The Family Behavior Support App (FBSApp) is designed for use by parents with young children (ages 2-5) with disabilities and challenging behaviors, and to test the usability, feasibility, fidelity of implementation, and promise of FBSApp when used by parents in home settings. The goal of this website is to share resources related to FBSApp.

About the FBSApp

The Family Behavior Support App (FBSApp) is an IES funded project focused on: (a) developing a fully operational Family Behavior Support mobile software application (FBSApp), which will be designed for use by parents with young children (ages 2 – 5) with disabilities and challenging behaviors, and (b) to test the usability, feasibility, fidelity of implementation, and promise of FBSApp when used by parents in home settings. The FBSApp uses a positive behavior support (PBS)/Pyramid Model framework to guide parents in using empirically supported, functional assessment (FA) based interventions to address their child’s challenging behaviors.

The FBSApp is designed for use on smart phones and tablets to efficiently and effectively deliver FA-based interventions to support parent implementation in homes. Along with FA-based intervention practices, a positive behavior support framework and developmentally appropriate, family-centered approaches will be central to the content and procedures within the FBSApp.

This innovative app addresses critical gaps in providing (a) ongoing support to parents to enhance their capacity to prevent and reduce their child’s challenging behaviors and promote social emotional skills and (b) effective FA-based intervention practices for young children with disabilities and challenging behaviors to prevent negative long-term developmental outcomes and promote social emotional competence and school readiness. Overall, the purpose is to construct a fully developed mobile application (FBSApp) for use by parents of children with disabilities and challenging behaviors in their homes to support their use of FA-based interventions.

Barton, E. E. (PI), Meadan, H. (Co-PI), Fettig, A. (Co-PI)
Development and Testing of the Family Behavior Support App
National Center for Special Education Research, Institute for Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education

Using the FBSApp to Support Families You Work With

We have created free modules to support practitioners in coaching families while using the FBSApp. Follow the link above to download these resources and begin supporting families now!