The links below are intended to help you navigate among the pages related to Autism Spectrum Disorder. The references or source material associated with the references on this website do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by APBS.
According to the Autism Society of America:
"Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs."
Positive behavior support (PBS) is a set of processes that can be used to support children and adults with autism who engage in problem behaviors. Problem behaviors often serve a purpose for a child or adult. In many cases, children and adults with autism have difficulty communicating their wants and needs. Engaging in a problem behavior is a signal to a family member or others that the individual may be trying to communicate something important. For instance, a child may engage in problem behavior to escape from noisy or unpleasant settings. This child will engage in self-injury by banging her head against nearby lockers every time she enters a busy school hallway when classes are in transition. The teacher or paraprofessional working with the child quickly tries to block the self-injury during these situations and pulls the child into a quiet classroom until the hallway transition period is over. Over time, this child may learn that engaging in self injury is an effective way to escape from noisy hallway transitions. In the future, the child may be more likely to engage in self-injury again in order to escape from this unpleasant experience. Over time, the child also may learn that she can escape many other situations and settings that are unpleasant by engaging in self injury if the outcome is the same. Children or adults who have trouble communicating may engage in problem behavior in order to get attention from a peer or caretaker, to obtain a preferred item or activity, or to escape or avoid people, places or situations. In some cases, problem behaviors are maintained to obtain or escape from internal physiological events. For more information about how problem behaviors are influenced by biological events, see the PBS Information page on physical and mental health and PBS. The key to an effective PBS plan is to identify the function of a problem behavior and to teach new skills that help replace problem behavior with a new and socially appropriate communication or social skill. In addition, PBS plans involve changing routines, situations, and settings so that the events that trigger problem behavior are removed.
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
Individualized Multi-component Interventions
Learn more about PBS Practices