NCJ Number
188833
Date Published
1999
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This technical assistance manual aims to provide educators, parents, policymakers, community agents, and others with guidance on the following two concepts significant to the education of children with disabilities: (1) positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBS), and (2) functional behavioral assessment (FBA).
Abstract
The introduction notes that PBA and FBA are not new concepts. However, they represent an important effort within the context of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to improve the quality of behavioral interventions and behavioral support planning, given the challenges that educators experience in educating students with severe problem behavior. PBS began initially as an alternative to aversive interventions used with students with significant disabilities who engage in extreme forms of self-injury and aggression. PBS integrates behavioral science, practical interventions, social values, and a systems perspective. The development of positive behavioral interventions and plans guided by FBA is the foundation on which to deliver the PBS approach. Conducting an FBA and developing a behavior support plan involves six steps. The goal of PBS is to use information from FBA’s to guide the design of learning and teaching settings that support and encourage adaptive behavior and reduce the usefulness of problem behavior. Figure, charts, and 98 references