With its origins and conceptual underpinnings in the applied behavior analysis arm of psychology, positive behavior support (PBS) emerged during the 1980s as a comprehensive approach to addressing the need for community support for persons with disabilities who engage in challenging behavior. As a field of endeavor, PBS has experienced phenomenal growth over a span of 25 years and is now an integral component of public education in many schools in practically every state in the United States.
As an applied science of human behavior, PBS brings together the precision of a careful,...