Development of Positive Behavioral Support Plan Examples
Obtaining Attention or Preferred Items/Activities
Examples of prevention procedures:
 Intersperse high attention activities with independent tasks
 Provide frequent response opportunities during group instruction
 Reduce group size
 Use preferential seating to facilitate frequent adult contact
 Increase level of adult attention through proximity, eye contact, signals, touch,
praise, social talk, or humor
 Provide more reinforcement for appropriate behavior than for problem behavior.
Identify the current reinforcer for the problem behavior and use that
reinforcer to shape appropriate replacement behavior
Examples of replacement behaviors:
 Teach a more appropriate attention seeking response and train student to use it
(or shape an existing behavior into an appropriate attention seeking response)
 Teach functional communication that will be more effective than the problem
behavior in obtaining reinforcement
 Teach “delayed gratification” using temporal supports such as schedules, timers,
visual/auditory cues, etc.
 Teach self-assessment skills so students can learn to monitor their own behavior
 Teach/reinforce appropriate behaviors that are incompatible with target
behavior
 Use preferred person, object or activity tot each contingencies such as:
o Scheduling access to preferential reinforcer immediately following most
difficult tasks;
o Inviting high status peer to share reinforcer
Examples of effective consequences:
 Time delayed strategies (“Wait time”) with timers
 Reinforcement of peer(s) modeling appropriate behavior
 Immediate corrective feedback and follow through using least to most system of
prompts
 Response to cost procedure
 “time-away” from reinforcement
Examples of ineffective consequences
 Negotiation or discussion
 Physical prompting or restraint
 Plan for “time-out” that involves special adult attention
Obtaining Attention
Behavioral Indicators
 Teasing
 Acting out when not receiving attention  Fighting
 Acting out only in social situations
 Lying/story telling
(e.g. touching others, spitting)
 Depressive symptoms
 Presence of parental guilt
 Suicidal Gestures
 Consistent rule violation
 Sexual acting out
 Over-dependant
 Drug/alcohol use
 Interrupts conversations
 Stealing
 Frequent initiations
 Chance/risk-taking
 Need for close proximity to adults
 Bold or bizarre clothing
and/or peers
 Isolation/withdrawal
 Crying when separated
 Begging
 Peer conflict
 Bragging
 Bad companions
Positive Programming
 Friendship-making skills
 Content and extra-curricular skill
building
 Skill alternatives to aggression
 Positive self-talk
 Develop techniques to request
adult/staff attention (e.g. secret
 Problem-solving
signals, raising hand)
 Self-management skills
 Teach classroom discussion skills
Ecological Manipulation
 Review classroom rules
 Monitor reinforcement ration/social
praise
 Seating with a peer
 Provide extra responsibilities in
 Pairing with a peer
classroom school
 Review content of discussion prior to
 Place in age appropriate recreational
lesson
activities
 Public acknowledgement of student
 Provide age appropriate clothing,
successes
play, and work materials
 Information to access resources (e.g.
 Counseling services scheduled at
counseling help, medical assistance)
intermittent or regular intervals
 Schedule regular conferences/check Social skills training program in pace
ins
 Rearrangement of family schedule
 Pairing with advocate to maximize
social involvement
 Maintain proximity to student
Direct Treatment
 Pair alternative behaviors with reinforcement
 Place target behaviors on extinction/planning ignoring
 Use of group contingencies
 Public posting for student achievements
 Use of response cost, time out
 Increase reinforcement ration/social praise
Obtaining objects/items/activities
Behavioral Indicators
 Crying/whining/begging
 Temper tantrums
 Borrowing
 Stealing
 Overeating
 Obesity
 History of neglect
 Hoarding food objects
 Aggressive play
 Aggression, including intimidation, making treats
 Cheating/rule violation
 Lying/blaming
Positive Programming
 Teach asking nicely/requesting skills
 Teach skills for accepting no
 Teach skills for obtaining desired object
 Teach delay of gratification/problem-solving/relaxation
 Vocational skill training
Ecological Manipulation
 Training caregivers in limited setting
 Regular scheduling of, for example, meals, reinforcers
 Attention to diet/set nutritional goals
 Providing predictable schedule of reinforcement
 Social skills training program in place
 Defining stealing as anything in possession that does not belong to student (i.e.
borrowing and finding)
 Use of “wait a minute” signal by caregiver
Direct Treatment
 Planned ignoring
 Reinforcement of alternatives
 Consistent limit setting
 Use of consequences such as response cost, time out
To Avoid/Escape Non-preferred Tasks/Activities
Examples of prevention procedures:
 Desensitization training
 Relaxation training
 Use preferred activities to reinforce participation in nonpreferred activities
 Use safety signals to help student learn to identify when activity will end (Two more and
then you will be finished.”)
 Implement developmentally appropriate social skills training
 Increase opportunities and experiences that promote growth of healthy self concept and
self-esteem
 Alter pace of instruction
 Vary instructional mode (i.e. ear phones and audiotapes)
 Increase spatial supports: boundaries, spatial cues, study carrel or quiet place for planned
escape
 Alternate large and small group instruction and 1:1 and independent work, gradually
increasing tolerance of variety of social and instructional contexts
 Encouraging bonding with significant adults and/or peers
 Include pre-social experiences and cooperative learning tasks in daily schedule
 Modify expectations for participation: shorten or simplify nonpreferred tasks or activities
Examples of replacement behaviors:
 Teach appropriate ways for student to request assistance, a break, and/or an alternative
activity
 Teach delayed gratification using temporal supports such as timers, schedules,
visual/auditory cues, etc.
 Teach/reinforce appropriate behaviors, (i.e. group participation, cooperation,
attending to task) that are incompatible with the target behavior
 Teach self-assessment skills so student can learn to monitor their own behavior
Examples of effective consequences:
 Redirection
 Offering choices
 Immediate corrective feedback and follow through, guiding responses to ensure success
 Most to least prompting
 Reinforcement of approximation of desired response using task analysis
 Use of behavioral momentum: give respect for behavior with which child usually complies
Examples of ineffective consequences:
 Planned ignoring or time-delay strategies (wait-time)
 Time-out strategies
 Response cost procedure if it still allows escape of nonpreferred stimulus
 Reinforcement of high status peer modeling desired behavior
Avoiding Tasks
Behavioral Indicators
 Excuse making/blaming
 Poor work quality
 Missing assignments
 Talking back to adults
 Withdrawal/passivity
 Fear of failure
 Negative self-talk
 Refusal to perform assigned talks
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Doing opposite of what student is told
Acting out/off-task (e.g. talking to
others, out of seat)
Crying/tantrums/pouting
Leaving work area
Aggression
Positive Programming
 Teach request to change task

 Teach request to take a break
 Teach request to reject activity

 Teach to request assistance from
teacher

 Role play direction following
 Teach question asking skills
 Increase academic or task relevant skills
Teach tolerance to
frustration/challenging tasks (e.g.
relaxation)
Teach negotiation if task is beyond
tolerance level
Self-monitoring of frustration/difficulty
of task
Ecological Manipulation
 Curriculum modification

 Use of clear/precise directives

 Provide high probability requests prior
to low probability request
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 Clearly established rules and routines
 Clearly established consequences for
appropriate and inappropriate behavior

 Proximity to direction-giver
 Consistent follow-up of directions

 Short activities
 High interest activities
Activities which are action oriented
Provide for choice of activities or order
of activities completed
Use a safety signal to indicate that
activity is about to end, contingent on
appropriate behavior (e.g. you’re almost
finished)
Provide a cool down or break area in
the room
Task analysis of the required task
Direct Treatment
 High reinforcement ratio
 Consistent use of praise and other forms of reinforcement
 Immediate use of mild punishers
 Use time out only if clear that it is a punisher and not a reinforcer
 After delivery of consequence, return student tot ask
Avoiding Attention
Behavioral Indicators
 Social isolation
 Depressed/withdrawn
 Frequent peer rejection
 Poorly developed social skills
 Target of teasing/bullying
 History of few friendships
 Unaware of age appropriate activities (e.g. game rules)
 Lack of awareness/acknowledgement of positive achievements
 Phobic/avoidant
 Feelings of fear and/or embarrassment
 Self-conscious and overly sensitive
 Negative self-statements
 Acting out behaviors when with others or that result in removal
Positive Programming
 Friendship-making skills
 Appropriate play skills (e.g. turn-taking, sharing, cooperating, following rules)
 Problem-solving skills
 Relaxation methods
 Maximize awareness of achievements and positive self-characteristics
 Teach positive self-statements
Ecological Manipulation
 Early exposure to other children
 Discussion of peers promoted by adults
 Structured play situations
 Supervised play situations
 Prompting initiations and appropriate interactions
 Availability of age appropriate materials and activities (e.g. games, parties)
 Encourage participation in extracurricular school activities
 Regularly schedule social outing with family and friends
 Use of cooperative learning activities
 Use of interactive games and play materials
 Use of peer models and peer tutoring
Direct Treatment
 Reinforcement for appropriate interactions
 Use of natural consequences for avoidance/escape behavior
To Request/Obtain Sensory Stimulation
Examples of Prevention Procedures:
 Schedule frequent opportunities for desired sensory stimulation throughout or at
scheduled times (i.e. when problem behavior is most likely to occur)
 Increase pace of instruction and plan stimulating activities during time problem
behavior occurs
 Increase opportunities for responding (verbal and motoric) during times when
problem behavior typically occurs. Alternate choral responding modes with
individual opportunities to respond
 Incorporate movement opportunities during and between instructional times
 Systematically increase or decrease demands of instructional environment
according to assessments of sensory thresholds
Examples of Replacements Behaviors:
 Teach the student to use appropriate materials and/or equipment that is designed
to produce the same sensory feedback as the target behavior
 Teach the student to request and engage in appropriate sensory stimulation
activities
 Teach “delayed gratification” using temporal supports such as schedules, timers,
visual/auditory cues, etc.
 Teach positive social interactions by involving preferred person in instruction of
replacement behavior(s)
 Follow through with requests for compliance; do not allow the student’s problem
behavior to result in escaping a non-preferred activity
Examples of Ineffective Consequences:
 Planned ignoring or time-delay strategies (“wait-time”)
 Plan for “time-out” that involves special adult attention
 Extinction procedures (in the absence of learned alternative behavior that serves
desired function)
Obtaining Internal Stimulation
Behavioral Indicators
 Rapid motor movements (e.g. rocking in
chair, bouncing leg)

 Hitting head with hands or objects
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 Off-task behaviors (e.g. out-of-seat, talk 
out, self-talk)
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 Playing in desk
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 Singing/talking (to self or others)

 Self-stimulation (e.g. rocking, chewing 
fingers, rubbing self)

 Self-inflicted wounds
Positive Programming
 Teaching communication skills (e.g.
asking for a change in activity)
 Problem-solving skills (e.g. finding
something to do)
 Self-talk strategies
 Relaxation strategies
 Teach acceptable activities (e.g. sports,
music, arts)
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Ecological Manipulation
 Increase interest level of activity

 Change in activity
 Break activity into smaller segments
 Teach stimulus control for acceptability
 Regular exercise program
 Provide free time in classroom involving

movement
Direct Treatment
 Queuing, prompting, redirecting
 Reinforcement systems
 Response cost
 Time out systems
 Stimulant drug medication
Tapping fingers or objects
Laughing
Fighting
Stealing
Sexual behavior
Smoking
Drug/alcohol use
Masturbation
Thrill-seeking behavior
Teach social skills for initiating activity
Teach dealing with boredom/finding
something to do
Teach assertive skills (e.g. for saying
“no”)
Self-management skills (e.g. selfmonitoring)
Vocational skills training
Provide outside activities that involve
climbing, running, pushing, pulling, or
lifting
Allow for student to choose position for
working, including standing and lying
on floor
Frequent check-ins and/or close
monitoring of student
To Avoid/Escape Discomfort or Sensory Overload
Examples of Prevention Procedures:
 Collect all information regarding any medical or pharmacological treatment
student is receiving with documented effects across home, school, and community
settings
 Identify behaviors that may indicate pain or discomfort
 Teach adults and peers to recognize and to respond to those behaviors
 Identify behaviors that may indicate impending sensory overload and
activities/settings where student becomes easily over stimulated
 Design and implement “home base” procedures for student to use as a safe,
appropriate escape plan
 Decrease level of stimulation where possible, i.e. less movement, more
confinement, reduce auditory and visual distractions
 Relaxation training
 Desensitization training
Examples of Replacement Behaviors:
 Teach appropriate ways (verbal or nonverbal) for student to convey pain or
discomfort
 Teach appropriate ways (verbal or nonverbal) for student to request a break from
instruction/activity
 Teach student to use a specified plan that leads to appropriate relief and/or
treatment
 Teach self-assessment skills so student can learn to manage their own physical
symptom(s) or medical condition(s)
Examples of effective consequences
 Following prescribed medical treatment of pharmacological
 Redirection to more appropriate behavior
 Reinforcement for demonstrating behavior
 Offering choices between appropriate behaviors
 Reinforcement of peers who ignore student’s problem behavior
 Reinforcement of behavior incompatible with problem behavior
 Follow through on directions and requests for compliance; do not allow the
student’s problem behavior to result in escaping/avoiding a nonpreferred activity
Examples of ineffective consequences
 Planned ignoring or time-delay strategies (wait time)
 Time-out strategies
 Extinction procedures
Avoiding Internal Stimulation
Behavioral Indicators
 Acting out (e.g. arguing, fighting, vandalizing)
 Presence of extreme statements
 Nervousness
 Crying/moody
 Temper tantrums
 Depressive symptoms
 Somatic complaints
 Suicidal ideation/gesturing
 Illness/allergy symptoms
 Complaints of being hungry
 Drug/alcohol use
Positive Programming
 Identification of feelings
 Problem-solving
 Teach expression of feelings/use of words
 Relaxation exercises
 Teach how to request help/assistance
 Appropriate release of anger (e.g. punching bag room)
Ecological Manipulation
 Making helping resources available
 Regular physical examination
 Counseling available to student
 Make daily contract/frequent check-ins
 Active listening
 Life space interview/teacher interaction approaches
 Provide information on medical/health issues
 Provide quiet space for cool down
 Provide isolated area for release of anger
 Use of journal writing
Direct Treatment
 Reinforce attention-seeking behavior
 Reinforcement of replacement skills
 Medication