Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is not a modification plan for students with difficult behaviors; it is a system for modifying the environment; as well as the way that teachers respond to these difficult behaviors. "Such environmental interventions, in turn, serve to make problem behavior less effective, efficient, and relevant and desired behavior more functional" (http://www.ldonline.org ). Teachers first should utilize a functional behavioral assessment in order to determine if there may be different reasons for similar behaviors. If behaviors originate from two different motives, each behavior should be dealt with using different support plans. Steps in assessing such behaviors are: Define the problem, answer key questions, observe and record antecedents, behaviors, and consequences, develop a plan, use the plan, revise the plan (Positive Behavioral Supports for Special Educators). PBS plans are being implemented nation wide to prevent and correct undesirable behaviors by first assessing what invoked the behavior.

Positive behavior support plans can be defined as a broad set of strategies meant to redesign environments in such a way that these undesirable behaviors are prevented. Certain schools within Upshur County are currently using PBS systems to encourage good citizenship, responsibility, respect for peers and teachers, trustworthiness, and overall school pride. The county has provided an on site positive behavior support coach to ensure that teachers and administration are implementing the school plan correctly and consistently. This coach is readily available to answer questions and offer guidance for any staff members. Positive behavior support systems are proving to be successful in increasing the amount of acceptable school wide behaviors.

In previous years, school-wide discipline has focused primarily on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment including loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment is ineffective. Modeling and reinforcement of positive behavior is important during a student's educational experience. Teaching appropriate behaviors and rewarding students for following such behaviors, is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before taking action. Throughout history there have been many attempts to explain the origin of unacceptable behaviors. Goldstein observed that children with mental handicaps and solders returning