| Positive Lifestyles | Introduction | - | |
| Help | [Orientation] Support | Lesson | Practice | - |
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The purpose of the Academy is to translate validated research in positive behavioral support into strategies that can be used by teachers. This module, Creating Positive Lifestyles, provides an introduction to some of the philosophical and theoretical foundations that guide positive behavioral support. It is intended to conceptually link the underlying philosophy of self-determination to the practice of person-centered planning and the outcome of increased quality of life. Seymour Sarason (1990) has suggested that the purpose of an educational process is to "produce responsible, self-sufficient citizens who possess the self-esteem, initiative, skills, and wisdom to continue individual growth" (pp. 163). This implies that education should create opportunities for students to learn to be self-determining individuals, allowing them to make their own choices and express their preferences as they learn. In keeping with this perspective on education, the module presents information on how teachers can collaborate with students in order to create positive lifestyles and improve educational outcomes. Of all the concepts that have been discussed within the various positive behavioral support modules, perhaps the most important is the notion of quality of life. As Goode (1997) has indicated, a high quality of life can be characterized by general feelings of well-being, opportunities to fulfill opportunities, and positive social involvement. Throughout these modules, a consistent theme has been to present positive behavioral support as a set of strategies and methods intended to increase the quality of life for all those involved in a student's educational process. Research has demonstrated that quality of life is a complex and multidimensional construct that is tough to measure, and that varies across a number of dimensions including cultural and ethnic backgrounds (Hughes & Hwang, 1996; Felce & Perry, 1996; Keith, 1996; Stark & Faulkner, 1996). Quality of life also has implications for how organizations gather and use data regarding the people they serve (Bradley, Ashbaugh, & Blaney, 1994; Gardner & Nudler, 1997; Gardner, Nudler, & Chapman, 1997). Self-determination is a philosophy of service that values the place of individual choices and preferences in the planning of services and supports (Brown, Gothelf, Guess, & Lehr, 1998; Wehmeyer, Palmer, Agran, Mithaug, & Martin, 2000). This philosophy is important to teachers because research has demonstrated that when students feel in control of their educational process, a number of positive outcomes are likely (Dattilo & Rusch, 1985; Dunlap et al., 1994; Mithaug & Mar, 1980; Newton, Ard & Horner, 1993). These positive outcomes include decreases in problem behavior and increases in student motivation, academic gains, and productivity. A number of person-centered planning processes have been developed that integrate the concepts of quality of life and the expression of individual choices and preferences in a way that can lead to the development of self-determined students. The Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is an educational example of a person-centered planning process. Although the Academy modules can be used independently, the instructional content will be stronger if they are used together. For instance, while this module presents some of the philosophical and theoretical foundations for positive behavioral support, other modules provide specific strategies for implementing positive behavioral support methods in ways that increase the quality of life for a student and all those involved in the student's educational process. Disclaimer The Positive Behavioral Support Online Academy Modules have been designed for teachers working with students in both general and special education. Fictional case study examples and vignettes across age groups and grade levels are provided in order to demonstrate how positive behavioral support strategies can be applied in diverse settings and situations. Pictures of students appearing in the modules have been used with permission and do not represent actual individuals. |
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