Behaviour Support FAQs
NDIS behaviour support, positive behaviour support plans, reports & practitioner visits
Clear answers for participants, families, carers, support coordinators and providers navigating behaviour support, funding and next steps.
Behaviour Collaborations works with NDIS participants, families, carers, support coordinators, schools, providers and wider support teams to understand behaviours of concern and develop practical, person-centred support.
The answers below explain common questions about NDIS behaviour support, Positive Behaviour Support, reports, practitioner visits, TelePBS, restrictive practices and what happens during the behaviour support process.
These answers are general in nature. If you have questions about your own situation, contact Behaviour Collaborations so our team can talk through what may be suitable for the participant, their support needs and their goals.
Behaviour Support FAQs: Getting Started
Positive Behaviour Support focuses on understanding why behaviours of concern may be happening and what can be done to support the person more safely, respectfully and consistently.
This can include looking at communication, routines, environments, relationships, sensory needs, health factors, stress, skills, support responses and what is happening before and after a behaviour.
For some participants, NDIS behaviour support may also include reducing or eliminating restrictive practices, managing risk and creating practical strategies that improve quality of life.
At Behaviour Collaborations, we focus on developing behaviour support plans that promote safety, dignity, inclusion and practical support for the participant and the people around them.
The NDIS Commission explains that Positive Behaviour Support strategies are documented in a behaviour support plan and may include restrictive practices where relevant.
A Behaviour Support Practitioner works with the participant, family, carers and support team to understand what is happening and what support may be needed.
This may include gathering information, speaking with key people, reviewing reports, observing routines, developing safety strategies, completing a Functional Behaviour Assessment, and writing or reviewing a behaviour support plan.
A Behaviour Support Practitioner may also support families and teams to understand the NDIS, use behaviour support funding appropriately, and connect with other services where needed.
The role is not to judge the participant or family. The role is to understand what is happening and build practical support around the person’s needs, strengths and goals.
Behaviour support may be helpful for NDIS participants who are experiencing behaviours of concern, increased risk, difficulties with communication, changes in routine, emotional regulation challenges, environmental stressors, or situations where restrictive practices are being used or considered.
It can also support families, carers, schools, support workers and providers who need clearer strategies for responding consistently and safely.
No. Behaviour support is not only for crisis situations or severe behaviours.
Early support can help families and teams understand patterns, improve communication, reduce stress, build skills and respond earlier before concerns escalate.
Some participants may need a comprehensive Positive Behaviour Support Plan. Others may need guidance, stakeholder support, review of current strategies, or support to better understand what is happening in daily life.
Behaviour support may be worth exploring if behaviours of concern are affecting the participant’s quality of life, safety, relationships, routines, school, work, home life or community access.
It may also be useful if the support team is unsure how to respond, if current strategies are not working, or if restrictive practices are being used or discussed.
If you are unsure, Behaviour Collaborations can talk through your situation and help you understand whether behaviour support may be appropriate.
Behaviour Support Plans and Reports
A Positive Behaviour Support Plan is a written plan that explains how a participant can be supported in a safer, more consistent and more respectful way.
It may include information about the participant’s strengths, needs, communication, routines, behaviours of concern, triggers, early warning signs, proactive strategies, response strategies and the roles of different people in the support team.
A Positive Behaviour Support Plan should be practical. It should support real life, not just sit in a folder.
A behaviour support plan may be needed when a participant has behaviour support funding, behaviours of concern, risk concerns, or situations where regulated restrictive practices are being used or considered.
A plan may also be useful when families and support teams need clearer strategies to support the participant consistently across home, school, work, community or supported living environments.
At times, after assessment, a practitioner may determine that a participant does not need ongoing behaviour support. In that case, written communication may be provided to explain the outcome and next steps.
An Interim Behaviour Support Plan is a short-term plan used when immediate safety and risk concerns need to be addressed, particularly where regulated restrictive practices are involved.
The purpose of an Interim Behaviour Support Plan is to provide immediate strategies to reduce risk, support safety and reduce reliance on restrictive practices while more information is gathered.
It may include proactive strategies, response strategies, safety planning and guidance for families or teams.
An Interim Behaviour Support Plan is generally needed when a participant is subject to regulated restrictive practices or where immediate risk management strategies are required while a more comprehensive plan is being developed.
If restrictive practices are involved, timeframes and reporting requirements may apply. Behaviour Collaborations will work with the participant, family, carers and relevant providers to understand the situation and what needs to happen next.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment is a structured process used to understand the purpose or function behind a person’s behaviour.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment may include reviewing information, speaking with people who know the participant, observing routines, looking at patterns, and considering what happens before, during and after behaviours of concern.
The goal is to understand why the behaviour may be happening and what supports may help the person in a safer, more respectful and practical way.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment report may be needed when more detailed information is required to understand behaviours of concern, support planning, risk, restrictive practices or funding needs.
It may also be useful when existing strategies are not working, when support needs have changed, or when a more detailed evidence base is needed to guide the behaviour support plan.
The need for an FBA will depend on the participant’s situation, goals, risks and NDIS plan.
After a report or behaviour support plan has been written, Behaviour Collaborations may continue to work with the participant, family and support team to support implementation.
This may include stakeholder engagement, team meetings, training, telehealth sessions, strategy review, behavioural monitoring and updates when circumstances change.
A report is not the end of the process. It should support practical next steps.
A behaviour support plan should be reviewed when the participant’s needs, risks, supports or circumstances change.
Where regulated restrictive practices are included, formal review requirements may apply.
Even when restrictive practices are not involved, it is good practice to check whether the strategies are working, whether the participant’s quality of life is improving and whether the plan still reflects daily life.
Restrictive Practices and Safety
Restrictive practices are practices that restrict a person’s rights or freedom of movement.
In the NDIS context, regulated restrictive practices include chemical restraint, environmental restraint, mechanical restraint, physical restraint and seclusion.
Restrictive practices should never be treated as routine behaviour management. They require careful consideration, safeguards, authorisation where required, reporting and strategies to reduce or eliminate their use over time.
You can read more about behaviour support and restrictive practices through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Behaviour support may be involved when a participant is subject to restrictive practices or when restrictive practices are being considered.
A Behaviour Support Practitioner can help assess what is happening, develop proactive strategies, create safety planning, and work toward reducing or eliminating restrictive practices where possible.
The focus should always be on understanding the person, reducing risk, protecting rights and improving quality of life.
In some situations, restrictive practices may be reduced or eliminated over time through better understanding, safer environments, improved communication, skill-building, staff training and consistent support.
This is not always immediate. It requires careful planning, collaboration and monitoring.
The goal of Positive Behaviour Support is to reduce reliance on restrictive responses wherever possible and replace them with safer, more respectful supports.
If there is immediate danger or risk of harm, emergency support should be contacted.
Behaviour support can help with planning, prevention, risk reduction and longer-term strategies, but it is not a crisis response service.
Families and providers should follow any existing safety plans and emergency procedures where immediate safety is at risk.
Working with a Behaviour Support Practitioner
The length of engagement depends on the participant’s NDIS funding, goals, support needs, risks and the work required.
Some participants may receive support for a shorter period while a specific plan or report is developed. Others may continue with behaviour support over a longer period, especially where ongoing monitoring, review, training or support team guidance is needed.
For many participants, behaviour support is reviewed alongside their NDIS plan and ongoing goals.
Usually, no.
A Behaviour Support Practitioner works differently from a psychologist or regular therapy provider. Behaviour support often involves gathering information, speaking with stakeholders, reviewing reports, observing routines, developing strategies, writing plans and supporting the wider team.
In the early stages, a practitioner may have more frequent contact with the participant, family, support workers, school, carers or providers. At other times, there may be quieter periods while information is reviewed and the behaviour support plan is being developed.
The frequency of contact depends on the participant’s needs, funding, risk level, goals and where the practitioner is up to in the behaviour support process.
There may be more contact at the start while information is gathered. Later, contact may reduce while reports or plans are being written, then increase again during implementation, review or training.
Your practitioner should explain what to expect and keep you informed about the next steps.
Yes. TelePBS can be suitable for some participants, families and support teams, depending on the person’s needs, location, goals and support environment.
TelePBS may support regional access, stakeholder meetings, practitioner check-ins, training, plan review and follow-up conversations.
In some cases, a home visit or in-person meeting may be more suitable. Behaviour Collaborations can help you understand which format may be appropriate.
Yes. Behaviour support often works best when the people around the participant are included.
This may include families, carers, schools, support workers, support coordinators, allied health professionals, accommodation providers and other key stakeholders.
A behaviour support plan is more likely to be useful when the people implementing it understand the strategies and their role in supporting the participant.
NDIS Funding, Invoices and Service Delivery
Behaviour support may be funded through a participant’s NDIS plan when behaviour support funding is included and the support is reasonable and necessary for the participant’s needs and goals.
The way behaviour support funding can be used depends on the participant’s plan, funding categories and current NDIS requirements.
If you are unsure whether your plan includes behaviour support funding, your support coordinator, plan manager or Behaviour Collaborations may be able to help you understand the next steps.
The NDIS also explains capacity building supports, including supports that can help develop positive behaviours and build skills.
Behaviour Collaborations uses a streamlined invoice processing system to reduce administration time and keep service delivery focused on participant support.
Your invoice may show whether intervention or training work has been completed.
Intervention work may include observations, email and phone correspondence, visits, travel, case notes, behavioural monitoring, research and report writing.
Training work may include research, training preparation, training delivery and follow-up training support.
If you have questions about an invoice, you can contact the team for clarification.
Intervention work may include activities that directly support the participant, family and wider team.
This may include observations, meetings, phone calls, emails, reviewing information, writing case notes, monitoring behaviour, developing strategies, report writing, stakeholder communication and visits where appropriate.
Not all behaviour support work happens face to face. Some of the most important work happens behind the scenes when information is reviewed and strategies are developed.
Training work may include preparing training materials, delivering training to support teams, reviewing implementation needs and providing follow-up guidance where appropriate.
Training helps support workers, families and providers understand the behaviour support plan and apply strategies more consistently.
When something does not feel right
If you are not happy with your Behaviour Support Practitioner, it is okay to raise the concern.
Where possible, start by speaking with your practitioner. They may not be aware that something is not working and may be able to adjust their communication, process or approach.
If you need to escalate the concern, contact Behaviour Collaborations so the team can discuss the issue and explore suitable options. The right practitioner fit matters, and Behaviour Collaborations will work with you to support a better pathway where possible.
If you have concerns about a behaviour support plan, write down what does not feel clear, practical or suitable.
You may want to ask:
- Does the plan reflect daily life?
- Are the strategies clear enough for the support team to use?
- Are the participant’s rights, dignity and preferences considered?
- Is there enough information about behaviours of concern?
- Is the plan being reviewed when circumstances change?
- Are restrictive practices explained and managed appropriately?
You can raise these questions with the practitioner or provider.
The first step is to contact Behaviour Collaborations or complete the relevant enquiry or referral form.
The team can talk with you about the participant’s needs, location, current supports, NDIS funding, goals and what type of behaviour support may be appropriate.
If Behaviour Collaborations is the right fit, the next steps may include intake, information gathering, stakeholder conversations, appointments and planning.
Helpful NDIS Resources
For official information about behaviour support and restrictive practices, visit the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
You can also read the NDIS guidance on capacity building supports, including supports that may help participants build skills and develop positive behaviours.
Service Areas
Behaviour Collaborations supports participants, families and teams across Brisbane, Redlands, South East Queensland, regional Queensland and selected New South Wales service areas.
Support may be delivered through home visits, stakeholder meetings, community-based support, TelePBS or other formats, depending on the participant’s needs, location and service suitability. For more information, visit the Service Areas page or contact the team.
Still have questions about Behaviour Support?
If you have questions about NDIS behaviour support, Positive Behaviour Support plans, practitioner visits, reports, funding or next steps, Behaviour Collaborations is here to talk.
Contact our team to discuss your situation and find out what support may be suitable for the participant, family and wider support network.