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.
The link you provide as follows:
Only seems to result in an abstract of a report stating:
What this "state of the nation" report seeks to address The 2013 International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support (IJPBS) special issue acknowledged the evolving nature of positive behavioural support (PBS). This "state of the nation" report seeks to provide clarity around the questions that have arisen in respect of "who PBS is for". It proposes an updated, refined definition of PBS and a guide to future PBS delivery for the UK that captures the developments and issues arising as described below. An overview of current and significant research provides a clear narrative about the evidence base "for" PBS, including what the research tells us about how "not to do" PBS. The themes that are explored in this state of the nation report are also pulled together in a proposed logic model for PBS in a UK context to guide future research and practice. As in 2013, the aim is to provide clarity around key issues in relation to PBS, especially those that have arisen in the past eight years, to reflect on PBS in the 2020s in the UK, and to prompt debate about the direction of future service design and delivery models, research and further thinking on PBS.
With there being no mention regarding therefore:
So, as not finding as such I tried the 'International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support' link regarding the publication, which in relation to your question about:
Answers it as follows:
Positive behavioural support (PBS) combines the conceptual framework of applied behaviour analysis with the values base of social role valorisation and framework of person-centred approaches.
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bild/ijpbs;jsessionid=4nkg0tm4htmq6.x-ic-live-03
So Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is the latest methodical iteration and descriptive rebranding of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as being an intervention process, that is described in the 'Positive Behavioural Support ~ A Competence Framework' paper by the Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) Coalition in 2015, so as to promote it as being more popular / efficacious than it historically has been.
Consider perhaps for instance the entirety or just the following statement from the 'A critique of the use of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA): on behalf of the Neurodiversity Manifesto Steering Group' paper by Damien Milton in 2018:
Despite contemporary behaviourist theorists such as Hastings (2013) who favour PBS claiming to use a non-normalising social model approach, it is clear from the above passage that a normative approach to child development and education is being utilised. Such a view can be contrasted with autistic and wider neurodivergent and disabled activist accounts regarding behavioural intervention. A recent multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial conducted by Hassiotis et al. (2018) however found no ‘treatment effects’ in terms of reductions in ‘challenging behaviour’ between those being cared for by staff trained in PBS compared to those that were not, and that further research should:
“...endeavour to identify other interventions that can reduce challenging behaviour.” (Hassiotis et al., 2018:1)
https://kar.kent.ac.uk/69268/1/Applied%20behaviour%20analysis.pdf
Apologies Deepthought, it's a link to a link really, with the full article downloadable from the top right hand corner of the abstract page. I'm very suspicious about behaviourist approaches, but the values base really matters and I guess could make all the difference. So the manner in which it combines "the conceptual framework of applied behaviour analysis with the values base of social role valorisation and framework of person-centred approaches" is something I'll have to consider in more detail. Most of the parts that concern me are mentioned on p7 but I'm going to ask our local group's tutor on the brief PBS course I'm doing for more details. I've noticed that she does refer quite often to "challenging behaviours" but also that she sometimes restates these as "distressed behaviours" and focuses on the reasons behind the behaviours as well as how these can reflect the behaviours of others (incl. carers and parents) as well as the overall environment. The parents on the course are invited to examine their own roles in the distress too. Plus the person-centred approach is also emphasised.
Our own parenting approach has been person-centred for many years but we grow desperate due to multiple issues that we've been unable to overcome as a family so, driven by fear that our situation might never change, I only eventually decided to go on this course. It may be that I've made a mistake and, although it's so far seemed very respectful and collaborative, I've not come across anything that I think would be helpful. Some of this is due to the large number of course examples relating to autistic people who also have learning disabilities. And, even within autism groups, I feel as though I'm in a minority when none of my family have LD - we just need support as an ND family in which lack of earlier identification and understanding has led to severe distress and withdrawal from the world (and I think that's mostly the fault of the cruel world rather than us being inherently "challenging").