Lise Fox

Positive Behavior Support Evolution of an Applied Science

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an applied science that uses educational and systems change methods (environmental redesign) to enhance quality of life and minimize problem behavior. PBS initially evolved within the field of developmental disabilities and emerged from three major sources: applied behavior analysis, the normalization/inclusion movement, and person-centered values. Although elements of PBS can be found in other approaches, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it integrates the following critical features into a cohesive whole: comprehensive lifestyle change, a lifespan perspective, ecological validity, stakeholder participation, social validity, systems change and multicomponent intervention, emphasis on prevention, flexibility in scientific practices, and multiple theoretical perspectives. These characteristics are likely to produce future evolution of PBS with respect to assessment practices, intervention strategies, training, and extension to new populations. The approach reflects a more general trend in the social sciences and education away from pathology-based models to a new positive model that stresses personal competence and environmental integrity.

Prevention and Intervention with Young Children's Challenging Behavior: Perspectives Regarding Current Knowledge.

Challenging behavior exhibited by young children is becoming recognized as a serious impediment to social–emotional development and a harbinger of severe maladjustment in school and adult life. Consequently, professionals and advocates from many disciplines have been seeking to define, elaborate, and improve on existing knowledge related to the prevention and resolution of young childrens challenging behaviors. Of particular concern for the field of behavioral disorders is the lack of correspondence between what is known about effective practices and what practices young children with challenging behavior typically receive. To increase the likelihood that children receive the best of evidence-based practices, the current analysis was conducted to provide a concise synthesis and summary of the principal evidence pertaining to the presence and impact, prevention, and intervention of challenging behaviors in young children. A consensus building process involving review and synthesis was used to produce brief summary statements encapsulating core conclusions from the existing evidence. This article presents these statements along with descriptions of the strength of the supporting evidence. The discussion addresses directions and priorities for practice and future research.

An Experimental Evaluation of Positive Behavior Support in a Community Preschool Program

Although positive behavior support (PBS) has been established as an effective approach for resolving the challenging behaviors of many populations, little research has evaluated PBS with children under the age of 4 years. In addition, few studies have considered the effectiveness of PBS delivered via consultation in typical childcare and preschool settings. This study was conducted to examine the effects of PBS implemented by typical classroom staff for two 3-year-old girls in a community-based preschool accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Within the context of A-B-A-B designs, the data indicated reductions in challenging behaviors and increases in engagement for both girls in two separate group contexts. Fidelity data indicated that some components of the PBS plans were implemented but others were not. The findings support the efficacy of PBS with young children in natural settings while raising questions for future research regarding the utilization and efficiency of PBS support plans.

Prevention and Intervention for the Challenging Behaviors of Toddlers and Preschoolers

An early manifestation of atypical social-emotional development is the occurrence of challenging behaviors. While some challenging behaviors dissipate during and following the early years, others persist and even escalate, marking increasingly problematic developmental trajectories, school failure, and social maladjustment. Increasing attention has begun to focus on the early identification and prevention of challenging behaviors and on strategies for resolving such behaviors at their earliest appearance. In this article, the authors discuss what is known about challenging behaviors in the repertoires of toddlers and preschoolers, and present a model of prevention and intervention. Although research in this area is limited, there are encouraging signs that a coordinated adoption of validated practices could substantially reduce challenging behaviors and thereby enhance the social and emotional well-being of children in todays society.

Essential Elements of Inservice Training in Positive Behavior Support

Positive behavior support is an effective and proactive approach for resolving serious problem behaviors that has been recommended by a growing number of professionals, advocates, policies, and laws. Building the capacity of educators and other professionals to provide positive behavior support is a vital concern as schools and community agencies serve increasingly diverse populations that include children and youth with disabilities and problem behaviors. This article describes issues and essential elements for building such capacity through inservice training. A core curriculum is outlined, and a national exemplar of comprehensive inservice training is described. Essential features of training that are needed for the development of practical skills are discussed.

A Demonstration of Behavioral Support for Young Children with Autism

Young children with autism sometimes display severe behavior problems that can cause great disruptions in family life and interfere with attempts to provide needed services. Strategies are needed to resolve these behavior problems in a manner that is effective, durable, and consistent with current approaches to positive, comprehensive, and inclusionary practice in early childhood intervention. This article provides a description of behavioral support as applied in the context of a family-centered early intervention program for young children with autism. Demonstration data are presented to illustrate the effects of the approach in reducing the problem behaviors of six children. The practices and data are discussed in the context of changing perspectives toward early intervention and the prospects of developing effective preventive strategies and functional deterrents to the emergence and occurrence of serious problem behaviors.

Coaching Early Childhood Special Educators to Implement a Comprehensive Model for Promoting Young Children’s Social Competence

Growing evidence suggests the importance of practitioners implementing promotion, prevention, and intervention practices to foster children’s social-emotional competence and address challenging behavior within schools. Limited research exists, however, on how to support teachers of school-age children to implement with fidelity comprehensive frameworks that organize promotion, prevention, and intervention practices, and even fewer studies have examined implementation within early childhood classrooms. In this study, three teachers were trained and coached to implement promotion, prevention, and intervention practices related to the Teaching Pyramid Model. Findings from the present single-subject multiple probe across teachers’ experimental study offer evidence of a functional relationship between training and coaching and implementation of practices associated with the model. Results are discussed with respect to challenges related to supporting teachers to implement with fidelity a complex and comprehensive array of evidence-based practices and the critical importance of coaching.

A Program-Wide Model of Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Settings:

An increasing need exists in the field of early intervention for effective approaches to address challenging behavior in early childhood settings. This need is driven by the growing number of preschool children reported to have challenging behavior and the increasing knowledge base about the long-term outcomes for children who engage in problem behavior during the early childhood years. Teachers report that challenging behavior is one of their highest priority training needs. A promising approach to addressing challenging behavior in early childhood settings is a program-wide system of positive behavior support (PBS). While a program-wide PBS model has been clearly articulated for use in elementary and secondary schools, relatively little attention has been given to program-wide models of behavior support in early childhood programs. The purpose of this article is to describe the essential elements of a program-wide model of positive behavior support that reflects an understanding of the needs of young children and the unique characteristics of early childhood settings (e.g., Head Start, public preschool, child care). The article also will provide an illustration of the adoption of the program-wide model by a rural Head Start program.

Young Children with Challenging Behavior Issues and Considerations for Behavior Support

The critical importance of intervening early to promote the social and emotional development of young children is a recurring theme in several reports commissioned by national organizations and leaders (i.e., Child Mental Health Foundations and Agencies Network; National Research Council of the Institute of Medicine; U.S. Surgeon General). There is an increasing awareness that social—emotional difficulties and problem behaviors in young children are highly likely to continue in school. In addition, young children who show the most chronicity and stability of problem behavior are more likely to be members of families who experience marital distress, parental depression, and poverty. Young children in urban environments who have problem behavior are likely to also face challenges in health, poverty, and access to quality childcare and other services. In this article, the complexity of the urban context is described with a focus on the lives of young children and their families. The authors present a discussion of appropriate practices and research that provides a foundation for the development of effective early intervention programs for young children affected by environmental and developmental challenges. The emphasis of program recommendations is on comprehensiveness in the design of family-centered behavioral support options.

A Preliminary Evaluation of Learning within Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Settings.

The use of naturalistic teaching procedures to teach a variety of skills in developmentally appropriate early childhood settings was evaluated. Two single subject studies show the acquisition and maintenance of skills taught to preschoolers with disabilities within developmentally appropriate play contexts. The results of the research indicate that the use of naturalistic teaching procedures within developmentally appropriate activities can result in the acquisition and maintenance of targeted skills. These data offer support for embedding the instruction of skills within the context of play activities as a viable and effective way to teach young children with disabilities in programs that use Developmentally Appropriate Practice as a curriculum framework.