IDEA Requirements for Use of PBS: Guidelines for Responsible Agencies

Abstract: Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBS; is the federal law's preferred strategy for dealing with challenging behaviors of students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires PBS to be considered in all cases of students whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others, reflecting IDEA's preference for use of state-of-the-art technology in special education. This article explains the legal ramifications of these requirements for responsible agencies, including schools, school boards, other local educational agencies, and state educational agencies The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) emphasizes the necessity of using state-of-the-art technology in special education (20 U.S.C. § 1400(c)(4)(5) (1999); see also 20 U.S.C. § 1400(b)(7) (1990)). As a reflection of this emphasis on state-of-the-art practices, IDEA was amended in 1997 (20 U.S.C. § 1414 (d)(3)(B)(i) (1999); 34 C.F.R. § 300.346 (a)(2)(i) (1999)) to identify, for the first time in its history, an intervention strategy to be used with children wh