Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

Research Articles

A Study on the Intervention of Inattentive Behaviors in Children With Moderate Intellectual Disabilities Based on Positive Behavior Support

Published 2025-02-28

  • Ziai Liu
    • ,
  • Yixin Li
    • ,
  • Xiaodi Xie
    • ,
  • Hanjie Zhang
    • ,
  • Mingyu Ye

Ziai Liu
Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China

Yixin Li
South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China

Xiaodi Xie
Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Hanjie Zhang
Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China

Mingyu Ye
Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China

Abstract

This study evaluated the use of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) based on Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) to reduce inattentive behaviors in children with moderate intellectual disabilities. Employing a multiple-base-line design, three 15-year-old male students from a special education school in Shandong participated in individualized interventions lasting 9–15 sessions. Strategies included classroom environment adjustments, behavior cues, differential reinforcement, and timely behavioral interruptions. Results showed substantial reductions in inattentive behaviors across all three cas-es, with Case J showing the greatest improvement (from 11.78 to 2.45 in-stances per session), followed by Cases W and G, with decreases of 6.44 and 4.97, respectively. All cases had a Tau effect size of 1.00, reflecting strong intervention effectiveness. Participants also displayed enhanced fo-cus, self-regulation, and quality of life, as reported by teachers and parents. However, limitations such as short intervention durations and limited parent involvement were noted, pointing to the need for extended interventions and stronger home-school partnerships. Overall, PBS proved to be an effective and flexible approach to improving classroom behaviors and social adapt-ability in children with moderate intellectual disabilities.

Keywords

Positive Behavior Support, Functional Behavioral Assessment, moderate intellectual disabilities, Special Education

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