Positive Behavior Supports Overview

Many students with significant cognitive disabilities are not benefiting from school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) systems. This is despite early research indicating that students with significant cognitive disabilities benefit from tiered positive behavior systems along with their peers without disabilities. Contrast this with one of the primary reasons why students with significant cognitive disabilities do not access inclusive classrooms is challenging behaviors (Conradi et al., in press). Often student's behavior support plans are not well integrated with classroom and school-wide positive behavior supports.

Behavior is a form of communication. Students with significant cognitive disabilities have a higher risk of expressing themselves through challenging behaviors because of their complex communication needs. A sizable number of students with significant cognitive disabilities do not have access to communication systems to effectively communicate their needs (Klienert et al., 2015).

How can we address these needs? In this section, you will find research and evidence-based practical strategies for:

• developing tiered, school-wide PBIS systems that are inclusive of students with significant cognitive disabilities,
• showing how individual Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) can be aligned with school and classroom positive behavior systems for all students, and
• integrating alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) as part of positive behavior plans and systems.

TIES Work Focusing on Positive Behavior Supports

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  TIP #31: Teaching PBIS Tier 1 School-wide Behavioral Expectations to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  Students with significant cognitive disabilities can successfully participate in and benefit from PBIS Tier 1 when it is made accessible. These expectations can be taught to students through the use of universal design for learning, accommodations and modifications, instruction in natural environments, and strategies for generalization. This TIP illustrates how these components could look for individual students.

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  TIP #30: Behavior is Communication

  Behavior is often an attempt to communicate. Behaviors that are challenging often result from communication failure. Reframing what is viewed as an interfering behavior to be a student’s attempt to communicate, provides more positive options for intervening by teaching the student more effective means to communicate their wants and needs. This TIP includes an animated short video that demonstrates this concept.

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  Video #1: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #2 Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: Leadership and Team Data

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #3: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: School-wide Expectations

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #4: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: Creating Inclusive Acknowledgement Systems

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #5: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: A Classroom Intervention

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #6: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: School-wide Expectations - A Teacher Example

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #7: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: A Classroom Intervention - Teacher Example

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  TIP #26: Making Universal Supports (Tier 1) within a Schoolwide Positive Interventions and Supports More Accessible for All Students

  This TIP provides recommendations regarding actions that schools can take to make participation in universal behavior supports accessible and meaningful for all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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