Positive behaviour support Getting it right from the start

Positive behaviour support: Getting it right from the start - Facilitators reference manual 25
PowerPoint 37
PowerPoint 38
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Positive behaviour support: Personal background factors
Getting to know the person
Behaviours of concern rarely occur for no reason nor can behaviour be explained by a single
factor or attributed to a single reason or cause.
In this section we will discuss a range of factors that need to be considered when supporting a
person who shows behaviours of concern. An awareness of these factors and an appreciation of
their impact is essential when providing positive behaviour support.
Areas to think about:
• Impact of trauma and attachement
• Importance of symdrome specific characteristics
• Mental conditins
• Mental illness
• Medications
• Communication
• Knowing the person's preferences and abilities
• Human relations and sexuality
• Sensory impairments
Impact of trauma and attachment 3
Having a disability can increase one’s vulnerability to all three forms of abuse: emotional neglect,
physical and sexual abuse. Many people with a disability who have been institutionalised from
early childhood into old age may have experienced some form of abuse whilst in institutionalised
care such as not having seen parents since admission, multiple care givers, loss of a carer and
sudden changes to their environment.
These forms of abuse can have a short and long term impact on the person. In fact some
behaviour, such as difficulties interacting with other people, can be traced back to situations
where an individual has been abused. For people without effective communication skills the
behaviour is often an expression of that trauma.
Whilst we are all born with the need and ability to form close relationships or attachments, the
most critical developmental period is between birth and the age of three. Children who have
experienced early problems with bonding with their primary carer due to abuse and neglect can
go on to develop a variety of physical, emotional and social difficulties. These difficulties may
result in the child developing a set of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that will influence how
they interact with others (make attachments) and how they think about themselves and others.
3. Office of the Senior Practitioner, Positive Solutions in Practice, Trauma and Attachment for people with an
intellectual disability, Kylie Saunders, Practice Advisor