Research-proven best practice shows Prevention is the dominant paradigm for dealing with Bullying, Cancer, Crime, Disease, Fire, Risk Management, Suicide, and Theft.

Research clearly states that the use of restraint and seclusion is an ineffective, costly and dangerous strategy for reducing challenging behavior.

The best crisis is the one that doesn’t happen. Prevention strategies are more cost effectivebecause they address the problems before they occur.

Problems are bound to happen, but the issues are less likely to cause a major concern because you have already addressed them in the beginning – which is far easier than being reactive. And the number of problems will likely decrease with the use of prevention.

How do you keep up with all the issues? How do you minimize the problems from getting too big?

Focus on Prevention! First, focus prevention on yourself.

Self Awareness Tips

• Recognize your own stress reactions
• Use your stress to your advantage
• Create supports for your physical, mental, and emotional needs
• Create a plan for self-care
• Manage yourself before managing others
• Focus your prevention next on the environment! Use the environment as a teaching tool

Proactive Environments Tips

• Provide structure and boundaries
• Be consistent with your boundaries
• Look for teachable moments
• Next, focus your prevention on addressing the problem behavior

Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a widely used evidence-based strategy that addresses the problem behavior, rather than reacting to the action of the behavior. Positive Behavior Support is holistic in nature. It addresses the problem behavior by replacing it with a behavior that is safer, more appropriate, and meets the same need as the problem behavior.

The changes created through PBS should be meaningful for the person, in that the changes will improve this person’s quality of life by using strategies tailored to the individual.

Why does PBS work? It works because you are meeting the person’s needs, minimizing the power struggle, and making changes that are meaningful and lasting.

Positive Behavior Tips

• Develop a team approach
• Focus on long term goals
• Focus on the strengths of the person
• Focus on skill building and teaching
• Consider the needs and preferences of the person
• Learn more about Positive Behavior Support and proven behavior management techniques