The Effects of Individualized Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on Class Engagement of a Student with Intellectual Disabilities*
A tight FBA-BST package lifts class engagement for a single post-secondary student with ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kang et al. (2021) tested a full PBIS package on one post-secondary student with intellectual disability.
First they ran a functional behavior assessment. Then they wrote a behavior plan. Finally they trained staff with behavioral skills training.
The team measured on-task and disruptive behavior across three classrooms using a multiple-baseline design.
What they found
When the plan went live, on-task behavior rose and disruptive behavior fell in every class.
The gains stayed put after the researchers left, showing the plan worked without extra help.
How this fits with other research
Klein et al. (2024) got the same lift in elementary kids using the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce model. Both studies start with FBA and end with a trained team, proving the logic works from grade school to college.
Kim et al. (2014) also boosted engagement for high-schoolers with ID, but they used tablet Social Stories instead of a full PBIS plan. The tools differ; the outcome matches.
Doughty et al. (2015) describe school-wide PBIS that helps every student. Kang zooms in on one learner and still sees big change, showing the tiers can shrink to a single desk.
Why it matters
You can copy this three-step recipe tomorrow: assess, plan, train. It works for adults in transition programs, not just kids. One student, one plan, clear data—no whole-school buy-in required.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Run a 10-minute functional assessment, write a one-page behavior plan, then BST the teaching team before next class.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study was conducted to find out the effects of individualized positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) on class engagement of a student with intellectual disabilities. The participant was a post-secondary student with intellectual disabilities in a special school. Observed target behaviors were on-task behaviors and disrupting behaviors during the class. The interventions were individualized PBIS, which were consisted of team building, use of functional behavior assessment (FBA), hypothesis developmental, behavior intervention plan (BIP), and behavioral skills training (BST). Multiple baseline design across settings was used to examine the effects of PBIS on class engagement. The class was recorded using video for 30 minutes, excluding 5 minutes of the beginning and end of the class. Target behaviors were recorded using time sampling in 15 intervals and calculated in occurrence rate. Overall, The results of the visual analysis found that PBIS with implementation was effective to improve on-task behaviors and reduce disruptive behaviors during the class. This effect was also maintained after a certain period. Discussions, limitations, and future researches were suggested.
Journal of Behavior Analysis and Support, 2021 · doi:10.22874/kaba.2021.8.3.75