Disability Support Services: Positive Behavior Support Approach

Hearth Australia offers PBS (Positive Behavior Support), a set of research-based strategies with several advantages: increase the quality of life and decrease problem behavior. These are achieved by making a change and teaching new skills in a person’s environment. PBS uses tools from the following:

• Applied behavior analysis
• Values of normalization
• Social role valorization theory

These can improve the quality of life. Positive behavior support is a combination of:

1. Valued outcomes
2. Biomedical and behavioral science
3. Validated procedures
4. System chance to boost the quality of life
5. Reduce problem behaviors

Valued outcomes 

Traditionally, intervention strategies were designed to lessen problem behavior, not considering how interventions affect other areas of a person’s life. A single intervention has been implemented to decrease problem behavior, which often resulted in narrow behavior support plans. Today’s behavior plan effectiveness is judged according to different standards.

PBS strategies are considered effective when interventions will result in:

• increasing individual success satisfaction
• enhancement of positive social interactions
• academic
• recreational
• community settings

Valued outcomes include increased quality of life. It is defined by an individual’s unique needs and preferences and needs. Positive lifestyle alters that increase social belonging.

Validated procedures 

Individual interventions have been validated in applied behavior analysis using single-subject design, a research method. Single-subject designs are efficient when you study a small number of variables that influence a person’s behavior. But, professionals implement multiple interventions when dealing with various variables in ever-changing and complex systems.

As an outcome, the number of different research strategies needed for the behavior support success of the plan must be evaluated. The strategies move beyond single-subject experiments, isolating one variable when holding all others constant. Positive behavior support professionals execute system-level interventions to guarantee the success of various interventions while working in everyday settings. Data collected to evaluate PBS results can include:

1. Program evaluation measures
2. Qualitative research
3. Surveys
4. Rating scales
5. Interviews
6. Correlational analyses
7. Direct observation
8. Self-report information

Systems change

A lot of excellent PBS plans are not implemented because of problems related to how the PBS plan is developed. These issues can be related with:

• Resource allocation
• Staff development issues
• Team building
• Collaboration

The extent to which a PBS plan is a good fit for people who implement it. Intervention and assessment strategies that consider the larger environment of an organization or home are needed to guarantee the success of a PBS plan.

Behavioral and biomedical science

PBS is based on behavioral and biomedical science. Research in applied behavior analysis demonstrated the significance of analyzing the interaction between the environment and behavior. With this perspective, behavior is under environmental factors’ control and considered purposeful, which can be changeable. PBS intervention and assessment strategies are based on research in an applied behavior analysis and emphasize the significance of implementing the intervention strategies effectively in natural daily settings.