Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Positive Behavior Support, and the Pyramid Model
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) refers to “an approach to behavior support that includes an ongoing process of research-based assessment, intervention, and data-based decision making focused on building social and other functional competencies, creating supportive contexts, and preventing the occurrence of problem behaviors” (Kincaid et al, in press). It should be regarded as the umbrella or science of behavior intervention that includes PBIS and the Pyramid Model. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a term that was introduced in the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When PBIS is implemented in the schools, it is referred to as School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Program-wide implementation of the Pyramid Model has also been referred to as Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support (PW-PBS) or Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support (EC PBS). All of those terms (e.g., PW-PBS, EC PBS, Pyramid Model) describe a multi-tiered application of PBS in early childhood programs such as public and private preschool programs, public and private child care, and Head Start.
Resources
Below are resources that are helpful in explaining and supporting the relationship between PBIS and the Pyramid Model:
- Early Childhood Community page on the OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
- Webinar on “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports from Preschool to High School: A Conversation about Implementation”
- Crosswalk on the alignment of Program-Wide Implementation of the Pyramid Model with SWPBIS developed for training and technical assistance work in Massachusetts
- Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support: Program-Wide Implementation of the Pyramid Model. A handout on the key elements of Program-Wide Implementation of the Pyramid Model with links to recorded presentations for deeper exploration and understanding.
- Getting Preschool Classrooms on Board with School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (SW-PBIS). A handout that may be used to help schools understand how the PBIS might be implemented in the preschool classroom with suggestions for ensuring preschool teachers are part of the initiative.
- The Pyramid Model: PBS in Early Childhood Programs and its Relation to School-wide PBS. A brief article that defines and explains terms related to Positive Behavior Support (PBS), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and the Pyramid Model and a discussion of the key areas of similarity and difference between preschool and school-age implementation of a PBS-based multi-tiered systems.
