Maintaining bonds: Positive behaviour support and attachment theory

Abstract

‘The central task is to study the endless interactions of internal and external factors, and how one is influencing the other, not only during childhood but during adolescence and adult life as well.’ John Bowlby (1988) cited in Tizard (2009)Attachment theory is largely excluded from positive behaviour support (PBS), but this means that we ignore an important risk factor and outcome measure. In so doing, we distance ourselves from the clients’ experience of love and loss. The theoretical narratives conceptualise relationships incompatibly. Yet attachment insecurity is an important determinant of behaviour disturbance, probably even more so in people with intellectual disabilities. Security is mediated through the attachment behaviours of key carers. It is possible to incorporate attachment theory easily into PBS interventions and the benefits may be significant for the individuals receiving behaviour support plans.