The Irish Society for Behaviour Analysis (ISBA) was delighted to be joined by Dr Brian McClean. Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) had a well-established history as a human rights-based approach (HRBA), particularly in Ireland. However, the realisation of human rights could have been hollow if not grounded in meaningful relationships. A relationship-based approach to PBS did not exclude an HRBA but introduced additional values and possibilities, including an emphasis on meaning, conflict resolution, interdependence, therapeutic rapport, a sense of home, and love. This paper examined a Multi-Element Behaviour Support plan for a woman with autism to illustrate the unique possibilities of a human rights- and relationship-based approach to PBS.

About Dr Brian McClean

Dr Brian McClean qualified as a Clinical Psychologist from the University of Surrey in 1989. In 1994, he founded the Callan Institute for Behavioural Support and developed it as a national consultation and training agency. Over 30 years, he helped develop more than 1,000 Multi-Element Behaviour Support Plans for people with behaviours of concern. He later worked with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland in the Irish Midlands, whose mission was to enable people with neuro-rehabilitation needs to live the lives of their choosing.

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