How to Provide Positive Behavior Supports

Positive behavior supports (PBS) is an evidence-based framework that uses functional assessment, proactive strategies, and data-driven decision-making to improve behavior and quality of life.

Research has shown that PBS can reduce challenging behaviors while improving social and functional outcomes. Because of this, PBS is widely used in IDD services, education, and behavioral health settings.

Grounded in applied behavior analysis, the concept of positive behavior supports emerged in response to deinstitutionalization and the move toward person centered supports and services.

This focus on the individual has led positive behavior supports to include features such as:

• Collaboration with other caregivers
• Helping the client move toward lifestyle enhancements
• The use of function-based interventions

Whether you’re supporting individuals with IDD, working in a school, or leading a care team, PBS provides a structured way to create lasting behavior change.

The core elements of positive behavior supports

As an evidence-based system, research has identified several core elements of positive behavior supports:

1. Systems
2. Data
3. Practices
4. Outcomes
5. Equity

These elements are commonly emphasized in PBIS frameworks and are often incorporated into broader PBS approaches.

Systems

PBS systems define how teams are organized, trained, and supported to consistently implement behavior support strategies across settings.

For example, how well are your training your staff in the PBS system and person-centered care? And, how well are you coaching partner organizations on these topics?

Data

To effectively use PBS, you need to collect and analyze data on how your staff and clients are doing. These data sets should include:

• Screening for any other necessary supports: Make sure to screen your clients for any behavioral issues they may be experiencing so you can provide the best care possible.
• Client outcomes: Understanding how well your clients do as a result of your care will help you to continue to refine and improve your practices.
• Implementation data: This will help determine how well your staff and partner organizations implementing are implementing PBS best practices.

Practices

Use person-centered methods of care to improve behavioral, social, and emotional outcomes for your clients. This means getting to know your clients and their unique preferences and needs, and providing care with these in mind.

Outcomes

Outcomes are the name of the game in PBS. To determine the efficacy of your work, measure the behavioral, social, and emotional growth of your clients during their work with your positive behavior supports.

Equity

In positive behavior supports, equity is two-fold:

• To ensure clients are treated with the same level of respect as their peers.
• To ensure partner organizations or other care givers can properly meet the needs of these clients.

This ensures that your clients will lead a happy, fulfilling life, and that they can continue to get the supports they need when not actively in your care.

How to implement positive behavior supports (step-by-step)

To help your clients, you need to look at several key areas from a positive behavior support perspective. This means taking a step back and working through the processes that culminate in a positive behavior support plan and its implementation:

1. Focus on quality of life
2. Conduct functional behavior assessments
3. Use proactive PBS strategies
4. Collaborate across teams
5. Implement PBS across the organization

Step 1: Focus on quality of life and outcomes

The primary intervention in positive behavior supports is improving a person’s lifestyle according to their defined quality of life.

Quality of life is a subjective measure of happiness which often includes satisfaction with relationships, participation in valued activities, involvement in the life of the community, and experiencing the best possible health.

Helping someone improve their satisfaction with life significantly reduces the function of challenging behavior.

Step 2: Conduct functional behavior assessments

All behavior serves a purpose. To prevent challenging behavior from occurring, we need to accurately understand why it is occurring. We can then teach alternative skills or replacement behaviors.

This requires conducting a functional behavior assessment (FBA). To conduct an FBA, talk to your client to get answers to the following questions:

• In what context did the behavior occur?
• What was happening before the incident?
• What does the client gain from the behavior?

The answers to these questions will help identify the purpose of your client’s behavior. Using this information, you can begin implementing concrete action plans in Step 3.

Step 3: Use proactive strategies in PBS

The best method for addressing problem behavior is preventing it from occurring. And learning new skills and/or positive replacement behaviors is key to prevention.

Common PBS interventions include environmental modifications, visual supports, reinforcement systems, and communication training.

For example, an individual with IDD who has limited communication skills may become frustrated when they cannot express their needs. Teaching an alternative method of communication, such as hand signals, can help prevent this frustration.

Step 4: Collaboration across teams using a PBS plan

Developing positive behavior supports requires the close collaboration of the person supported and the people who both care about them and for them. All parties must be committed to open communication and a shared vision of success.

This means that stakeholders across interdisciplinary teams participate in all aspects of the support process with the person supported at the center.

Step 5: PBS implementation in provider organizations

Leaders need to provide endorsement and encouragement for a positive behavior supports-based approach. By getting buy-in from the top down, your organization can ensure that resources and training are a priority.

Systems change is only possible if all stakeholders share a common vision. Therefore, make sure that your staff also share this vision and have the proper training to see it through to fruition.

Having leadership and staff all working toward the goal of implementing positive behavior supports will make the process easier and lead to providing better care to clients sooner.

A real-life example of positive behavior supports

There are a few people you meet during your career that leave a lasting impact. I was lucky to have met Luis.

The year before coming to our agency, Luis shared an apartment with his wife, and he worked full time at a mechanic shop. He would often ride the bus to the mall to hang out with friends or visit his family. Direct support professionals helped with more difficult tasks like grocery shopping and cooking.

The following real-world example shows how positive behavior supports are applied in practice.

Recognizing when clients need positive behavior supports

He was friendly and charismatic but also had a reputation of being difficult to work with. Luis would frequently get upset over what seemed like the slightest issue, lashing out at his staff, and destroying things in his home. One day, he wanted to go to the store to buy a bag of potato chips, but staff members were not able to take him right away. He became upset, threw several dining chairs, and broke a large window.

We met as a team to discuss the incident. What happened? Why could he not wait to go to the store? Did he have a bad day? On the surface, it seemed clear. Staff members were not able to meet his demands immediately, so he became angry and broke a window. But if we look at it from the perspective of positive behavior support, the incident looks a lot different.

The effect of positive behavior supports

With all of these factors in mind, my team and I dug deeper into the context and the function of Luis’s behavior and how he viewed his life. We found that Luis’s life had changed dramatically over a brief period before receiving services from our agency, and this was reflected in his challenging behavior.

Whereas Luis had at one time had a large amount of autonomy, he had begun to experience severe issues with his balance and ambulation and was diagnosed with a degenerative disease affecting his muscles. The disease progressed quickly, and he was soon unable to do many of the things he used to enjoy.

When we paused and looked at the broken window from a positive behavior supports lens, we were able to develop meaningful supports to help Luis adjust to his new support setting and live a more fulfilling life. As his needs evolved and changed, so did his supports. While he still experienced frustration in his daily life, we were better equipped to provide appropriate and meaningful supports without unnecessary restrictions.

Key takeaways about positive behavior supports

• Positive behavior supports (PBS) is an evidence-based framework for understanding and improving behavior.
• PBS focuses on identifying the function of behavior through assessment and data analysis.
• A positive behavior support plan includes proactive strategies, skill-building, and ongoing evaluation.
• PBS is widely used in IDD services, education, and behavioral health settings.
• The goal of PBS is to improve quality of life while reducing challenging behaviors.

Frequently asked questions about positive behavior supports

What are positive behavior supports (PBS)?

Positive behavior supports (PBS) is an evidence-based framework used to understand why challenging behaviors occur and to teach safer, more appropriate alternatives. It combines functional behavior assessment, proactive strategies, and data-driven decision-making to improve quality of life and reduce problem behaviors.

How are positive behavior supports different from applied behavior analysis (ABA)?

Positive behavior supports is rooted in applied behavior analysis but places a stronger emphasis on quality of life, person-centered planning, and reducing the need for restrictive interventions. While ABA focuses on behavior change through reinforcement, PBS expands this approach to include environmental changes, collaboration, and long-term outcomes.

What is included in a positive behavior support plan?

A positive behavior support plan typically includes a functional behavior assessment, identified triggers for behavior, proactive prevention strategies, teaching of replacement skills, and data collection methods to track progress. These plans are individualized and developed collaboratively with the person receiving support and their care team.

Who uses positive behavior supports?

Positive behavior supports are used by a range of professionals, including direct support professionals, behavior analysts, educators, clinicians, and caregivers. PBS is commonly applied in settings such as schools, residential programs, and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

What are examples of positive behavior supports?

Examples of positive behavior supports include teaching communication skills to replace challenging behaviors, modifying the environment to reduce triggers, using visual schedules or cues, and reinforcing positive behaviors. These strategies are designed to prevent problems before they occur and support long-term success.

Why are positive behavior supports important?

Positive behavior supports are important because they address the underlying causes of behavior rather than just the symptoms. By focusing on prevention, skill-building, and quality of life, PBS helps individuals achieve greater independence, improve relationships, and participate more fully in their communities.