Positive Beginnings With PBS - The Family Network on Disabilities ...

<strong>Positive</strong> <strong>Beginnings</strong> <strong>With</strong> <strong>PBS</strong>

• <strong>Family</strong> Driven• Non-Profit 501(c)3<strong>Family</strong> Driven: What makes FND unique is that the majority of our Board ofDirectors, and Management Staff and all of our Program Staff are parents orfamily members of persons with disabilities.When family members call FND, they not only receive the expertise andknowledge of a professional, but also the compassion and empathy ofsomeone who has walked (and continues to walk) in their shoes.

♥♥We do NOT:Act As AttorneysWe DO:♥ Provide SupportProvide InformationHelp Identify OptionsAct as Attorneys: We don’t represent families, and we don’t give legal advice.Support: FND has been the statewide Parent to Parent since 1985, and the value of familiesgetting support by networking with other families is built into everything we do. We often get callsfrom parents or other family members who just need to talk – and we’re there to listen.Information: Altogether, FND logs over 15,000 calls a year, most of them from parents, familymembers, or professionals who are looking for information. We have a large database of resourcesin Florida, and a library filled with disability-related information. Regardless of the question, ourstaff will go the extra mile to find an answer.Identify Options: Our philosophy at FND is that it is not our role to tell families what to do. It is ourrole, however, to inform families of what their options are – and encourage them to make their owndecisions about what is right for their family.

What is <strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support (<strong>PBS</strong>)?• Collaborative approach• <strong>Positive</strong> strategies• Intervention for children withinappropriate behaviors<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support, <strong>PBS</strong>, is a collaborative approach to developing effective supports andinterventions – which may include parents, teachers, a behavior analyst, school psychologist,therapists, or anyone else that comes into contact with the child. <strong>The</strong> key to the success of a<strong>PBS</strong> program is its consistent application across all settings-home, school and community.<strong>The</strong> underlying concept of <strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support an approach that blends values about therights if individuals with disabilities with an understanding of how learning and behavior changeoccurs.

Individuals with Disabilities Education ActDevelopment of the IEP 300.346<strong>The</strong> IEP team shall –(2)(i) In the case of a child whose behavior impedes hisor her learning or that of others, consider, ifappropriate, strategies, including positive behavioralinterventions, strategies, and supports to addressthat behavior.<strong>Positive</strong> behavior support is specifically mentioned within the Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA) as an intervention for children withinappropriate behaviors.IDEA states that if a child’s behavior interferes with the learning of a skill or thelearning of others, <strong>PBS</strong> can be accessed as a related service.

Individuals with Disabilities Education ActRelated Services602 (26)“Developmental, corrective, and other supportiveservices as may be required to assist a child with adisability to benefit from special education.”A related service, according to IDEA, is any service that a child may need tobenefit from special education. Related services are identified by the IEP teamand written into the IEP under each goal.An IEP goal that addresses a child’s behavior or his or her participation in classdirectly related to behavior, might have <strong>PBS</strong> listed as a related service, to assistthe child to achieve that goal.

Individuals with Disabilities Education ActLeast RestrictiveEnvironment300.550“To the maximum extent appropriate, children withdisabilities … are educated with children who arenot disabled.”Another provision in IDEA relates to Least Restrictive Environment.Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from theregular educational environment should occur only if the nature or severity of a child’sdisability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids andservices cannot be achieved satisfactorily.Factors that exclude a child from a regular education placement include:- if the child is a harm to himself or others;- if his or her behavior is disruptive to impede the learning of others; or- if the curriculum were to be modified beyond recognition.<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support is a related service that should be utilized before moving a childto a more restrictive environment.

Why use <strong>PBS</strong>?Traditional Discipline Strategies•Reactive in nature•Oriented toward short-term changes•Punishing students without positive supports resultsin increased aggression, vandalism, truancy, anddropouts•(Mayer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1991)Why use <strong>PBS</strong>? First let’s take a look the strategies that have been used in the past.Typically, in the past, discipline has taken place after each occurrence of an inappropriatebehavior, instead of planning ahead with positive strategies to avoid the behavior before ithappens. Providing negative consequences after a behavior occurs may change thebehavior for a short time for a particular situation, but may not be enough. <strong>PBS</strong> includesstrategies to teach the child appropriate behaviors that can be used repeatedly or in othersettings.According to a study that took place over 15 years ago in 1991, punishing students withoutpositive supports doesn’t work. In fact, overall it makes the situation worse, not better.

Why use <strong>PBS</strong>?If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we……….teach? we………punish?Herner, 1998Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?

Why use <strong>PBS</strong>?•Educators have a right to asafe environment in which toteach.•Students have a right to asafe environment in which tolearn.Teachers choose to be teachers because they want to make a difference in children’s lives.It has always been difficult for teachers to balance their roles as both teacher anddisciplinarian.If the traditional strategies have been found to lead to increased aggression, then it’s time toimplement new strategies that will decrease behaviors and the risk of violence in theclassroom.Our teachers have a right to a safe environment in which to teach.Our students have a right to a safe environment in which to learn.

Before <strong>PBS</strong> - <strong>The</strong> Process1.) Observe the behaviorBehaviors can only be definedwhen they are.…OBSERVABLE&MEASURABLEBefore developing a <strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support plan, there is a process that is typically followed.<strong>The</strong> first step in the process is to observe and define a particular unacceptable behavior. Ofcourse, one child may have many inappropriate behaviors, but when working toward a plan for<strong>PBS</strong>, addressing one behavior at a time may be more successful.To define a behavior, it must be observable – a person must be able to see, hear, or feel thebehavior.It must also be measurable, such as how often does it happen, how long does it last.

Before <strong>PBS</strong> - <strong>The</strong> ProcessTry interventionsBehavior intervention planCrisis intervention plan, if necessaryCollect dataFunctional Behavioral Assessment<strong>The</strong> second step in the process would be to try interventions – the situation may beresolved by something as simple as moving the child to a different seat within theclassroom.A plan may be developed for dealing with the unacceptable behavior while interventions arebeing tried. <strong>The</strong> plan might be developed by the teacher.If the child’s behavior is dangerous to himself or others, he or she may need a crisisintervention plan.During this period the behavior in question will be tracked. School personnel who observethe behavior will log how often it occurs, for what duration, and at what intensity.If the interventions are not successful, a behavior analyst or a school psychologist willconduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment.

Functional Behavioral Assessment(FBA)Purpose: To determine the causes of abehavior and identify likely interventions.A functional behavioral assessment, FBA, determines not only what the behaviors are, butalso the function of the behavior.An FBA is an evaluation. IDEA requires that consent must be obtained from the parentbefore an evaluation is conducted.<strong>The</strong> purpose of a FBA is to identify:Clearly the problem behaviors<strong>The</strong> triggersAnd the consequences that maintain the behavior

Behaviors continue……because theyhave a purpose orfunction.Children engage in a behavior because they have learned that a desiredoutcome occurs. <strong>The</strong>y continue to exhibit behavior because they continue toreceive the desired outcome. <strong>The</strong>y get something desirable or pleasant or theyavoid something undesirable or unpleasant

Behavior usually serves one of twofunctions:TO GET or TO AVOIDExamples:•To get attention•To avoid homework•To get dessertSometimes the function of a behavior is not obvious – or at first look, what seems the likely reason for thebehavior may not be the reason at all. A functional behavioral assessment, through observation and datacollection, attempts to pinpoint the underlying cause of the behavior – usually what the child is trying toget or avoid.– To avoid doing math – In this example, one might assume that this girl doesn’t know how to do the mathproblem on the board. Further observation might show that she actually does know how to complete theproblem, but won’t do math problems in front of the class.– To get attention – Children who have a need for attention will look for either positive or negativeattention.– To avoid homework – Sometimes it’s difficult to determine just why a teenager might pick a fight withher mother. Arguing with Mom, complete with the typical teenage eye roll, is better than doing sciencehomework.– To get dessert – I’m betting this girl got what she wanted.

FBA – Observe & Record:A B CAntecedentsBehaviorConsequencesDuring the FBA, data must be collected to determine the function or consequence of thebehavior. <strong>The</strong>re are a number of ways to collect information. <strong>The</strong> ABC process is widelyused.<strong>The</strong> letters stand for…A= Antecedent (what happens before a behavior)B= Behavior (the observable and measurable action)C= Consequence (what occurred after the action to maintain the action or increase thefrequency)

AntecedentsWho is present when the behavioroccurs?What is going on when the behavioroccurs?Where does the behavior occur?Antecedent simply means “what happened right before.”Some questions that might be asked during a Functional Behavioral Assessment would be:Who was there?What was going on?Where did it happen?By asking these questions and tracking their answers with each time the behavior occurs,the FBA can identify common circumstances. For example, a certain behavior might occurevery time the child is bored, like this girl.

BehaviorHow often does the behavior occur,per hour, per day, per week?How long per episode?How intense?During the FBA, the behavior itself will be closely monitored and tracked,including how often it occurred, how long the it lasted each time it occurred, andhow intense the behavior was during each occurrence, such as how loud,agitated or violent.

ConsequencesWhat happens right after the behavior occurs?Under what circumstances does the behavior stop?Under what circumstances does the behavior seldom ornever occur?Where does the behavior seldom or never occur?What the usual consequence of a behavior is can tell us a lot about the functionof a behavior. Since a behavior is caused by a desired outcome, what usuallyhappens right after a behavior occurs? For example, if every time the girl in thepicture has a temper tantrum, she gets sent home – getting sent home might verywell be her “desired outcome,” and the function of that behavior.Other questions about the consequences of a behavior might include: when doesthe behavior stop? What is going on when the behavior stops?It is also helpful to know when and where the behavior never occurs. Since thedesired outcome is not always obvious, the functional behavior assessmentcollects as many clues as possible, to help determine the underlying function.

Parent Input in the FBA• Parents know their children best• Parents often know what the function of thebehavior is, as they may have seen thebehavior occur outside of the school setting.• Input from the family is collected on a form orby interview.<strong>The</strong> more clues that are collected, the more accurate the Functional BehavioralAssessment will be. Gathering information from the parents during an FBA willbroaden the FBA to include behaviors that do – and don’t – occur at home.Also, parents often know the function of a behavior, just because they’ve seenthose behaviors evolve since their child was a baby.<strong>The</strong> school psychologist or Certified Behavior Analyst might interview the parents,or they might be invited to share their input in writing.Also, input from teachers and other staff such as bus drivers or aides couldcertainly be helpful in obtaining an accurate picture of a child’s behaviors.

Behaviors are…signaled by anAntecedent,thenreinforced byConsequencesBecause behaviors are signaled by an antecedent, generally to obtain the sameconsequence each time, once the function of the behavior is known, the behaviorbecomes predictable.If we can predict it, we can plan for it.

<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support Plan• Analysis of FBA data• Educated Guess: function of thebehavior• Plan for predicting and replacingbehaviorOnce the Functional Behavioral Assessment is complete, then the School psychologist or CertifiedBehavior Analyst analyzes the data. <strong>With</strong> all that information, he or she makes an educated guess aboutthe function or cause of the behavior.Because the best anyone can do is guess what the function of a behavior is, the only way to know forsure is to create a plan based on that guess, implement the plan, and document the results.<strong>The</strong> Information from the FBA process is used to support teams to develop and implementcomprehensive interventions. <strong>PBS</strong> plans usually include multiple strategies that include 1) proactivestrategies for changing the environment so triggering events are removed 2) teaching new skills thatreplace problem behaviors 3) eliminate or minimize natural rewards for problem behaviors and 4)maximizing clear rewards for appropriate behaviors.

<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support Plan• Determine positive replacement behaviors that:• allow the child to achieve the same function that thenegative behavior achieved, or• allow the child to achieve a greater function than thenegative behavior achieved.<strong>The</strong> development of positive replacement behaviors is the core of the <strong>Positive</strong>Behavior Support plan.<strong>The</strong> concept of <strong>PBS</strong> is to teach replacement behaviors that will ultimately providethe desired outcomes that the child wanted in the first place OR……that will provide another desired outcome that is even better than the one he orshe wanted in the first place.

<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support Plan• Plan includes how the new behaviors will be taught.-Strategies• Manipulate the antecedent• Manipulate the consequences-Services• Special instruction or other related servicesOnce replacement behaviors have been determined, a plan must be made for how the childwill learn and begin to implement those behaviors. Strategies will be identified, such as:-Manipulating the antecedent, such as planning the child’s day carefully so that she neverreaches the level of boredom that triggers the behavior; or-Manipulating the consequences, such as ignoring the tantrum and NOT sending the childhome from school, but offering a reward for acceptable behavior that is more desirable thangoing home. <strong>The</strong> information collected during the FBA will help in identifying rewards thatare individualized and unique to the child.<strong>The</strong> plan may also include the identification of specific services that will support the childlearning the replacement behaviors, such as special instruction or counseling.

<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support Plan• Plan can also include a specific crisisplan, if necessary• <strong>The</strong> plan must be achievable:-Is the child capable of changing that behavior or isit his or her disability?In some cases, it may be necessary for the IEP team to develop a crisis/emergency plan toaddress a severe or dangerous situation.A crisis can be defined as a situation that requires an immediate, intrusive, or restrictiveintervention to: 1) protect the student or others from serious injury; 2) safeguard physicalproperty; and/or 3) deal with acute disturbance of the teaching/learning process.<strong>The</strong> plan must be achievable. When a child has a behavior that is a manifestation of theirdisability, it may not be realistic to expect the child to change the behavior itself.

“Is it his/her disability?”• Examples:ADHD or Bipolar DisorderPost Traumatic Stress DisorderDevelopmental disabilitiesFor example, if a disability is medically or neurologically based, it might be treated withmedications, which may reduce or cause behaviors. A child whose disability was caused byemotional trauma or environmental factors may benefit from counseling or therapy – andbecause of the nature of their disability, may not be able or ready to change a certainbehavior. A child with a developmental disability may not have the ability to alter thebehavior by using a replacement behavior.<strong>The</strong> plan should acknowledge that <strong>PBS</strong> cannot cure a disability. A child who is deaf or blindand has behaviors that are a direct result of their deafness or blindness, will not have theability to change those behaviors.Even if the child is unable to change a behavior, a plan could still address strategies such asmanipulation of the antecedent to avoid situations that will trigger the behavior.

<strong>PBS</strong> Plan ComponentsProactive: change the environmentEducative: teach skillsFunctional: manage consequencesLifestyle: quality of life outcomes<strong>The</strong>re are four basic components that drive the <strong>PBS</strong> plan.Proactive: Changing the environment to make problem behavior unnecessary. Sometimes, thatenvironment change may be something minor. At other times, it may require an entire rethinking of themost basic school policies and home routines.Educative: Teaching skills to make the problem behavior inefficient. New behaviors must be taught. It isnot enough to say “Don’t do that!” It is important to teach what is required to achieve a new behavior skill.Functional: Managing consequences to make problem behavior ineffective. A plan will be more effectiveif the outcome meets or exceeds the need or desired outcome for the child.Lifestyle: Supporting long-term quality of life outcomes for the student. IDEA requires that specialeducation is designed to meet children’s unique needs and prepare them for further education,employment, and independent living. <strong>The</strong> plan should address long-term life goals.

Example: Tyler yells out, disrupting lessonsto gain the teacher’s attention.What is appropriate?Others raise their hand.Is there the ability to perform?Yes, he can raise his hand.Does raising a hand havesame function?Yes, raising a hand gets theteacher’s attention.

Extinction BurstsIt will get worse beforeit gets better!When his teacher started to ignore those outbursts, Tyler yelled more. When shestill ignored the outbursts, Tyler yelled louder.This increase in frequency or intensity is known as an extinction burst.It will get worse before it gets better.Extinction is the goal.When Tyler learned that the behavior no longer resulted in the expectedconsequence, he began to use the replacement behavior.Eventually, Tyler learned to raise his hand and got more positive attention fromhis teacher, which was better than his original desired outcome.

<strong>Positive</strong> Behavior Support Plan• Also included in the plan willbe a description of the datacollection.

Once the Plan is Written…• IEP meeting- Review Functional Behavioral Assessment- Review <strong>PBS</strong> plan- Parents, teachers, and other staff.• Additional input.• Roles and responsibilities.An IEP meeting can be held to share the FBA and the <strong>PBS</strong> plan with parents,teachers, and other staff.As with any evaluation, a parents have the right to an independent educationalevaluation at public expense if they disagree with an evaluation obtained by theschool district. <strong>The</strong> parent can choose to wait and see if the plan works beforedisagreeing with the plan.

• IEP meetingOnce the Plan is Written…- Review Functional Behavioral Assessment- Review <strong>PBS</strong> plan- Parents, teachers, and other staff.• Additional input.continued• Roles and responsibilities.<strong>The</strong> IEP team reviews the plan and provides additional input. Parent input – <strong>The</strong> IEPmeeting is an opportunity for a parent to share, as a member of the team, importantinformation regarding the implementation of the support plan, including recognizing abilitiesthat the child does not have because of their disability.<strong>The</strong> IEP meeting also presents opportunities for documenting that a child’s behavior is amanifestation of his or her disability. By clearly stating that connection in the IEP,documentation exists that may be critical during a manifestation determination, should oneever occur.Team members, including the parents, are aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Setting GoalsGoals reflect targeted behaviors.Not necessarily for one year.Short term benchmarksLong term goals achieve extinction<strong>The</strong> goals developed during the IEP meeting should directly reflect targeted behaviors.<strong>The</strong> goals for implementing a <strong>PBS</strong> plan are not necessarily annual goals. <strong>The</strong> team shouldplan on meeting more often than annually, so they can regularly review progress and adjustthe goals and benchmarks as needed.Immediate short term benchmarks should target the reduction of the behaviors, infrequency and intensity.Overall goals should target the extinction of the behavior with replacement behaviorsexhibited on a consistent basis.

Amount, Frequency & Duration ofServices• Services must be written into the IEPunder a goal.• Amount, frequency, and duration ofservices• May be stated as a rangeRelated services support the achievement of a goal. Services may include counseling,special instruction, consultation for the teacher to implement the plan, training or counselingfor the parents to understand and reinforce the plan.<strong>The</strong> IEP must reflect the amount, frequency, and duration of each service. Typically, theseare stated specifically (such as 30 minutes per day, 3 times a week), but in implementing a<strong>PBS</strong> plan, the IEP team may determine that stating the amount of services as a range isnecessary to meet the unique needs of the child.

continuedAmount, Frequency & Duration ofServices• Services must be written into the IEPunder a goal.• Amount, frequency, and duration ofservices• May be stated as a rangeFor example, the IEP might state that counseling will be provided three times per week for30-45 minutes per session, or it might state that particular services are needed only underspecific circumstances, such as the occurrence of a particular behavior.Full intensity of services may not be required after the child has started to master the use ofthe replacement behavior. Stating the amount, frequency, or duration in a range allows theteam to increase services without holding an IEP meeting, should the behaviors start toincrease again.

Implementation of the Plan• Implemented at school, reinforced at home• Data collection begins• Parents observe and record• Meet again in two weeks<strong>The</strong> plan is implemented and can be reinforced at home. For example, the plan may includeconsequences that are implemented at home (such as rewards that are given at home forbehaviors at school). As a related service, parents can receive training or counselingservices to help them to understand the plan and how it is implemented, and how they canreinforce the plan at home.Data collection begins at school. In the beginning, the data may need to be reported dailyon: decreases in problem behavior, increases in positive behavior, and how consistent theuse of the replacement behaviors were. <strong>With</strong> appropriate data collection, the team shouldbe able to chart the behaviors and their frequency. Parents can contribute to the datacollection by observing and recording behaviors at home.<strong>The</strong> IEP team should meet again in two weeks to review the effectiveness of the plan.School personnel can adjust the plan without holding an IEP meeting, but the changes inthe plan should be communicated to the parents so that they can continue to provideconsistency in reinforcing the plan from home.

Communication is a Must!Clear constant communication iscritical to the success of a <strong>PBS</strong> plan!As the plan is first being implemented, the communication between school staffand parents may need to be on a daily basis.As the behaviors begin to decrease and the use of replacement behaviorsincrease, the need for communication may be less often.<strong>The</strong> success of the plan is dependent on the commitment of all parties to beconsistent in the implementation of the plan.

<strong>Positive</strong> Reinforcement Tips•Focus on what you want the child to do,rather than on what not to do•Give attention for appropriate behavior notinappropriate behavior•Identify the factors in the environment thatmight help a child behave appropriately

It’s Never “Done.”Continuous monitoring is requiredto ensure that extinguishedbehaviors remain extinguished andreplacement behaviors areconsistent.Even if a <strong>PBS</strong> plan is successful, negative behaviors can come back or new negativebehaviors may occur.For example, as children progress from grade to grade, environmental changes occur andthe behaviors may come back, or if a particular reward becomes less important to the child,the plan may have to be adjusted to implement new rewards.Once the plan is written, it will need to be revisited, reviewed, changed, and added toregularly as needed.

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For more information please contact:<strong>Family</strong> <strong>Network</strong> on Disabilities2196 Main St., Suite KDunedin, FL 34698(727) 523-1130(800) 825-5736fnd@fndusa.orgwww.fndusa.org<strong>The</strong> contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education,#H328M110010 and #H328M110026. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy ofthe US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.Project Officer, Lisa Gorove.© <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Network</strong> on Disabilities, Inc.