What is Positive Behavior Support (PBS)?

Positive Behavior Support is an approach that schools and families can use to help a child experience success in school and at home. This approach believes that a full understanding of the child is needed for long-term behavior change. This includes determining the ways that the different settings affect behavior and understanding why the child engages in behavior that is both problematic and adaptive. Based on this information, a comprehensive plan can be developed that will change the environment to prevent problem behavior from occurring and teach the child better ways of getting his or her needs met in difficult situations. Plans focus on meaningful changes that will reduce problem behaviors over the long term provide the child with a better quality of life.