What is PBS?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a person-centred, values-led approach that focuses on enhancing an individual's quality of life and that of those around them. By understanding the reasons behind behaviours, PBS aims to promote inclusion, choice, and participation, ensuring support is tailored to meet each person's unique needs and aspirations.
What are behaviours of concern?
Compromise the safety and well-being of the individual or others.
Limit opportunities for meaningful community involvement and participation.
Negatively impact an individual's rights, dignity, and overall quality of life.
A common misconception about PBS is that it focuses on controlling or managing behaviours. In reality, PBS is an approach that prioritises enhancing an individual's quality of life, autonomy, and inclusion. By understanding the underlying reasons for behaviours—often expressions of unmet needs—PBS aims to create supportive environments that meet those needs, thereby reducing the occurrence of challenging behaviours.
When individuals experience greater happiness and a sense of control over their lives, the frequency and intensity of behaviours of concern often decrease. Thus, the primary objective of PBS is to improve well-being and empower individuals, rather than merely attempting to control behaviour.
To effectively teach alternative behaviours and implement supportive environmental changes, it's essential to understand the underlying reasons—or functions—of the behaviours in question.
By identifying what motivates and maintains these behaviours, we can develop strategies that address the root causes, rather than just the symptoms. This approach ensures that interventions are tailored to meet the individual's specific needs, promoting more sustainable and positive outcomes.
Functions of behaviour
Behaviours often serve specific purposes, commonly categorized into four primary functions:
Escape/Avoidance: The individual seeks to avoid or escape an undesired situation, task, or stimulus.
Attention: The behaviour aims to gain social interaction or a response from others
Access to Tangibles: The individual desires a specific item or activity and engages in behaviour to obtain it.
Sensory Stimulation: The behaviour provides internal sensory feedback or pleasure.
Restrictive Practices
Restrictive practices are interventions that limit a person's rights or freedom of movement. Under the NDIS, these practices are regulated and should only be used as a last resort to prevent harm, with a clear focus on reducing and eliminating their use over time.
There are 5 different types of restrictive practices.
