Development of Positive Behavior Support to Improve Quality of Life

Abstract

The present article discusses, from the perspective of quality of life, the development of positive behavior support (PBS) for people with behavior problems. Articles published in the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions from 1999 to 2008 were analyzed. From the total, 65 articles were selected and analyzed in relation to 10 themes characteristic of positive behavior support. Participants in the studies examined included individuals with developmental disabilities and also students school-wide. Most of the research surveyed related to the promotion of positive behavior in order to resolve or prevent some behavior problem. Hypotheses were developed exclusively based on functional assessments. A smaller number of studies focused on the living environment, in order to develop support plans and evaluations. Results of the present analysis indicate that less attention has been paid to positive behavioral contingencies. Future directions for research were suggested, including developing positive behavioral contingencies based on an analysis of pre-post environments, and developing contingencies for the support people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)