Positive Behaviour Support: What It Is and Who It’s For

When a participant shows behaviours that are unsafe, disruptive, or distressing — to themselves or others — the response matters. That’s where Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) comes in.

PBS is a person-centred, evidence-based approach that helps people understand and reduce challenging behaviours by improving quality of life — not by using punishment or control.

Let’s break down what it is, how it works, and who it’s designed for.

🔍 What Is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?

Positive Behaviour Support is a therapeutic approach that focuses on:

• Understanding why a behaviour is happening

• Identifying unmet needs, triggers, or environmental factors

• Teaching new skills that serve the same purpose

• Supporting emotional regulation and safety

• Empowering the person, not punishing them

PBS is not just about managing behaviour — it’s about building trust, stability, and long-term positive change.

👤 Who Is PBS Designed For?

PBS is commonly used for participants who:

• Show aggressive, destructive, or self-injurious behaviours

• Are at risk of exclusion from school, services, or housing

• Experience distress during daily transitions or social situations

• Use behaviour to communicate unmet needs

• May have difficulty regulating emotions, processing sensory input, or expressing themselves

It’s often used with autistic participants, people with intellectual disability, or individuals with psychosocial disability — but PBS is suitable for anyone experiencing complex behaviours.

📄 What’s in a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP)?

A Behaviour Support Practitioner (usually a psychologist, social worker, or specialist in behaviour) will assess the participant and create a Behaviour Support Plan that includes:

• Functional Behaviour Assessment (why the behaviour is happening)

• Strategies to reduce or eliminate triggers

• Skills to teach the participant (communication, emotional tools, routines)

• Ways to respond safely and consistently

• Environmental changes to support success

• A clear plan for any restrictive practices (if used), with phase-out goals

Plans are highly individualised and always focused on the least restrictive, most empowering path forward.

🚫 What Are Restrictive Practices — and Why Do They Matter?

Sometimes, restrictive practices (like physical restraint, locked doors, or denying access to items) are used as a last resort to keep someone safe.

Under NDIS rules:

• All restrictive practices must be authorised and documented

• They must be included in a Behaviour Support Plan

• The focus must always be on reducing and eliminating their use over time

• Data must be collected and reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

PBS aims to make restrictive practices rare, temporary, and transparent.

📚 What Does PBS Look Like in Practice?

It might include:

• Teaching a participant to ask for a break instead of running away

• Using visual schedules to reduce anxiety during transitions

• Modifying the environment to reduce sensory overload

• Role-playing emotional regulation strategies

• Using a “calm zone” instead of escalating to restraint

• Helping families respond consistently with simple prompts and positive language

PBS plans are not one-size-fits-all — they are ongoing, collaborative, and deeply personalised.

👥 Who Delivers PBS and How Is It Funded?

PBS is delivered by NDIS-registered Behaviour Support Practitioners, who may come from backgrounds like:

• Psychology

• Social work

• Education

• Speech or occupational therapy

• Specialist disability services

Funding typically comes from:

• Improved Relationships (Capacity Building)

• Improved Daily Living (for assessments and some therapy components)

Support Coordinators can help connect participants with a qualified PBS provider.

🧡 At Its Core, PBS Is About Respect and Empowerment

Behaviour is communication. Whether it’s yelling, running, hitting, or withdrawing — something is being expressed.

Positive Behaviour Support asks:

“What is this person trying to tell us — and how can we help them succeed?”

By shifting the focus from “managing” to understanding, PBS helps participants build safer, more supported, and more connected lives.