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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to introduce the process of individual implementation of positive behavior support(PBS) in inclusive elementary schools to understand and identify the feasibility as well as effects of PBS in inclusive settings. Method: Various data such as students’ IEP, monthly plan, mentor diary, counseling notes, and final reports about the PBS were collected and analyzed to understand the process of PBS. Results: As a result, because the individual support team worked collaboratively and systematically, students’ behavioral problems were reduced and their inclusive classroom adaptations were improved. Conclusion: The PBS could be an effective behavioral intervention method for inclusion if inclusive schools develop PBS systems based on needs and feasibility, school members work collaboratively and administrative and financial support systems are available for schools.

The field of positive behavior support (PBS) has expanded and evolved significantly since the first issue of Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions ( JPBI) was published. To ascertain how evolution of the field was reflected in the research, we examined trends in empirical studies published in JPBI since its inception. We coded 217 articles published between 1999 and 2016 that included data-based assessment or data-based intervention practices for key variables pertinent to potential trends in PBS. Analyses revealed increases across the publication period in studies that (a) included participants at risk for behavioral difficulties, (b) implemented interventions in general education settings, (c) utilized clinicians/experimenters as intervention agents, and (d) focused on adult skills as the intervention target. Findings are discussed in the context of the expansion of school-wide positive behavior interventions and support.

This study examined the effects of a multitiered system of support using Check-In Check-Out (CICO) as a secondary intervention and function-based self-monitoring (FBSM) as a tertiary intervention o...

Teachers commonly use behavioral logs as a primary method for controlling classroom behavior, but frequently they are using these logs incorrectly. For this reason, this article provides specific information on how to correctly use behavioral logs for techniques such as check-in/check-out, behavioral report cards, and token economies. Each of these are described in terms of empirical support for their use and how they would be integrated into a positive behavioral and intervention support model. Concrete examples are provided for school-based practitioners to use when working with their own students.

A yoga-based school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) may provide a foundation for teaching mindfulness and self-regulation in K-12 schools. Here, the use of yoga as a SWPBS was examined through a review of existing literature and interviews of yoga program facilitators. Yoga was reported to be effective as a pedagogical approach, and found to increase mindfulness, emotional regulation, and positive behaviors of school students. Findings suggest yoga, when provided by culturally sensitive instructors, may be an easy to implement, cost-effective SWPBS in a variety of school settings.

CHARGE is a multifaceted syndrome, so named for a collection of characteristics commonly exhibited by individuals with this genetic condition. The acronym CHARGE stands for coloboma, heart defects, atresia choanae, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, and ear anomalies and deafness (Blake, Salem-Hartshorne, Daoud, & Gradstein, 2005). Although individuals with CHARGE may not exhibit all of these traits, most--between 80% and 90%--meet the qualifications for deaf-blindness even when the hearing or vision impairment is mild (Hartshorne, Hefner, Davenport, & Thelin, 2011). Intellectual disabilities, however, are not as common in this population as early research indicated (Graham, Rosner, Dykens, & Visootsak, 2005). Those with CHARGE syndrome have a wide range of cognitive functioning, and some contend that intelligence is often underestimated due to communication barriers or the use of inappropriate assessments (Hartshorne et al., 2011). Furthermore, CHARGE syndrome is often associated with conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficits, tic disorders or Tourette syndrome, anxiety, and executive dysfunction (Blake et al., 2005; Hartshorne et al., 2011; Hartshorne, Nicholas, Grialou, & Russ, 2007). In addition to these concomitant conditions, communication is often a challenge related to CHARGE. Some children with CHARGE develop symbolic communication, whereas others do not (Thelin & Fussner, 2005). Most experts attribute delayed or lack of language development to the sensory impairments associated with CHARGE (Graham et al., 2005; van Dijk & de Kort, 2005). Those who do develop symbolic communication most likely use total communication (the pairing of spoken and signed languages; Thelin & Fussner, 2005) and are prone to idiosyncratic communication patterns (van Dijk & de Kort, 2005). Communication skills are imperative for social and educational outcomes as well as for self-regulation (Kennert, Ramirez, Hartshorne, Deuce, & Nicholas, 2015). Closely related to issues of communication are behavioral challenges that are prevalent with CHARGE syndrome. Problematic behaviors are often attributed to communication difficulties, and as Hartshorne and colleagues (2011) note, behaviors are communication. Behaviors exhibited by individuals with CHARGE are distinct and more frequent than expected when compared to others with deaf-blindness or similar syndromes (Graham et al., 2005; Hartshorne et al., 2011). Beyond communication difficulties, other causes cited for challenging behaviors include sensory impairments, responses to or lack of control over environments, balance and equilibrium problems, medical issues and discomfort, stress and anxiety, and executive dysfunction (Blake et al., 2005; Graham et al., 2005; Hartshorne et al., 2007, 2011; van Dijk & de Kort, 2005). Experts say that behavior interventions for individuals with CHARGE syndrome should incorporate three key features: recognizing the cause of behaviors; reducing stress, anxiety, and discomfort; and accounting for sensory impairments (Blake et al., 2005; Graham et al., 2005; van Dijk & de Kort, 2005). These priorities align well with the positive behavior support model. Recognizing that challenging behaviors lead to exclusion and isolation, positive behavior support aims to reduce problematic behaviors to improve quality of life (Horner, 2000). Positive behavior support utilizes functional behavior analysis to understand the cause of inappropriate behaviors and then addresses issues in an individual's environments because "[t]he assumption is not that individuals are defective or broken, but that they experience the world around them in a way that is different from their peers" (Horner, 2000, p. 99). The present study investigates the use of positive behavior support strategies with young adults who are deafblind, including those with CHARGE syndrome, to determine which are effective for preventing or stopping problem behaviors. …

The success of function-based interventions depends not just on the quality of procedures but also on the extent to which procedures are implemented as planned. Too often in schools, effort is comm...

Adolescence is a stage in life when dramatic physical, cognitive and socio-emotional changes occur. When adolescents grow-up in deprived social environments, the chance of psychophysical well-being severely decreases and problems such as delinquency, substance abuse and mental health issues are much more likely to ensue. Third wave cognitive-behavioral interventions are increasingly becoming the chosen instruments to support psychological intervention for young people and adolescents. In this study, we aim to test the feasibility and the adequacy of the outcome measures of an intervention for adolescents at high psychosocial risk, using a modified Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor and Values (DNA-V) protocol aimed at increasing flexible and positive values. The project was conducted in a school located in a low Socio-Economic Status (SES) and severely deprived district of a metropolitan area in Messina, Italy, with 3 classes from 6th to 8th grade. All parents and teachers allowed participants to take part in the pilot study. However, the participants' willingness to engage in the study was low (1 out of 3 classes). Overall, 13 adolescents (72% of the enrolled class) participated in the pilot and only 2 out of 7 teachers and no parents were available for interviews. In its current form, a full RCT is not considered feasible due to general low motivation showed by the participants. Although the sample size was small, the intervention program showed a statistically significant main effect for students' self-report questionnaire, suggesting that those measures were appropriate. Modifications and additional measures are suggested to increase participants' engagement and to overcome the need for parents and teachers' interviews.

In the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities, for example, caregivers provide services to people with serious and persistent behavioral challenges, particularly physical aggression and property destruction. Typical treatments involve psychopharmacological, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral strategies. The mindfulness-based positive behavior support (MBPBS) course has two major components: positive behavior support and mindfulness practice. Caregivers need to have a good grounding in positive behavior support because it gives them the basis for assisting people to change their behavior. They also need to have a disciplined mindfulness meditation practice that will enable them to provide the services mindfully without being psychologically stressed, emotionally exhausted, and burned out. The MBPBS program is an emerging research-informed mindfulness-based program for caregivers of people with a diverse range of behavioral challenges. MBPBS was developed to address the need for a holistic intervention that targets the caregiver-client dyad, and the interconnectedness and transactional nature of their behavior.

This study reports the results of a multi-site, parallel block randomized clinical trial to expand the previous findings regarding the implementation of Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports (PS + ASD) on employment outcomes upon graduation from high school. Participants were 156 individuals with significant impact from ASD between the ages of 18–21. There was a significant difference between treatment and control groups with 73.4% of the treatment group acquiring competitive employment at or above minimum wage by 1-year after graduation compared to 17% of the control group for whom data was provided. At 1-year, employed treatment group participants worked an average of 21.2 h per week (SD = 9) for a mean hourly wage of $9.61 per hour (SD = $1.55). Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03560453.

Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disabilities (IDs) can be stressful for many parents. Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) is a customized mindfulness program that enables parents and other caregivers to reduce their perceived psychological stress to normative levels through mindfulness procedures and to support children with ASD or ID to self-manage their challenging behaviors through positive behavior support (PBS). In this study, we evaluated whether MBPBS would have differential effects on the stress levels of mothers of adolescents with ASD (n = 47) or with ID (n = 45) and the effects of the program on the aggressive, disruptive, and compliance behaviors of their children. Both groups of mothers participated in the 40-week study (10 weeks control and 30 weeks MBPBS program), rated their own stress levels, and collected daily observational data on the adolescents’ behavior. Results showed significant reductions in the level of stress in both groups of mothers, but no differential effects on mothers of children with ASD or with ID. In addition, significant reductions in aggression and disruptive behavior and increases in compliance behaviors were observed in the adolescents in both groups. The results suggest that MBPBS is equally beneficial for mothers of adolescents with ASD or ID. In the present study, although the mothers of children with ID had slightly higher levels of stress at baseline and mothers of children with ASD had lower levels of stress following the MBPBS program, the program can be considered equally effective in reducing the stress levels of both groups of mothers. This suggests that the program may be effective regardless of baseline levels of mothers’ stress.

Over the course of several weeks, Strickland-Cohen and Kyzar obtained qualitative data for Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). Positive Behavior Support (PBS) can be defined as “an approach to behavior support that includes an ongoing process of research-based assessment, intervention, and data-based decision making focused on building social and other functional competencies, creating supportive contexts, and preventing the occurrence of problem behaviors” (Kincaid, Dunlap, Kern, Lane, Bambara, Brown, & Knoster, 201, p. 70). PBIS is the “school-based application” of PBS (Kincaid et al., 2016, p.71). One critical feature of PBIS in schools is the inclusion of family member perspectives when developing school-wide expectations and behavioral goals. However, there is a dearth of research empirically related to how to best include families within the PBIS process. In a qualitative analysis, Strickland-Cohen and Kyzar (2018) assessed parent perceptions of family-professional partnerships between teachers and parents whose student received either Tier 1 or Tier 2 PBIS supports through a series of focus group interviews. The study examined experiences and events that affect communication about student behavior between the parents and teacher(s). Participants were 28 family members from three PBIS elementary schools within one school district in the Southwest United States. Participants were asked to answer questions related to strengths and weaknesses in communication with teachers, and ideas that they wish to express to teachers about supporting appropriate behavior and addressing challenging behavior. Based on the findings of this study, as well as other studies related to PBIS, this paper synthesizes the research literature and provides evidence-based strategies that teachers can implement in their classroom to strengthen partnerships with family members.

This chapter describes ways to create a positive learning environment for students on the autism spectrum. Learners with autism need instructors who are knowledgeable of their challenges and those who are willing to provide a structured, organized, and supportive environment. The instructor should understand how to apply positive behavior support and create a plan for addressing challenging behavior. Additionally, the instructor should have access to resources to help him or her customize the learning environment, provide accommodations as needed, and support student success. This chapter describes technology that can be used to support academic performance, create schedules and visuals, support structured exchanges, and facilitate interest-based inquiry and student-centered learning. The chapter concludes with the need to involve parents in the instructional process to ensure consistency across environments, identify issues that may affect learning and behavior, examine reinforcers, and uncover challenges students may be unable to communicate. Posters and interactive hands-on activities should be evaluated as learning tools to engage and motivate the learner, provide choice, facilitate research and discovery, support information selection and validation, and promote public speaking and listening skills.

The Check-in/Check-out (CICO), developed as a Tier 2 intervention program within the scope of positive behavior support in the literature, is suggested for the students with unsatisfactory peer relationships as well as low academic achievement and problem behaviors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the CICO program on active participation to lesson behavior of the students who display problem behaviors and have low academic achievement in the classroom. In this study, the behavior of the students’ effective participation to lessons was examined. Three 10-11 year-old secondary-school students participated in the study. Range-bound changing criterion design, which is one of the single subject experimental designs, was used throughout this study. The feedback gained from the teachers and the students indicated that the students improved in the behavior of effective participation to lessons. Social validity results are also consistent with the social relevance of the independent variable and the results of the study.

Individuals with disabilities often engage in disruptive behavior that entails challenges not only for their own quality of life but also the lives of others around them. In spite of the abilities of the children with disabilities due to the severe challenges experienced by the teachers, parents and also the child themselves for the inability to address the behavior needs it act as a major hindrances for inclusion in classroom and community lives. Exclusion from classroom, school and community leads to less scope for social development and thereby leads to isolation, aloofness and developmental deficits. Henceforth addressing the problem behavior remains the first step for participation and inclusion of children with developmental disabilities including other behavior needs. However teacher faces the skill deficit to identify the function of the behavior to arrive at the most suitable intervention to best meet the needs of the child. The significance of functional analyses (FA) for determining the function of problem behavior has been paramount so that a well tailored intervention can be designed that will be function based and most effective. With this objective the present study examines the application of trial-based functional analyses for determining the function of problem behavior of a 7 year old child with autism in a classroom setting following the single subject design research. Findings indicate effective way of determining the function of head hitting as target problem behavior followed with a function-based intervention. The proposed model can assist and empower the teachers and also parents for providing positive behavior support which further opens up access to an inclusion classroom.

Despite the positive effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) on school discipline, the overrepresentation of Black students in discipline data in SWPBS schools has alerted researchers and educators to initiate discussion about the need to blend culturally responsive pedagogy and the SWPBS approach. This qualitative research study attempts to add to this discussion by (a) exploring the perspectives of Black parents on SWPBS behavioral expectations using ethnographic interviewing, (b) incorporating parental input in the instructional design of a culturally responsive social skill curriculum, and (c) assessing the perceptions of parents and SWPBS team members on the curriculum content and design using social validity questionnaires. Results and discussion are provided in relation to findings of descriptive themes (e.g., respect, safety, family interactions, school-family interactions) from the parent ethnographic interviews and the value of using parental input to increase cultural responsiveness of school-wide behavioral expectations.

We conducted a potential efficacy trial examining the effects of classroom-wide implementation of the Pyramid Model for Promoting Young Children’s Social-Emotional Competence on teachers’ implementation of Pyramid Model practices and children’s social-emotional skills and challenging behavior. Participants were 40 preschool teachers and 494 children. Using a randomized controlled design, 20 teachers received a professional development (PD) intervention to support their implementation of the practices. The 20 teachers in the control condition received workshops after all study-related data were collected. Teachers who received PD significantly improved their implementation of Pyramid Model practices relative to control teachers. Children in intervention teachers’ classrooms were rated as having better social skills and fewer challenging behaviors relative to children in control teachers’ classrooms. Exploratory analyses showed that children at elevated risk for behavior disorders in intervention teachers’ classrooms had improvements in their observed social interaction skills relative to similar children in control teachers’ classrooms.

This conceptual article reviews current research on racial disparities in disciplinary practices in early childhood education and work to address these issues within a positive behavior support (PBS) framework. Building largely on the Pyramid Model, recommendations and a culturally responsive approach are suggested for use within a program-wide PBS framework in early childhood settings. Future directions are discussed to guide efforts toward reducing disparate racial discipline practices in early childhood programs.

In this analysis of extant data from 3,011 schools implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) across multiple years, we assessed the predictive power of various school characteristics and speed of initial implementation on sustained fidelity of implementation of SWPBIS at 1, 3, and 5 years. In addition, we partitioned variance in whether schools sustained SWPBIS at the school, district, and state levels. Results showed that the largest differences in fidelity were at the state level. In addition, school characteristics (particularly grade levels served) and speed of initial implementation were significant but small predictors of sustained implementation. Results are discussed in terms of effective supports at the state and district levels, as well as addressing types of schools at greater risk of abandonment, such as high schools.

Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) have been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific multi-tiered intervention for implementing effective classroom management strategies using PBIS practices. CW-FIT has been shown to be effective in elementary classrooms but has not yet been evaluated with younger age groups. CW-FIT Tier 1 is a group contingency utilizing social skills training, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement to improve student behavior. The present study examined the effects of CW-FIT Tier 1 implementation on student group on-task behavior and on teacher praise and reprimand rates in four preschool classrooms. A single-subject delayed multiple baseline design with embedded reversals was used to evaluate impact. Results indicated the intervention increased student group on-task behavior and teacher praise to reprimand ratios. Both teachers and children found CW-FIT Tier 1 to be socially valid. Limitations and implications of this study for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Full and durable implementation of school-based interventions is supported by regular evaluation of fidelity of implementation. Multiple assessments have been developed to evaluate the extent to which schools are applying the core features of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) was developed to be used as an initial assessment to determine the extent to which a school is using (or needs) SWPBIS, a measure of SWPBIS fidelity of implementation at all three tiers of support, and a tool to guide action planning for further implementation efforts. In this research, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the TFI in three studies: a content validity study, a usability and reliability study, and a large-scale validation study. Results showed strong construct validity for assessing fidelity at all three tiers, strong interrater and 2-week test–retest reliability, high usability for action planning, and strong relations with existing SWPBIS fidelity measures. Implications for accurate evaluation planning are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine if an experimental five-item measure of barriers to implementing and sustaining school-wide prevention practices, the Assessment of Barriers to Implementation and Sustainability in Schools (ABISS), would relate to objective measures of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) implementation fidelity. The ABISS was administered to individuals in 704 U.S. schools implementing SWPBIS across 11 states, and scores were compared with school demographic variables and SWPBIS fidelity of implementation. Results showed acceptable model fit for the ABISS, partial measurement invariance, and statistically significant relations, after controlling for school demographic variables, with SWPBIS fidelity of implementation, except for schools implementing SWPBIS for 5 or more years. These patterns indicate substantial but decreasing relations of perceived barriers to implementation fidelity as schools continue to implement SWPBIS. Implications are discussed in terms of how assessment of perceived barriers can support implementation and sustainability of school-wide prevention practices.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti apakah ada pengaruh penerapan positive behavior support terhadap pengembangan budaya inklusi Surabaya. Budaya inklusi yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah sekumpulan nilai dan perilaku yang mencerminkan usaha untuk mewujudkan tujuan sekolah inklusi, yaitu memberikan hak yang sama bagi seluruh anak untuk mendapatkan layanan pendidikan agar mereka bisa mengembangkan kemampuannya secara maksimal. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada 243 siswa. Teknik sampling yang digunakan adalah cluster random sampling. Alat pengumpulan data berupa skala psikologis, yaitu skala budaya inklusi yang disusun oleh peneliti mengacu pada index for inclusion dari Booth dan Ainscow (2002). Analisis data dilakukan dengan teknik statistik Wilcoxon signed ranks test dengan bantuan program SPSS 16.0 for windows. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Positive behavior support memiliki pengaruh yang cukup signifikan untuk meningkatkan budaya inklusi (r=0.38, p

This study conducted an initial psychometric validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scales (EBPAS; Aarons, 2004) with a sample of workers employed in services that offer support to people with disabilities. Workers completed an online survey containing the EBPAS-GEN (a disability services version) and EBPAS-PBS (a version focused on positive behavior support, an evidence-based practice used in disability services). Confirmatory factor analysis, group differences, and internal consistency results support the psychometric soundness of both versions; however, the EBPAS-GEN shows slightly weaker properties. Evidence-based practice is gaining attention in the disability literature, and these findings add to this body of knowledge. These initial findings support the use of both versions of the EBPAS with populations of workers who work within disability services.

Positive behavior support (PBS) plans are increasingly used on inpatient units to assess and treat serious and dangerous behaviors displayed by patients with serious psychiatric impairment. A contemporary extension of traditional applied behavior analytic procedures, PBS plans integrate theories from several domains with perspectives on community psychology, positive psychology, and recovery-oriented care. Because there is little evidence to suggest that more invasive, punitive disciplinary strategies lead to long-term positive behavioral change (Parkes, 1996), PBS plans have emerged as an alternative to the use of seclusion and restraint or other forms of restrictive measures typically used on inpatient psychiatric units (Hammer et al., 2011). Moreover, PBS plans are a preferred method of intervention because more invasive interventions often cause more harm than good to all involved (Elliott et al., 2005). This article seeks to provide an integrated framework for the development of positive behavior support plans in inpatient psychiatric settings. In addition to explicating the philosophy and core elements of PBS plans, this work includes discussion of the didactic and pragmatic aspects of training clinical staff in inpatient mental health settings. A case vignette is included for illustration and to highlight the use of PBS plans as a mechanism for helping patients transition to less restrictive settings. This work will add to the scant literature examining the use of positive behavioral support plans in inpatient psychiatric settings. (PsycINFO Database Record

The relationship between biological setting events and problem behavior has thus far been described in only a limited number of empirical studies. We evaluated a three-step, multimethod procedure for the systematic assessment and treatment of fatigue as a biological setting event for problem behavior in three individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. The first step involved a descriptive analysis during which we identified individuals having a history of increased behavior problems when fatigued. The second step consisted of a functional analysis of each participant’s problem behavior in relation to two contextual factors: fatigue and task demands. The third step evaluated the utility of a multicomponent intervention package designed to address both the biological context (fatigue) and psychosocial context (task demands). Results indicated that problem behavior was most likely to occur when both task demands (discriminative stimuli) were presented and when the setting event (fatigue) was operative. Implementation of a multicomponent intervention was associated with a dramatic reduction in problem behavior for all three participants. Implications for future studies examining the utility of the three-step procedure for understanding other biological setting events are discussed.