Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS): IDEA requirements

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Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), also called positive behavior supports (PBS), are an approach to changing behavior that encourages (supports) positive behaviors rather than just punishing negative behaviors.  PBIS can be implemented school-wide or be used to support positive behavior in individual students. Some schools use PBIS and some schools don't, but in some situations, the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA) requires a school to consider using positive behavior interventions and supports, whether or not PBIS is part of the school's usual approach to problem behavior.

This post discusses when IDEA requires consideration of positive behavior interventions and supports and what that means.  If you just want to know more about PBIS, you should check out the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Technical Assistance website (sponsored by OSEP).  If you are interested in the law and PBIS, read on.

When is a school required to consider positive behavior interventions and supports?

The basic rule is that the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team must consider positive behavior interventions and supports and other strategies to address a child's behavior if the behavior impedes the child's learning or that of others.

Let's break that down to figure out when PBIS must be considered.

First, the school is only required to consider PBIS when a behavior impedes learning.  IDEA doesn't define what "impede" means, but generally, it means that PBIS is required when the behavior is disruptive of teaching or otherwise has a significant effect on time spent or concentration on learning.

Second, the PBIS provision of IDEA specifically says impedes the learning of the student or others.  So, PBIS must be considered regardless of whether the behavior interferes with the child's studies or disrupts the learning of other students.

So, that tells us when PBIS must be considered; but what does it mean to "consider" PBIS?  Let's break it down a bit more.

Third, to "consider" positive behavior interventions and supports, one must know what PBIS is.  The IEP team has to know enough about PBIS as a positive approach to addressing and preventing problem behavior to be able to weigh its pros and cons.  Since the IEP team must make the decision, "consider" also suggests discussing PBIS among team members.  Finally, if the team has considered positive behavior interventions and supports, it will have one or more reasons for choosing to use or not use PBIS.

Fourth, the school is required to consider PBIS and other strategies.  In other words, the school has to consider more than one approach to behavior--PBIS is required, but not sufficient.  So to "consider" positive behavior interventions and supports, the school must have some basis of comparison, with PBIS on the one hand and some other strategy or approach on the other.

So that's the basic rules requiring consideration of positive behavior interventions and supports in IDEA.  PBIS must be considered when behavior impedes learning of the child or others.  Considering positive behavior interventions and supports requires (a) knowing enough about PBIS to evaluate it as an approach, (b) discussing PBIS, (c) comparing PBIS to other approaches, and (d) having one or more reasons for deciding to use positive behavior interventions and supports.

One final note:  it can be (and has been) argued that by specifically naming PBIS, the law creates a preference for positive behavior interventions and supports and against aversive methods of punishing behavior.  But the law doesn't explicitly require positive approaches to behavior--but from what I understand, IDEA's requirement to use evidence based methods makes many of the aversive approaches legally risky.  PBIS is specifically mentioned in the statute, so positive behavior interventions and supports are a pretty safe bet when it comes to meeting the evidence-based methods standard.