What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?

What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)? 

• PBS is a human rights based model that aims to uphold the full rights of People With Disabilities (PWD) as outlined in the UNCRPD treaty signed by Australia in 2008, (Chan, French & Webber, 2011)7 

• PBS is utilized under the NDIS because it is a model that recognizes and upholds the full rights of PWD under the NDIS Act 2013 (commonwealth) which is aligned with the UNCRPD. 8 

• PBS is also an evidence-based therapeutic model that views  behaviours of concern as occurring to communicate a person's needs. The person may not have other ways of communicating their wants and needs and therefore uses a behaviour (that previously has been rewarded) to meet a certain need. 

The aim of PBS:

• The aim of PBS is to improve the quality of life of the person by holistically assessing the reasons the person’s  behaviour/s is occurring, what is reinforcing it, and then replace it with a positive alternative behaviour that achieves the same function. 

PBS practitioners do so by:  

• Involving the PWD and their  support network ( i.e.,  SIL provider, family, SWs, medical doctor, school/workplace, OTs, Speech Therapists etc.) to get a holistic picture which informs specific intervention.

• We then develop Behaviour Support Plans that outline the PWD goals and assign tasks each stakeholder is responsible for to build the skills of the person with disability (PWD) and gradually together, charter towards improving the quality of life of the PWD.