The Process of Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
Step Five: Behavior Support Plan Development
Replacement Skills (continued)
Two other important considerations in the instruction of new skills are the efficiency of the replacement skill in comparison to the challenging behavior and the extent to which the replacement skills produce greater results for the child. If the use of the challenging behavior achieves an effect quickly, the replacement behavior must also achieve the same results and do so more efficiently. A critically important issue to consider regarding efficiency is that replacement skills must be easier for the child in some way—they should either require less effort to produce and/or should be easily understood by others. Likewise, rewards for engaging in the more appropriate replacement skill should be far greater than that which the child receives for exhibiting challenging behavior. When these conditions occur, the replacement skill will be more likely to increase and be more motivating for the child to learn and use than the challenging behaviors that were previously so effective. Regardless of which is selected, replacement skills must be relevant to the child's unique situation, abilities, and must be an immediately efficient mechanism for communicating wants and needs.