Published on 12, July, 2020
Just wondering - has anybody here had any positive experiences of Positive Behaviour support (PBS). I've noticed it on the NAS website but wonder now whether the NAS needs to go a lot further and give much more detail on this topic.https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/bild/ijpbs/2022/00000012/a00101s1/art00001?fbclid=IwAR13fWuCv-duwD_s7YLAbgx7a4kGrwZQbOe7eBEj2fEb8r9y8wOOgP7PdIMIt states that, "Of particular concern is the tendency to group together autism and learning disabilities" (something I find when I join groups locally and discover that many of the concerns are skewed towards learning disabilities rather than autism), plus, " It should be noted, however, that PBS as defined here, and int he past, is not intended for persons identifying as neurodivergent who do not have a learning disability".I'm left wondering why so many autism groups actively promote it. Or is it like ABA in that pratitioners will say, "Oh, our PBS is different. We don't do that and we're very respectful and person-centred".The NAS site says:https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/positive-behaviour-support-pbsbut I'm thinking we need more guidance on this.
This thread was JUST posted on Twitter about PBS twitter.com/.../1515251990988836865
Yes, plus the Ann Memmott link is also now circulating on Facebook so the subject is getting more of an airing in response to this article. And I'm really interested because I'm always looking out for more information which might help our family, whilst being guarded that I don't choose anything that could be damaging.Now, in the parent group I'm in, we're doing a brief PBS course and, in this course, a person-centred, empathic and understanding approach is being emphasised and, to my mind, bears no relation to what i've heard about PBS and ABA in other online communities. But I remain concerned about its underpinnings. What I'm experiencing so far more closely ressembles what Ann Memmott describes as the work of really good PBS teams who start from a person-centred, trauma-informed position and emphasise collaborative listening (in the following link from around 16.20 minutes in, with the question on the link between PBS and ABA beginning around 14.52). But this makes me question what makes the approach we're being taught PBS, rather than just a gentle, person-centred approach. I need ot ask at the final session in a couple of weeks' time, i think. www.youtube.com/watch
I have just looked at the Twitter thread. What I know about PBS is that it is much like ABA and therefore harmful. PBS is sometimes just a different way of describing the same thing. Thank you for the thread it is very informative.