NDIS Behaviour Support FAQs

Positive behaviour support (PBS) is a person-centred, evidence-informed way of understanding behaviour and improving quality of life. It can help when behaviours of concern (such as aggression, self-injury, property damage, or withdrawal) are affecting a person's safety, relationships, or ability to take part in everyday life.

You don't need everything sorted before you reach out. Most people get in touch with a short description of what's happening, and we help work out whether behaviour support is the right fit and what a sensible first step looks like. A referral can come from a participant, a family member, a support coordinator, or another professional involved in the person's care.

• Have a rough idea of the behaviours of concern and how they're affecting daily life
• Know whether behaviour support funding is in the person's NDIS plan (a support coordinator can check)
• Note who else is involved: family, support workers, school, allied health

A behaviour support plan is a practical document that describes the person, the behaviours of concern, why those behaviours may be happening, and the strategies that aim to improve quality of life and reduce the need for those behaviours. It's written to be used by the people who support the participant every day.

Where there's an immediate need, an interim plan can be developed relatively quickly to put safe, evidence-informed strategies in place. A comprehensive plan follows a fuller assessment, reflects a deeper understanding of the person, and is reviewed over time. Many participants move from an interim plan to a comprehensive plan as more is learned.

Under the NDIS, behaviour support is funded where it is 'reasonable and necessary' in relation to a person's disability. The funding is usually found under Improved Relationships in a participant's plan and can cover assessment, plan development, and implementation support.

We can't confirm what's in any individual plan. That's something a support coordinator or the NDIS can help with. If funding isn't there yet but behaviour support seems relevant, it's worth raising at a plan review. We're happy to point you in the right direction without any obligation.

A restrictive practice is anything that restricts the rights or freedom of movement of a person, usually used in response to behaviours of concern. Restrictive practices are taken seriously under the NDIS, and a core goal of behaviour support is to reduce and ultimately remove their use.

If restrictive practices are being used, they should be documented in the behaviour support plan alongside a clear plan to reduce them, and there are authorisation and reporting requirements that vary by state and territory. This page is general information, not legal advice. A behaviour support practitioner can explain how it applies in a specific situation.

PBSG provides NDIS positive behaviour support across all Australian states and territories, with practitioners in capital cities and major regional centres. We combine in-person and remote or telehealth support depending on a participant's needs, location, and our current capacity.

We aim to be responsive and honest from the first contact: clear about realistic timeframes, and clear about what behaviour support can and can't do. We work closely with families, schools, allied health providers, and support coordinators so that strategies stay consistent across the settings a person moves through.