Teachers’ Guides to Inclusive Practices

Behavior Support

Authors

Rachel Janney, Ph.D.
Martha E. Snell, Ph.D.

Contents

• About the Forms
• About the Authors
• Contributors
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Positive Behavior Support
  • Three-Tiered Model of Schoolwide Systems for Student Support
  • Using Positive Behavior Support in Schools
  • Core Features and Principles of Positive Behavior Support
  • Positive Behavior Support Teams
• 2 Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Rationale for Primary-Tier Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
  • Safe and Responsive School Climate
  • Unified Schoolwide Discipline Approach
  • Active Development of Social and Emotional Competencies
  • Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support
  • Systems-Change Process for Establishing and Sustaining Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
• 3 Classwide and Selected Interventions
  • Classwide Interventions
  • Team Facilitation of Selected Interventions
  • Identifying Students for Selected Interventions
  • Matching Identified Students with Selected Interventions: Simple Functional Behavior Assessment
• 5 Designing, Using, and Evaluating Individualized Positive Behavior Supports
• References
• Appendix A: Blank Forms
• Team Meeting Agenda and Minutes
• Steps and Tools to Develop Individualized Positive Behavior Supports
• Program-at-a-Glance
• Step 1A Worksheet: Problem Identification and Decisions About Priorities
• Step 1B Worksheet: Safety Plan
• Incident Record
• Step 2A Worksheet: Student-Centered Functional Behavior Assessment Profile
• Student Schedule Analysis
• Interval Recording or Scatter Plot
• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Observation
• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Checklist

About the Authors

Linda M. Bambara, Ed.D.

Linda M. Bambara is a professor and program director of special education at Lehigh University. She has over 35 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities as a teacher, trainer, researcher, and author.

Rachel Janney, Ph.D.

Rachel Janney is an independent scholar and consultant who has worked in various roles within special education and positive behavior supports. She is recognized for her contributions to the inclusion of students with extensive learning and behavior support needs.

Contributors

• Raquel M. Burns, M.Ed.
  A doctoral student at Lehigh University, Burns coordinated programs supporting adults with developmental disabilities.
• Dolly Singley, M.Ed.
  A doctoral student at Lehigh University who provided services for transition-age youth and adults with disabilities.

Core Features and Principles of Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) operates on several foundational principles:

1. Behavior is Learned and Can Change
   Problem behaviors result from interactions with the environment and can be modified through effective teaching and support.
2. Support is Based on the Function of Behavior
   Understanding why a behavior occurs is essential for creating effective interventions.
3. Support Emphasizes Prevention and Teaching
   PBS focuses on creating supportive environments where positive behavior is taught and problems are prevented.
4. Supports and Outcomes are Personally and Socially Valued
   The goal of PBS to enhance social skills, personal responsibility, and academic success.
5. Comprehensive, Integrated Support Networks
   A multi-tiered support system is necessary to effectively address behavioral issues and promote a positive school climate.

What the Research Says

Effectiveness of Positive Behavior Support

Research has shown that Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) effectively reduces disciplinary referrals and suspensions, and improves academic performance in diverse educational settings.

Universal Level Outcomes

• Reduced office disciplinary referrals
• Increased perceptions of school safety
• Improved academic performance
• Decreased disruptive behavior

Secondary Level Supports

Effective strategies at this level include increased adult attention, clearly stated expectations, and individualized instruction tailored to specific student needs.

Tertiary Level Interventions

For students with chronic behavior problems, individualized PBS plans based on thorough functional analysis are crucial for success.

Student Snapshots

Austin

A second grader who struggles with frustration in challenging tasks; his problem behaviors serve as a way to escape difficult work.

Sophia

A fourth grader with autism who uses rocking as a way to cope with overwhelming sensory stimuli in chaotic environments.

Harley

A tenth grader with behavioral challenges who craves peer attention and often resorts to disruptive behaviors to gain it.

These insights illustrate how understanding the function of behaviors and employing structured support frameworks can positively impact student outcomes in educational settings.