More Than Techniques: Team Members' Perspectives on Implementing Positive Supports for Adults with Severe Challenging Behaviors

Abstract

How teams implement and understand the process of positive behavior support provides an important source of information for improving supports for adults with developmental disabilities who engage in severe challenging behaviors in community settings. The purpose of the present study was to describe how positive behavior support was experienced and understood by team members from four residential, community-based teams who achieved positive outcomes for adults with severe challenging behaviors. In-depth, semistructured interviewing was the primary data source involving 19 participants. Data were analyzed within and across teams revealing team members' perceptions on their guiding values, struggles and barriers to implementing positive approaches, ways to support team members, the importance of staff relationships, and key elements of their direct support. Moving beyond techniques, the findings depict an overall culture of support consisting of interrelated layers of social context. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.