Although the past decade has witnessed tremendous progress in our ability to understand and resolve severe problem behaviors, a great deal of work remains to be done. Problem behaviors such as aggression, self-injury, disruption and defiance continue to impair the lives of children and youth, families, and professionals in home, school, and community environments. There is a great need to acquire and disseminate new knowledge that will substantially advance the field of behavior support over the next five years by increasing and enhancing the effectiveness of behavioral support strategies.

This project offers a plan for an RRTC on Positive Behavioral Support that presents a commitment to rigorous, applied research and training devoted to improving the status of behavioral support strategies so that they affect a much larger constituency with benefits that are enduring and meaningful from a lifestyle perspective. The research plan is organized around three major projects involving:

(1) expanding the applicability of effective interventions,

(2) increasing and enhancing the effectiveness of interventions

(3) describing and understanding long-term impacts and processes of effective behavioral support.

This center will generate knowledge about the effects of positive behavioral support interventions over an extended period of time. It will address important questions regarding the possible effects of positive behavioral support on the features of a person's lifestyle, and on the lives of others who are involved directly with the person's care and support. Important questions will also be asked about the durability of behavioral support efforts and the kinds of adjustments that are involved in maintaining behavioral and lifestyle improvements.

This center is a collabortative effort of the University of California, Santa Barbara, University of South Florida, California State University at Hayward, Universitty of Oregon, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the University of Kansas.