Positive behavior support (PBS) and functional behavioral assessment (FBA) are two significant concepts of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These two concepts are not new, but they are important for improving the quality of efforts to educate children and youth with disabilities. The purposes of this article are to describe (a) the context in which PBS and FBA are needed and (b) definitions and features of PBS and FBA. An important message is that positive behavioral interventions and supports involve the whole school, and successful implementation emphasizes the identification, adoption, and sustained use of effective policies, systems, data-based decision making, and practices. Systems-level challenges are also discussed.
The purpose of the study was 2-fold: (a) to explore the perceptions of individuals with cognitive disabilities and/ or autism regarding barriers and solutions they have experienced related to problem behavior, and (b) to elicit suggestions on areas viewed as most helpful in increasing quality of life while reducing or eliminating problem behavior. A qualitative method of inquiry using focus groups and individual interviews was used. Several themes emerged from the focus groups, including the difficulties participants experienced with communication; participants' need for personal decision making and privacy; and the importance of recreation, employment, selection of living situations, and relationships with friends and family members. The article indicates the importance of listening carefully to individuals with disabilities as a first step in improving the quality of their lives. DESCRIPTORS: problem behavior, autism, cognitive disabilities, quality of life, participatory action research, focus groups Individuals with problem behavior, cognitive disabilities, and/or autism place tremendous demands on the support capacities of teachers Portions of this manuscript were adapted from Ruef, M. (2001). Wie Personen mit Autismus and geistiger Behinderung das eigene Prohlemverhalten sehen-eine qualitative Untersuchung unter Einbeziehung von Fokusgguppen, Hei lpädagische Forschung, 27,[158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168][169]
Positive behavioral support (PBS) is a broad term that describes a comprehensive, research-based, proactive approach to behavioral support aimed at producing comprehensive change for students with challenging behavior. This article describes what PBS is, the value of exploring why a student exhibits challenging behavior, and certain key PBS strategies teachers can implement in their classrooms. Finally, the article offers relevant resources for those interested in implementing PBS.
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