Families
-Content Expert: Dr. Sarah Fefer
It is important to acknowledge that family-focused PBS has the same core features as any other application. These features include collaboration; individualized assessment-based intervention; proactive, educational, and functional support strategies; systems-level approaches that are focused on improving quality of life, and data-based decision making.
Parenting Special Needs Magazine
A one of a kind free, interactive, multi-medial online, mobile-friendly publication serving the special needs community. The magazine features:
- Articles you can listen to
- Read text and tips
- Watch videos
- Get connecting with links
Expand the content below to get started.
Positive Behavior Support Basics in the Family Home
- Fad Treatments: Making Good Choices for Your Child, Jacoby Davani, Meme Hieneman, & Holly Downs (Mar/Apr, 2020), pp. 16-17.
- Is it working? Monitoring the Effectiveness of Treatments, Natalie Parks & Meme Hieneman (Sep/Oct, 2014), pp. 40-41.
- Keeping Our Children Safe in the Real World, Jennifer Agganis & Meme Hieneman (May/Jun 2013), pp. 24-25.
- Positive Behavior Support as a Family Affair, Meme Hieneman & Melisa Ruiz (Nov/Dec, 2018), pp. 24-27.
- What is ABA, Now Really?, Meme Hieneman, Viviana Gonzalez, & Paula Chan (Jul/Aug 2011), pp.29-30.
- Why is the Challenging Behavior Happening?, Holly Downs, Tom Tutton, and Meme Hieneman (Summer 2020)
Positive Strategies to Respond to Problem Behavior
- Dealing Effectively with Difficult Situations, Karen Childs & Meme Hieneman (Jan/Feb 2010)
- Finding Common Ground: Working Together to Resolve Behavioral Challenges, Viviana Gonzalez & Meme Hieneman (May/Jun 2010)
- How to Spare the Rod: Addressing Difficult Behavior Effectively, Meme Hieneman (Mar/Apr, 2019), pp. 22-24.
- Parenting with PBS: Resolving Children’s Behavior Problems More Effectively and Efficiently, Meme Hieneman (Jul/Aug 2009)
- Reinforcement: Improving Behavior One Interaction at a Time, Meme Hieneman (Jul/Aug, 2014), pp. 32-33.
- Time-Out: Does it Work?, Kristin Knapp-Ines & Meme Hieneman (Jul/Aug 2010)
- When Things Get Out of Control: Managing Escalating Behavior, Meme Hieneman & Milissa Yeagley (May/Jun, 2014) pp. 22-23.
Problem Behavior Prevention and Prompting Positive Behavior
- Avoiding Power Struggles, Shane Isley, Kate Marshall, Sarah Fefer, & Meme Hieneman (2012, Jul/Aug 2012), pp. 58-59
- Engaging Cooperation through Choice and Preference, Shelley Clarke & Meme Hieneman (2011, Jan/Feb 2011), pp. 44-45
- Household Organization, Meme Hieneman & Angela Seaton (Jan/Feb, 2015), pp. 14-15.
- Power of Prevention: Heading Off Difficult Behavior, Shelley Clarke & Meme Hieneman (2010, Nov/Dec 2010), pp. 52-53
- Setting Children Up for Success: Using Precorrection Effectively, Meme Hieneman & Melisa Ruiz (May/Jun, 2018), pp. 18-20.
- Supporting Teen Behavior and Loving Relationships, Meme Hieneman, Claudia Villari, & Daniel Davidson (Sep/Oct, 2016), pp. 24-26.
- Using Visual Strategies to Improve Behavior, Meme Hieneman (Mar/Apr, 2018), pp. 24-26.
- What to Expect When Setting Expectations, Meme Hieneman & Monica Gilbert (Mar/Apr, 2015), pp. 40-41.
Resources to Support Parent Needs
- A Glass Half Full: Parent Perspectives and Child Behavior, Meme Hieneman (Jan/Feb, 2014), pp.26-27.
- Cultivating Understanding and Support from Family and Friends for Your Child, Meme Hieneman & Florien Deurloo (May/June, 2016), pp 24-26.
- Finding Your Moment of Parenting Zen, Tracy Raulston & Meme Hieneman (Nov/Dec, 2016), pp. 22-24.
- Oxygen: Caring for Ourselves to Care for Our Children, Tom Tutton & Meme Hieneman (Sep/Oct, 2020), pp. 15-16.
Teaching Children Skills
- A Relative Solution to a Complex Problem: Engaging Siblings to Build Social Skills, Alanna Apap & Meme Hieneman (Jan/Feb 2013), pp. 40-41.
- Talk with Me: Enhancing Communication through Natural Family Routines, Donna Wexler & Meme Hieneman (Sep/Oct 2013), pp. 56-57.
- Teaching Independent Play: A Win-Win for Children and Parent, Kelcey Schmitz & Meme Hieneman (Jul/Aug 2013), pp. 42-43.
- Use Your Words: Replacing Problem Behavior with Communication, Meme Hieneman (Sep/Oct, 2018), pp. 18-20.
Using PBS to Improve Routines
- Expanding Food Options for the Picky Eater, Meme Hieneman (Nov/Dec 2012), pp.28-29.
- Gifting Holidays: Overcoming Challenges and Promoting Enjoyment, Kimberli Breen, Meme Hieneman, & Victoria McMullen (Nov/Dec, 2015), pp. 22-24.
- Going Places: Improving Participation in Community Activities, Meme Hieneman, Erin Buckalew, & Paul Rogers (Mar/Apr 2014), pp. 34-35.
- Improving Transitions: When it’s Time to Change, You’ve Got to Rearrange, Meme Hieneman, John Hoch, & Tahra Cessna (Nov/Dec, 2014), pp. 24-27.
- Let’s Get a Good Night’s Sleep, Meme Hieneman (Jan/Feb 2012) pp. 50-51.
- Mission Possible: Successful Family Vacations, Kimberli Breen, Victoria McMullen, & Meme Hieneman (May/Jun, 2015), pp. 28-30.
- Say Aah: Successful Trips to the Dentist, Meme Hieneman, Victoria McMullen, Kimberli Breen, & Joslyn Mintz (Mar/Apr, 2016), pp. 32-34.
- Shopping without Dropping: Running Errands Successfully, Missy Sieders & Meme Hieneman (July/Aug, 2019), pp. 20-23.
- Starting the Day off Right: Making the Most of Morning Routines, Megan Joy, Marcie Handler, & Meme Hieneman (Sept/Oct, 2015), pp. 24-26.
- Success on the Potty, Laura Casper and Meme Hieneman (Mar/Apr 2013), pp. 24-25.
In this section you will find general resources on PBS within family lives, training resources for parents, and tools and guides. Expand the options below to access the resources on this page.
Organizations for Supporting Parents
- APBS Families Page. Resources for families including “Getting Started” document, articles, and stories from the field (free).
- PACER Center Champions for children with disabilities - A web resource with various publications on education and parental rights. Many free PDF documents available and some items available for purchase (free and for purchase).
- Zero to Three - An organization dedicated to the early years and successful parenting. Multiple learning resources for positive parenting available (free).
Practical Learning Resources for Parents
- Family Engagement Resources. NCPMI. Variety of brief articles and educational resources for families that address behavioral support issues for young children divided into these sections: Making Life Easier, Backpack Connection, Family Articles, and Scripted Social Stories (Free).
- Family Hope Program Guide/Parent Handbook: PBS for Families of Children with Challenging Behavior – King-Peery & Wilder (2011). Practical books based on PBS principles to help parents develop behavioral interventions for children with disabilities in family homes (for purchase).
- Family Routine Guide - Lentini & Fox, Center on the Social Emotional Foundations of Learning. Guide to help families develop strategies to support typical daily routines.
- Helping Parents with Challenging Children: Positive Family Intervention – Durand & Hieneman. (2008). Curriculum to guide parents through PBS process, while also addressing thoughts and feelings through optimism training (for purchase).
- How to Help your Child Learn How to Share - University of South Florida. Tips and strategies are provided on how parents can teach their child how to share (free).
- Implementation Planning Form: High Quality Environments. A form to check specific contexts for positive supports (free).
- Optimistic Parenting: Hope and Help for You and Your Challenging Child – Durand (2011). Book for caregivers that addresses function-based interventions and cognitive-emotive strategies to support families (for purchase).
- Parent Plan Monitoring – Simple yes/no tool for parents to assess whether they are using different components of a behavior plan for their child.
- Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Families: A Model of Individualized Positive Behavior Support for Home and Community – Dunlap et al. (2017) Comprehensive guide for professionals implementing PBS with children and families including examples and tools (for purchase).
- Reading your Childs Cues from Birth to Age 2. Vanderbilt University. A resource written for parents to better understand their childs behavior and what it is communicating (free).
Tools for Parents to use to Support their Child/Children
- Ten Positive Behavior Support Strategies to Support Families at Home. Kiki McGough. Association for Positive Behavior Supports (Free).
- Caregiver Planning - National Center for Pyramid Innovations. A form for parents to use to implement specific positive support practices in daily life with their child/children (free).
- Caregiver Responsive Routines Planning Form - National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations. A form for parents to use to think about and plan positive routines into their days with their children (free).
- Coping with Crying in Babies and Toddlers - Zero to Three Podcast Series. Crying is a challenging issue for all parents. In this recorded podcase Dr. High from Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital covers this important issue and how parents can better handle crying (free).
- Hot Buttons - University of South Florida. A tool for parents to use to describe and analyze how their childs challenging behavior affects them and the household (free).
- Positive Parenting and the Seven Essential Life Skills for Children - Zero to Three. Tips on what parents can do to support essential skills at an early age with their child (free).
- Teaching Rules at Home - National Center for Pyramid Innovations. A resource designed for parents to understand how to set positive expectations in the home (free).
- Toddlers and Biting: Finding the Right Response. Zero to Three. Guidance for parents on how to positively respond and teach replacement behaviors for biting (free).
Webinars for Parents
- Practiced Routines PBS Parent Training Videos – Hieneman/Trifoia. Free videos on watching and recording behavior, identifying patterns, proactive strategies, teaching skills, and managing consequences.
- Positive Partnerships offers a wide range of recorded webinars for parents of children with Autism. These webinars are free to access and can be accessed on demand.
Learn more how PBS can replace more punitive discipline practices for families in this brochure.
Check out this video about supporting families having to do distance learning from the San Juan Unified School District.
Click the website link to access a number of resources for planning and implementation.
