Ensuring inclusive outcomes for young people with disability within School-wide Positive Behaviour Support

All children have a right to access an inclusive education that prepares them with the academic and social competencies to lead fulfilling, socially connected lives. This includes children with disability whose educational access may rely on extensive adjustments to learning tasks and environments. School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is touted as a framework to promote social competence and prevent behavioural difficulties for all students, and one which involves all staff members. Designed to build educators’ capacity to implement evidence-based practices and prevent behavioural difficulties that may become the basis for exclusion, SWPBS has the potential to bolster broader inclusive education efforts. However, considerations for students with disability are often overlooked in both the research on SWPBS outcomes and the design of supports across all three tiers. The authors discuss research and practice related to the inclusion of students with disability in SWPBS. There is a particular focus on: personalised adjustments to ensure the inclusion of students with disability and with complex support requirements; the importance of making preventive practices physically and educationally accessible to all students; and the need for professional learning, collaboration, and ongoing support to build teachers’ capacity for universal inclusive practice.