Positive Behavior Support Scenarios

Scenarios for Positive Behavior Supports

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #1 - Sally

Sally, who does not speak, became angry at her roommate. First she started hitting and pinching her roommate. Then she bit her roommate. Finally, she threw things at her. Some staff were thinking that maybe she needed some medication to calm her down .

What might a DSP do to investigate what is happening with Sally and her roommate? (more than one answer may be correct)

DSPs should investigate the causes of behavior before moving to medication.

Contact a clinical staff member to talk about what medication would calm Sally.

Talking with other staff is a good first step in determining the causes of behavior.

Talk to other DSPs about what might be making Sally angry.

Talking with roommates or other people close to the individual is a good first step in determining the causes of behavior.

Talk with Sally's roommate about what might be going on.

DSPs should investigate the causes of behavior, not punish individuals.

Take away Sally's privileges as punishment for her behavior.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #1 - Sally

After investigation, it was found that Sally’s roommate had been stealing Sally’s clothes.

What impact might this have had on Sally's behavior? (more than one answer may be correct)

Since Sally can't speak, this probably doesn't have anything to do with her anger.

Individuals with communication challenges experience emotions just as those without communication challenges do.

Knowing the cause of someone's behavior can help DSPs to come up with solutions.

Sally was angry about her clothes being stolen, which caused her "behavior."

Individuals with communication challenges may express their anger through behavior when they cannot use words.

Sally felt frustrated she couldn't use words to communicate about her roommate's theft.

After the stealing stopped and Sally’s clothes were returned to her, Sally stopped being angry, and her ‘behaviors’ stopped.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #2 - Joe

One day Joe began throwing his food on the floor. Soon at every meal he ate, Joe’s food ended up on the floor. When staff asked Joe why he did it, he replied “I don’t know.”

What might a DSP do to investigate what is happening with Joe? (more than one answer may be correct)

Talking with other staff is a good first step in determining the causes of behavior.

Talk to other DSPs about what might be making Sally angry.

Talking with the individual about things related to the behavior may help determine the cause.

Ask Joe about what kind of foods he prefers to eat.

Talking with the individual and asking probing questions is a good first step in determining the causes of behavior.

Engage Joe in more conversation about what's bothering him.

DSPs should investigate the causes of behavior, not punish individuals.

Have Joe eat by himself from now on so his behavior doesn't get attention.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #2 - Joe

After investigation, it was discovered that a staff person who was new to the group home began cooking foods which Joe didn’t like. The staff person hadn’t bothered asking Joe what he liked to eat. Joe was afraid that if he complained, the new staff person would get mad at him and he would be punished.

What might a DSP do now that they've learned the cause of Joe's behavior? (more than one answer may be correct)

Starting a discussion with the individual and the new DSP is a great start.

Facilitate a conversation between Joe and the new DSP about preferred foods.

Instead of punishing Joe for his behavior, it is more effective to involve him in choice making.

Have Joe cook his own separate meals from now on.

Being sure Joe has input into the kind of food he eats is a great example of person centered supports.

Ensure Joe is included in meal planning in the future.

DSPs should be supporting individuals to make their own choices, not trying to control them.

Tell Joe he needs to eat whatever is set before him at dinner.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #3 - Alicia

Alicia, who has epilepsy, began having seizures more often. Alicia is on a self-medication program. Staff looked inside her pill bottle and found that the correct amount of pills had been taken from the pill bottle.

What might a DSP do to determine the cause of this change? (more than one answer may be correct)

Starting a discussion with the individual is the best first step in determining the cause of changes.

Talk to Alicia about whether she is taking her medication.

While Alicia may need an increased medication dose, it's important to investigate other possible causes first.

Call the agency's nurse or clinical supervisor to have Alicia's medication increased.

Watching Alicia take her medication may be an effective way of determining the case of the change, but DSPs should carefully communicate about this interaction so it is not seen as a punishment.

Watch Alicia closely when it is time to take her medication.

DSPs should never make any changes to an individuals prescribed medications.

Have Alicia stop taking her medication, since it isn't working anyway.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

Scenario #3- Alicia

Staff were just about to make an appointment with Alicia’s doctor to get her epilepsy medication increased when the DSP discovered that Alicia had not been taking her medications as she was supposed to. She had been flushing them down the toilet because she didn’t like their taste.

What might a DSP do next? (more than one answer may be correct)

Starting a discussion with the individual is the best first step in determining the cause of changes.

Talk to Alicia about the importance of taking her medication as prescribed.

Since Alicia has been throwing pills away because of the taste, finding a solution to the taste is a great first step.

Help Alicia to find a way to take the medication in a way that counteracts the taste.

Watching Alicia take her medication may be a helpful short term solution, but be sure to communicate that this is not a punishment.

Watch Alicia closely when it is time to take her medication.

DSPs should never make any changes to an individuals prescribed medications.

Tell Alicia she doesn't need to take her medication anymore since it tastes so awful.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.

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Created for educational use as part of the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Direct Support Professionals Curriculum.