of the behavior plan and the major escalation is called the honeymoon, and then the escalation is called an extinction burst. Eventually it does end, and then the behaviors do start to de-escalate again, but it's important to have a strategy before the major behavior occurs. the behavior plan is of critical importance during these times. As contrary as it sounds, the occurrence of an extinction burst is a positive thing in the BIP process, and is actually an indication that the reason for the behavior that was theorized is in actuality the reason. Eighth, and last, is a provision to take data. We need to know how everything is working out. As a behavior intervention plan is based on initial data collection, we need to analyze timely data to make changes in a systematic way. Another under-recognized but vital part of PBS is that school staff commit to the idea that behaviors are communication and depersonalize them by recognizing them for what they are. The most interfering issue with the implementation of a BIP is often the ignorance and unwillingness of people in the child's school environment to accept and adopt the mindset needed. Children, particularly neurodivergent kids, recognize and respond to genuine and caring adults. The opposite is also true. That's all for this program. Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you'll tune in again for another episode. Take care now.