8 Major Principles of Positive Behavior Support (More Than a Sticker Chart

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While in graduate school for education and school psychology, I was introduced to the principles of positive behavior support, a research-based practice.

At the time, I was working in a group home with individuals facing a range of emotional and behavioral challenges. This setting proved to be the ideal place to implement the strategies I had learned. I quickly witnessed the positive impact on my clients, which solidified my commitment to using these strategies when interacting with children, both in professional and personal settings.

For the past 19 years, whether as a tutor, mobile therapist, school psychologist, behavior specialist, or mother, I have successfully applied these strategies with remarkable results.

A common misconception is that positive behavior support is simply a reward system, like a sticker chart. When that doesn’t seem to work, people often believe the process itself is ineffective. In reality, positive behavior support is far more comprehensive. It is a form of communication, grounded in science. When used in its truest form, its effectiveness becomes clear.

8 Major Components of Positive Behavior Support:

1. Tell your child what to do, rather than what not to do.

2. Use empathetic statements to show your child that you understand how they feel.

Telling your child what to do instead of what not to do

3. Provide specific positive feedback when you observe your child engaging in positive or appropriate behaviors and following expectations.

Using empathetic statements to show your child

4. Establish expectations in advance and let your child know what they can earn by meeting those expectations. Allow them to work towards privileges like screen time, toys, or games.

In certain situations, logical consequences may be necessary, such as removing a child from an environment where they are causing harm or requiring them to repair something they’ve broken. However, try to focus on an earning system that encourages accountability for their daily and weekly responsibilities. Be sure to adjust these expectations to match your child’s age and abilities.

5. Prepare your child for changes when possible. Give them a “heads-up” so they can anticipate what’s coming, rather than making abrupt changes without warning.

6. Offer choices to your child. This can range from choosing what to eat or wear to deciding what tasks to complete first. While you may not always be able to provide choices, try to do so when feasible. For younger children or those with learning difficulties, offering two to four choices is a good starting point.

Guide your child toward greater independence gradually. For tasks like cleaning their room or putting away laundry, initially work with them and offer guidance until they can complete the tasks independently. Be specific with instructions, and break larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps.

Discuss emotional regulation with your child during calm, happy moments. It’s crucial to talk about healthy ways to manage emotions when they are in a positive mood, rather than in moments of anger or frustration. During intense emotional states, the logical and reasoning centers of the brain are less active.

The logical and reasoning centers of our brain are not working as productively during angry/emotional states.