Family perspectives on the acceptability and usefulness of the FAB Positive Behaviour Support program: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This pilot feasibility study aimed to gain preliminary insight into the acceptability and usefulness of the FAB-PBS program for providing behavior support to families following acquired brain injury (ABI) in community settings. The FAB-PBS program is based on a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) framework and principles of Family-Centered Care and Family-Directed Intervention. It consists of an education phase followed by individualized sessions during which the family is supported to develop and implement a PBS plan.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was utilized, with feedback obtained from family members via short questionnaires and semi-structured interviews post education phase and individualized sessions, and at three-month follow up.

Results: Two family members completed the full FAB-PBS program and reported high satisfaction with the program and increased confidence in providing behavior support. Findings also suggested an increase in desired behaviors and a decrease in challenging behaviors presented by family members with ABI.

Conclusions: The FAB-PBS program may be an acceptable and feasible approach to increasing the capability of family caregivers in providing behavior support following ABI. Further pilot testing is required to inform the development of a larger feasibility study.

KEYWORDS:

• Family
• behavior support
• community
• ABI

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Ethical standards

The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Financial support

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.