How we can help

Our team of qualified and experienced Behaviour Support Practitioners are trained in behaviour support strategies. They start with a functional capacity assessment and use that to prepare a behaviour support plan, in consultation with you and your family or support people.

The plan is aimed at making difficult behaviour unnecessary by removing the things that trigger, encourage or reward that behaviour. It will also teach you alternative and more appropriate behaviour to replace the difficult behaviour.

Your plan may cover:

• Improved communication and social skills
• Environmental changes (e.g. the home environment)
• Safe methods of response to unsafe behaviours
• Stress and anger management

A good plan will lead to more effective ways for you to communicate, resulting in improved relationships, better community participation, and a sense of independence over your own life.

The reason why Positive Behaviour Support works so well is that it’s based on the idea that all behaviour serves a purpose, and difficult behaviour can be reduced if you know what someone is trying to achieve or communicate by behaving in this way.

For instance, a child who lives with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may display aggressive behaviours at school that lead to suspensions. A functional assessment will find out the purpose of this behaviour, which may for example be linked to feelings of isolation and anxiety from being separated from working parents. It may find that misbehaving in the school environment and being sent home is the quickest way for the child to be reconnected to his parents and reduce his separation anxiety.

The behaviour support plan may subsequently involve changing the child’s routines at home and at school, to create a greater sense of stability. For instance, regular family activities may foster feelings of connection and belonging, as would modifying work schedules to remove before and after school care.