“Happy, Relaxed and Engaged”: Improving Quality of Life and Behaviour Support

Recently, Kristin had the privilege of attending the two-day Advanced Workshop on Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment (PFA-SBT) with Gregory Hanley and hosted by Superkids Behaviour Consulting.  On the last day, Australian clinicians were invited to present clinical case studies on how they have implemented PFA-SBT in their settings.  It was powerful to hear these stories of success in positive behaviour support – not only were behaviours reduced and restrictions were eased, but quality of life improved.

Many left the workshop excited to tackle the challenge of aligning the PFA-SBT model with the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework under the NDIS.  It may take a little time to work out how this can happen, but one concept stood out as something we can put into practice immediately: Happy, Relaxed, and Engaged (HRE). This focus on fostering environments where people feel joyful, calm, and connected aligns perfectly with the principles of PBS, allowing us to create safer, more trusting relationships. HRE aligns strongly with the values of PBS.  It’s a concept that goes beyond managing behaviours —it’s about creating an environment where joy, trust, and learning can thrive.

The Power of “Happy, Relaxed, and Engaged”

At the core of HRE is the idea that supporting a person means understanding what brings them joy and a sense of purpose in their environment. When we focus on helping someone feel happy, relaxed, and engaged, we are inherently seeking to improve their quality of life. It’s not just about behaviour reduction — it’s about looking deeper to see what makes people tick, what brings them joy, and what helps them feel secure.   In PBS, we aim to build environments where people can experience a good quality of life. But HRE pushes us to go further by considering the emotional experience of the person. It invites us to ask: What can we do right now to help this person feel truly joyful and at ease?

HRE and Safety Go Hand in Hand

One of the key takeaways from the workshop was the link between HRE and safety. When we reliably support a person to feel happy, relaxed, and engaged, we naturally create a safer environment for them. Dangerous behaviours arise from discomfort, fear, or frustration.  In other words, as Dr Hanley put it, people engage in behaviour of concern to “Get out of stuff they don’t want to do, to do stuff they dowant to do, with people they like to do stuff with.”  In HRE, a person only does the stuff they want to with the people they want to do it with.

When a person engages in severe behaviour of concern, we can think “What do they need to return to HRE?” In PBS approaches such as Non-Aversive Reactive Strategies (NARS), this approach is often referred to as “strategic capitulation” (LaVigna et al., 2022). It’s not about “following through” or putting the behaviour on extinction — it’s about offering the person what they need to return to a state of calm and engagement. When we meet their needs, we’re not only keeping them safe, but we’re also giving them what they need to feel joyful again.  In conjunction with a plan that incorporates positive programming and focus support, this can lead to fewer occurrences and reduced severity of behaviour as well as a reduction in the use of restrictive practices (Crates & Spicer 2016).

HRE and Assent-Based Practice

Absconding is a common behaviour of concern where a person leaves their home, school, or community environment, often presenting significant safety risks, particularly near traffic or in remote areas. While a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) helps us understand the “why” behind the leaving behaviour, it’s equally important to ask, “Why would they want to stay?” For example, imagine an 8-year-old climbs a fence into a neighbour’s yard and scales a lemon tree to reach the fragrant leaves. A traditional behaviour support plan might focus on restrictive measures such as higher fences, door alarms, or increased supervision—attempts to prevent the behaviour by controlling the environment. But these measures don’t consider whether the person assents to being in that space (their yard) or whether they find joy in the environment.

Instead of relying solely on restrictions, we can take an assent-based approach. Assent-based practice involves creating environments where the person willingly chooses to stay because they feel happy, relaxed, and engaged (HRE). If we observe that the child’s own garden lacks the sensory experience that brings them joy, we could bring that sensory delight into their space. By offering what they need—whether it’s the fragrance of lemon leaves or another joyful stimulus—we are respecting their assent, providing them with a reason to stay without coercion or restriction. In this way, we shift from controlling behaviour to creating an environment that meets their emotional and sensory needs, ensuring both safety and well-being.

Finding HRE

So how do we figure out what makes someone happy, relaxed, and engaged? It’s not always as obvious as a smile or a laugh. Each person expresses joy, comfort, and engagement in their own unique way. Some key steps include:

1. Talk to the people who know them best: Whether it’s family members, educators, carers, or friends, those closest to the person often have valuable insights into what brings them joy. They may notice small things—a favourite texture, a song, or a specific smell—that help the person feel at ease.
2. Observe their interactions with the environment: Spend time watching how the person moves through their space. What are they naturally drawn to? What do they reach for when they need comfort or want to engage? These observations can tell you a lot about what brings them happiness.
3. Understand that joy looks different for everyone: Not all people smile when they’re happy. Similarly, not all behaviours like stimming are necessarily expressions of joy. You need to learn the unique cues for each person. Assent, or the person’s willingness and positive participation in activities, plays a key role here. When someone is truly happy and engaged, they are more likely to give their assent, showing us that they want to participate, that they are enjoying the experience, and that they trust us to continue guiding their journey.

The work of finding out what brings someone to a state of HRE isn’t easy, but it’s crucial. By doing so, we help our participants live a more joyful and connected life.

Let’s start an HRE revolution! Share this article and/or let me know your thoughts! Are you a behaviour support practitioner wanting to level-up your practice? Reach out to me via direct message or check out our website https://launchsupervision.com.au/