What is Positive Behaviour Support - Fact Sheet

Traditional approaches to managing challenging behaviour have been largely ineffective in creating lasting and positive change for people living with acquired brain injury. A more effective and modern approach to Challenging Behaviour is Positive Behaviour Support.

• What is Positive Behaviour Support
• Key Points on Positive Behaviour
• Support Practising Positive Behaviour Support

Historical responses to challenging and complex behaviours have included imprisonment, torture and banishment from the community. Many traditional methods of managing or changing challenging behaviour have been forms of punishment and coercion. Human history is littered with examples of punishment being used to control behaviour the community does not like. It can still be seen today in response to challenging Behaviour, whether with prisons on the societal level or the subtle ‘cold shoulder’ at a personal level.

Examples of Punishment or Coercion

• Taking away desired objects
• Locking away/secluding
• Hitting
• Tying up
• Ignoring/shunning
• Bribing (Coercion)

What Is Positive Behaviour Support

Positive behaviour support is a modern approach to challenging behaviours. It is transforming the way we respond to people with disabilities when their behaviour prevents them accessing the community, or is a danger to themselves or others. It is now an internationally accepted approach and has been adopted by Disability Services Queensland and many other organisations in the disability sector.

Generally, Positive Behaviour Support is a term encompassing strategies and methods that aim to assist a person to reduce challenging behaviour and increase the person’s quality of life through teaching a person new skills and adjusting their environment to promote positive behaviour changes.

• Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies are considered effective when interventions result in increases in a person’s success and personal satisfaction.
• Interventions are considered successful when they lead to enhancement of positive social interactions across work, school, recreational, and community settings
• Positive behavior support assessment and intervention strategies are based upon research in applied behavior analysis.
• PBS asserts that behaviour serves a purpose and is influenced by the environment, so therefore the persons wider support network and environment need to be considered.

Key points on Positive Behaviour Support

Positive behaviour support is exactly what it sounds like — a supportive, positive approach. Some key points of positive behaviour support include:

• We should not try to control other people, but should support them in their own behaviour change process
• There is a reason behind most challenging behaviour, such as meeting an unmet need
• Every person has unique strengths and talents that can be utilised
• Everyone should be treated with compassion and respect regardless of their behaviour
• Everyone is entitled to quality of life and effective services after acquiring a brain injury
• Our growing knowledge about how to provide support for positive behaviour can make a big difference
• Positive responses will be more effective than coercion and punishment.

Practicing Positive Behaviour Support

So how would we approach a behavioural issue using this approach?

• Identify and understand the behaviour and its antecedents
• Improve quality of life to reduce the incidence of challenging behaviour. For example, boredom or loneliness can be triggers for challenging behaviours.
• Model and encourage positive behaviour
• Teach new skills to communicate needs.
• Develop positive intervention when challenging behaviours occur
• Develop steps to manage crisis situations if needed
• Keep evaluating the support strategies used
• Involve the whole family and close support network
• Support caregivers who are affected by challenging behaviours.

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