Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support

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Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support

• By Margaret (Cahill) Rogan

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What is Positive Behavioral Intervention and
Support?

• PBIS is a system approach to behavior management.
• PBIS is the application of behavioral
  interventions in order to achieve socially
  important behavior change.
• PBIS focuses on what the student is getting out
  of the behavior- the reason behind the act.
• PBIS is neither a cookie cutter approach nor a
  bag of tricks.
• PBIS teaches behavioral expectations and
  appropriate replacement behaviors for maladaptive
  behavior.
• PBIS creates an effective environment for
  learning to occur.
• PBIS is the integration of behavioral science,
  practical interventions, social values, and a
  systems perspective.

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What is it not?

• PBIS is not just a behavior plan, although that
  may be a part of it.
• PBIS is not punitive, but instructive.
• PBIS is not new, but is an effort to improve
  behavioral interventions and support.
• PBIS is not a quick fix. It takes time and
  energy to design and implement.
• PBIS is not your mothers discipline.

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How is this different than what weve always done?

• PBIS
• Focuses on changing the cause of the behavior.
• Teaches a replacement behavior.
• Is a system approach- looks at all aspects of the
  students life.
• Problem is seen as a part of the environment.

• Traditional
• Focuses on changing the child.
• Punishes the child without teaching.
• Is only concerned with stopping the negative
  behavior at school.
• Problem is seen as part of the child.

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Why should PBIS be used?

• Science has shown that most behavior is learned,
  is controlled by environmental factors, and can
  be changed.
• Students with severe behavior problems are few
  (lt5 of the school), but take a lot of resources
  and energy (gt50 of behavioral incidents handled
  by the office).
• PBIS creates an environment where problem
  behavior is less effective, efficient and
  relevant.
• Desired behavior becomes more functional- it
  meets the same needs as the misbehavior in a more
  appropriate way.

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FBA based PBIS

• Students who exhibit the most extreme behavior
  require highly specialized and individualized
  behavior plans. These are based on a Functional
  Behavior Assessment (FBA).
• FBA systematically documents the events that
  predict and maintain problem behavior.
• Once we know what causes and continues a
  behavior, it is possible to change that behavior.
• This approach is a way in which target
  interventions can be developed and monitored for
  effectiveness.

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Components of FBA

• Hypothesis Statement- The hypothesis should
  include a clear definition of the problem
  behavior, description of antecedent events that
  predict behavior, and consequence events that
  maintain behavior. For example When presented
  with a task that is perceived as too difficult,
  Joe will tear the paper up. As a result, Joe is
  sent out of the room.
• Direct Observation Data
• Behavior Support Plan

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Steps of FBA

• Gather information about when and where the
  problem behavior does and does not occur and
  where more appropriate behavior is required.-
  Setting events, antecedent events, problem
  behaviors, and consequence events.
• Develop a testable hypothesis.
• Direct observation data is collected to verify
  the accuracy or predictability of hypothesis.
• Develop the behavior support plan that include
  strategies for alternative behaviors,
  manipulating antecedent events, changing
  consequence events, and altering the setting in
  which problem behavior occurs.
• Develop implementation scripts for how, when, by
  whom and where the plan will be implemented.
• Collect data about the effectiveness of the plan
  and modify the plan as necessary.

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Evolution of PBIS

• Developed as an alternative to aversive
  interventions for students with self-injurious
  and aggressive behavior.
• Now applied to a wide-range of students in a
  wide-range of contexts.
• Extended from use with individual students to
  entire schools.

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Key Principles of PBIS

• Behavioral Science
• Behavior is affected by many environmental
  factors behavioral, bio-behavioral, social and
  physical.
• Disruptive and dangerous behavior can usually be
  traced to unintentional behavioral exchanges
  between students, peers or teachers.
• As we understand more about problem behaviors, we
  are better able to teach socially appropriate and
  functional behavior.
• Different strategies and procedures are applied
  at different levels.

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Key Principles of PBIS

• Practical Interventions
• Behavior support plans are developed using a
  functional behavior assessment.
• Interventions emphasize controlling and modifying
  the environment, adapting the curriculum, and
  removing the rewards that have been maintaining
  the negative behavior.
• Teaching is seen as a behavior change tool.
• Research-validated practices are used functional
  behavior assessment, direct instruction, and
  applied behavior analytic strategies.
• Data is collect before and after interventions to
  determine the success of PBIS.

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Key Principles of PBIS

• Social Values
• Behavior change needs to be socially significant
  comprehensive, durable, and relevant.
• Goal is more than the control of problem
  behavior. It is also the improvement of learning
  and living opportunities.
• Intervention strategies need to be culturally and
  socially sensitive.
• Consider the students current and future quality
  of life in all settings school, work, home,
  sports team, etc.
• Only non-aversive techniques and interventions
  are used.

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Key Principles of PBIS

• Systems Perspective
• Administrative support and participation are
  necessary.
• Interventions are policy driven.
• A team approach is used.
• Considers the multiple contexts in which behavior
  occurs individual, home, classroom,
  non-classroom, school and district.
• Proactive perspective is maintained.
• Provides a continuum of support in which
  prevention is emphasized and intensity and
  context of problem are considered.

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How can PBIS be implemented on a school-wide
basis?

• An example Everyday students run to the lunch
  line. Sometimes the students bump into kids
  carrying their food and it spills. The kids are
  racing and when they reach the line, arguing
  ensues over who was there first. Sometimes this
  results in pushing and physical altercations.
• Possible Goals of Behavior Responding to a lack
  of structure, peer attention by being first in
  line.

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How can PBIS be implemented on a school-wide
basis?

• New Plan with PBIS Teachers have agreed that
  this lunchtime behavior is a problem. Starting
  on Monday, every teacher is going to discuss with
  their class the behavior that is not acceptable.
  They will discuss and practice the appropriate
  way to get to the lunch line. The lunchtime aides
  will keep track of classes that behave
  exceptionally and they will be able to earn
  rewards.
• Teachers will also provide an opportunity to race
  at another point in the day for the kids that
  want to. For example, at the beginning or end of
  PE, kids can race to the field or back to the
  blacktop.

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How can PBIS be implemented in a classroom?

• An example Homework is due everyday. Your TA
  checks it in after lunch. The TA reports to you
  who has not turned in homework. You then have to
  stop teaching and ask 5 or 6 students about their
  homework. You get the typical stories from some.
  Some go out to their backpacks to get it. By
  the time you are done, youve wasted 20 minutes
  of instruction time and the rest of the class and
  you are now distracted.

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How can PBIS be implemented in a classroom?

• Possible Goals of Behavior- Avoidance of failure,
  attention of peers, attention of teacher,
  sabotage of the lesson.
• Students may not be doing homework because it is
  too difficult or they are afraid of failure.
• By asking students in public for their homework,
  you are giving them a stage on which to perform.
  They are getting attention from you and their
  peers are watching.
• Some student may have figured out that they do
  not like the subject that you teach after lunch
  and are trying to disrupt it.

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How can PBIS be implemented in a classroom?

• New Plan with PBIS- Homework is due everyday, but
  is not graded. It is practice- the goal is to
  practice not be perfect. This will help those
  who are afraid to fail. The TA checks in
  homework before lunch reports to you all those
  who have turned in homework. (Look for the
  positive.) Dismiss to lunch those who have
  turned in homework. Now you have time to talk to
  those who have not without an audience and
  without interrupting your teaching.

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How can PBIS be implemented with just one student?

• An Example- When the students are supposed to be
  working at their desks on independent work, Billy
  spends a lot of time looking around the room,
  talking to others, and tapping his pencil on his
  desk. You have repeatedly reminded Billy to get
  started and the other students mostly ignore him.
  His pencil tapping irritates the other students
  and eventually someone yells at him. By the time
  Billy gets started, there are only a few minutes
  left to work and Billy does not finish the
  assignment.

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How can PBIS be implemented with just one student?

• Goal of Misbehavior- Avoidance of failure,
  attention seeking, need for physical movement
• Avoidance of Failure- Billy does not start his
  assignment on time because he is afraid that he
  will not be able to do it.
• Attention Seeking- Billy is looking for attention
  from his peers and so he tries to talk to them
  during work time.
• Need for Physical Movement- Billy may have ADHD
  and need to move more than other kids. Pencil
  tapping is his attempt to control this.

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How can PBIS be implemented with just one student?

• New Plan with PBIS- When assignment is given, you
  check in with Billy to be sure he understands.
  Watch him begin the work. He is getting your
  attention and showing himself that the work is
  not too hard. When Billy finishes the
  assignment, he can choose a friend that has
  finished and they can talk quietly in the
  classroom library until the class is ready to
  move on. You talk with Billy about how he
  physically feels when he gets restless. You help
  him identify the physical symptoms. Give Billy a
  small lump of Playdough or a stress ball in his
  desk. When he is feeling restless, he can
  squeeze this quietly in his desk. Give Billy a
  log where he can mark whenever he gets through a
  lesson without disrupting others with his pencil
  and reward this.

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What data do we need to collect to determine if
PBIS is successful?

• Before beginning any plan we need to determine
  the severity and prevalence of the behavior.
  Data needs to be collected from a variety of data
  sources (point sheets, discipline referrals,
  etc.), through a range of methods (direct
  observation, review of records, etc.), and from
  multiple human sources (students, family, etc).
• In the homework example, for two weeks, document
  how many students miss homework each day and how
  long it takes to deal with it. Determine the
  average number of students and the average wasted
  time.
• Two weeks after beginning the new plan, collect
  the same data and look for a change. If there
  has not been an improvement, analyze how
  effectively the plan was implemented and other
  factors that could be influencing the plan.
• Determine if the plan should continue as is, be
  modified, or needs to be completely reworked.

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PBIS- a new way of thinking about problematic
behavior.

• Students with severe behavioral challenges are a
  small group, but they are more than half of the
  behavioral incidents in school- High Impact.
• PBIS helps identify and organize effective school
  practices.
• Creating an environment where these kids can be
  successful will benefit all students.
• Proactive school environments have the capacity
  to identify, adopt, and sustain the use of
  effective policies, systems, and practices.
• The goal of PBIS is use the information learned
  from the FBA to guide the design of environments
  that support adaptive behavior and lessen the
  functionality of problem behavior.