On October 14–15, the 8th hybrid European PBS Network Research Symposium and the 3rd International Conference on the Positive Behavior Support and Intervention System (PEPIS) took place in Vilnius. These events were organized by the Lithuanian Center for Inclusion in Education, in collaboration with the Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University and the PBS-Europe Network.
The symposium brought together a large group of researchers and practitioners from Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Iceland, Australia, and the United States.
Professor Renata Bilbokaitė, Director of the Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy, welcomed the participants. During the plenary session Renata Geležinienė, Associate Professor at the Institute of Education of the Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy, delivered a presentation titled “Lithuanian Schools in the PBIS System: The Perspective of Students and Teachers” together with her co-authors — Renata Greimaitė, a special education teacher in the Autism Spectrum Disorders Group at the Lithuanian Center for Inclusive Education, and Alma Lesiūnienė, a second-year master’s student in the Special Education program.
The 3rd International PEPIS Conference focused primarily on the topics of inclusive education, data-driven solutions, and children’s emotional well-being. The keynote speakers at the conference—Dr. Rachel Freeman (University of Minnesota, USA) and Dr. Jennifer Jeffrey-Pearsall (Midwest PBIS Network, USA), as well as other experts from abroad and Lithuania, emphasized that positive behavior support begins with the ability to understand a child, recognize their needs, and view behavior as a form of communication.
Renata Geležinienė, associate professor at the Institute of Education of the Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy, contributed to the organization and successful implementation of the event. Akvilė Jonaitytė and Ugnė Šutrajevaitė, fourth-year students in the Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology program, also volunteered during the event.