Positive behaviour support, or PBS as it is commonly called, is a contemporary way to help people – and in particular those with disabilities – to enhance the quality of their lives while reducing challenging behaviours. Unlike other traditional approaches which are dependent on punishment or control of some sort, positive behaviour support is about trying to understand what’s going on for the person when the behaviour occurs and developing proactive strategies to make things better.
This is promoted within positive behaviour support Australia services and by the NDIS. Behaviour support practitioners and specialist behaviour support teams support NDIS participants to create behaviour support plans to meet their individual needs. These person-centred plans are created to empower people rather than control them.
What Traditional Behaviour Management Involves
Traditional behaviour management techniques have been applied in schools, homes and disability services for many years. These practices often focused on controlling behaviour through rules, rewards, and punishments. Though they could sometimes suppress unwanted behaviour in the short run, they did not account for the underlying causes of the behaviour.
These kinds of traditional practices were often based on a reactive response (e.g. timeouts, suspensions, and physical interventions). These methods often could suppress a behaviour, at least temporarily, but seldom effect permanent positive results. For individuals with disabilities, these approaches could also exacerbate stress and stymie opportunities for personal growth.
What Are The Differences Between PBS and Behaviour Management
Positive behaviour support vs behaviour management The fundamental difference between positive behaviour support and behaviour management is their intent and approach. Behaviour management often concentrates on preventing and minimising challenging behaviour. Since then, positive behaviour support has focused on enhancing quality of life by finding and addressing unmet needs, teaching skills, and designing supportive environments.
E.g., a PBS behaviour practitioner won’t just see what’s happening but why it’s happening. This includes knowing what the triggers are, knowing what the behaviour is being used for, and working with families, carers and staff to put in place effective strategies. By addressing the root cause, we nosedive the reliance on restriction to the point of it being a long-term outcome-positive focus.
Positive behaviour support plan by NDIS behaviour support providers In NDIS, behaviour support providers must comply with a framework to ensure that the positive behaviour support plans embedded promote dignity, choice and independence. Which is far more sustainable and ethical than behaviour management.
The work of behaviour support specialists and practitioners
The PBS is delivered via a behaviour support specialist NDIS registered practitioner. They form close partnerships with people and their support networks to develop tailored plans. These support plans may involve communication strategies, sensory supports, or structured routines that minimise stress and the developing of behaviours of concern.
Specialised behaviour support goes beyond just cutting down the problem behaviour. It’s about generating opportunities for people with disabilities to succeed. The goal of behavioural support is increasing social engagement, independence, and well-being. As the PBS plan is developed with families, carers and professionals, it is designed to be a shared tool that everyone can consistently implement.
Why Positive Behaviour Support is Better.
Positive behaviour support is said to work better than traditional behaviour management, as it is proactive, not reactive. Rather than react to a challenging behaviour once it occurs, PBS takes a proactive approach to preventing the behaviour from occurring in the first place.
Studies suggest that PBS is associated with more favourable long-term outcomes. Behavioural support For kids, it can be useful in building communication and social skills, therefore minimising frustration/pop-off potential. For grown-ups, it encourages independence and belonging in the community. By emphasising quality of life and teaching skills, PBS makes it difficult for problem behaviour to occur.
If the way in which their behaviour was managed was traditional, these outcomes are not usually achieved. If, for instance, a child misbehaves because they struggle to articulate their needs, punishing that behaviour might bring a temporary halt, but the child still won’t be able to communicate effectively. PBS, though, would seek to develop communication skills so the child does not have to act out to communicate.
Reducing the use of restrictive practices is crucial.
A key aim of positive behaviour support services in Australia is to minimise the use of restrictive practices, such as seclusion or physical restraint. These practices are typically very harmful and can have a vast emotional and psychological impact. The NDIS urges professionals to adopt respectful and safe PBS where it remains applicable.
An NDIS positive behaviour support plan should reduce the use of restrictive practices to be replaced with evidence-based support that promotes dignity and the rights of every person. That’s why NDIS behaviour management support is now moving very much in the direction of PBS, supporting participants in a way that acknowledges their unique nature and circumstances.
PBS and the NDIS
The NDIS is contributing strongly to the dissemination of PBS across Australia. NDIS participants exhibiting behaviours of concern can be referred to an NDIS registered behaviour clinician for assistance. These providers create PBS plans that meet NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission requirements.
NDIS behaviour support offers people access to services that focus not only on minimising challenging behaviours but also on increasing daily life quality and independence and fostering quality relationships. The development and implementation of PBS plans change. 31 Support plans are constantly checked to make certain that they are working and that they are updated to meet the needs of the individual.
Establishing Trust With Positive Behavior Support
Prospective support is about trust between people with disabilities, families, carers and service providers. Through a lens of collaboration, respect and forward thinking, PBS establishes a platform in which people feel worthy and heard.
That trust is what holds up PBS better than any other form. Instead of using fear or control to compel behaviour, it literally gives people the means to succeed. A well-developed PBS plan promotes consistency so that all concerned know how to give the appropriate support across settings.
Thoughts on PBS vs Traditional Behavior management Both programmes have pros and cons.
So how does positive behaviour support differ from the old-style behaviour management? If behaviour management is about controlling behaviours, then PBS is about enhancing lives by identifying the root cause of a problem, teaching new skills and putting friends, family and care providers in the best position possible to support an individual.
Support people with disabilities and their families to develop plans that will help them achieve independence, purpose and success. Under the NDIS, positive behaviour support services are increasingly available throughout the whole of Australia, so that people get the freedom and respect they deserve.
​If you’re thinking about behaviour support, engaging an NDIS registered behaviour support specialist will support you to experience the benefits of PBS and leave behind past ways of managing. You are investing in real and lasting change by selecting positive behaviour support.
