How do I know that Positive Behaviour Support is right for my child?


Well, first, let’s talk about what Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) actually is…


PBS is a person-centred approach to supporting people with learning disabilities. It is an applied science that utilises educational and systematic strategies to enhance an individual's quality of life. by simultaneously promoting positive behaviour, and minimising challenging behaviour. PBS has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping parents/carers understand and recognise the needs of their child/young person. 


Additionally, PBS provides specifically tailored interventions to address behaviours which may currently limit your child’s independence and community involvement (including school, community, holidays, restaurants and well-being such as medical and dental experiences etc). As a parent/carer, you're uniquely aware of your child/young person's needs and challenges they face in various environments. This perspective provides invaluable insight, which helps inform interventions that are more likely to be effective and successful. Personalising these interventions to address behaviours within these specific contexts can significantly empower your child/young person to navigate their emotions more effectively in such situations. The resulting improvement not only enriches your child/young persons’ experience but also contributes to an overall enhancement of family life.

PBS provides proactive strategies and systematic approaches to teach socially appropriate and practical skills, whilst simultaneously reducing the opportunities for problem behaviour to occur. This ultimately  increases opportunities to communicate, and builds tolerance and adaptability in an ever changing world. PBS plans are broken down so that they are easy to navigate, ensuring you’re always well informed, so you’ll never be out of the loop.

Here are some reasons why PBS may be the right fit for you and your child:

  • You are looking for an individualised bespoke programme that is specifically for your child/young person and their needs.

  • You want to be involved in regular goal setting and have consultants take into account personal goals and your family values. 

  • You are unsure of what that initial step is to receive the personalised help and support you and your family need.

  •  You want to be provided access to a communication platform for queries between workshops and visits. 

  • You want to receive guidance to know how to best support your child/young person. 

  • You want your child/young person to work on foundational skills that act as a gateway to being able to access other learning and skill acquisition

If PBS sounds right for you please get in touch with our team via our admin assistant, Shanay at shanay.nj@headstartaba.org



Still not sure whether PBS is right for your child/young person? Why not incorporate some methods of PBS at home by doing the following:

  • Give clear expectations when you want your child/young person to do a task. 

  • Use positive language to praise positive behaviour, and acknowledge this with excitement and enthusiasm. 

  • Give your child/young person  options to choose between so they feel they are valued in decision making. 

  • Be a positive role model and model behaviour that you want your child to emulate.

  • Be understanding and appreciate any effort they may make. 

  • When they get something wrong, use encouraging language to motivate them to try again.


 

At HeadStart we understand the importance of providing information in accessible formats to meet the diverse needs of our service users. We can provide information in different forms for example in another language, large print, easy-read materials, and technologies such as text-to-speech or audio. To request information in another format, contact us by phone or email. Shanay.nj@headstartaba.org or mobile 07988860033.

Gareth Cobb