Generalization and Sustainability in Positive Behavior Support

The research article that includes Katherine’s story describes the steps that the researchers took to make sure that Katherine’s family felt comfortable generalizing the interventions in the positive behavior support plan. Initial training was focused on three routines. A checklist was used with Katherine and her parents to make sure they understood the key features of function-based thinking that related to the interventions. The checklist reminded them of how to problem solve on their own to apply the strategies. The family used this checklist discussion and then applied interventions to new routines on their own without support.

Phases of Katherine’s Plan

• Baseline summary of challenges
• Initial training and support for 3 routines (dinner, going-to-bed, restaurant routines)
• Maintenance support in the 3 additional routines
• Generalization for the grocery routine and shopping routine
• Follow-up to assess the number of challenges over time

Now that you are familiar with how Katherine’s plan supports long-term planning, it is important to understand how to measure behavior. Collecting accurate data allows us to assess if a support plan is working. The following section reviews how to measure behavior and assess the long-term success of a positive support plan.