At Connect2Care, we often hear the story where a family has been managing behaviours of concern for months or years, supports have been tried and haven’t stuck and somewhere along the way, someone mentioned positive behaviour support without ever explaining what it actually involves. By the time people reach us, they’re often tired and they want real answers rather than more jargon.
That’s what this post is for. We’ll walk you through what PBS is, how it works under the NDIS and what positive behaviour support with Connect2Care looks like in practice.
What Is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive behaviour support (PBS) is a way of understanding and responding to behaviours of concern that starts with asking why, not just what. Rather than trying to stop a behaviour through punishment or restriction, PBS looks at what the behaviour is communicating and builds a plan around that.
At Connect2Care, we see this play out constantly. A young person who becomes aggressive at transitions isn’t doing it to be difficult. They’re often anxious, overwhelmed, or lacking the communication tools to say, “I’m not ready for this.” PBS helps us understand that and then do something useful about it.
The approach is person-centred, which in practice means the plan is built around the individual’s life, relationships and goals, not a generic template. No two PBS plans we develop look the same, because no two people are the same.
Under the NDIS, positive behaviour support is funded through the Capacity Building Supports budget, specifically under the Improved Relationships category. If your plan includes this funding, or you think it should, we can help you work through what that looks like.
What Causes Behaviours of concern in Disability?
One of the most important shifts families make when they work with our team is moving away from the idea that the person is the problem. Behaviours of concern, whether they involve aggression, self-harm, property damage, or withdrawal, almost always have a reason behind them.
Sometimes that reason is pain or physical discomfort that the person can’t articulate. Sometimes it’s a sensory environment that has become unbearable. Sometimes it’s years of not being understood, of asking for things and not being heard, until frustration spills over in the only way available.
We have worked with people whose behaviours of concern looked frightening on the surface, but once we understood their daily experience, it made complete sense. That understanding is where PBS starts.
How Does Positive Behaviour Support Help People with Disability?
It Starts With Actually Getting to Know the Person
Before we develop any plan, we do a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA). This is not a quick form or a brief observation. It involves spending real time with the individual, talking at length with family members, carers and support workers and observing behaviour across the different settings where it occurs, including home, school, work, or community.
We are looking for patterns. What happens in the lead-up to a behavioural incident? What seems to make things better or worse? What does the person appear to be getting from the behaviour, whether that’s escape, attention, sensory input, or something else entirely?
By the time we finish the FBA, we have a genuine picture of what is driving the behaviour and where the real opportunities for change are. That foundation matters. A plan built without it tends to miss the point entirely.
A Plan That People Can Actually Use
The Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) we develop from the FBA is written for the people who are going to use it every day. That means it has to be practical, clear and realistic for the family or support workers implementing it.
A good plan addresses three things. First, what can we change about the environment or routine to reduce the likelihood of triggering behaviour in the first place? Second, what skills does the person need to build so they have better ways of coping and communicating? Third, if a behavioural incident does happen, what should everyone do, specifically and safely?
Where restrictive practices are already in use, we develop an Interim Behaviour Support Plan within 30 days of assessment. The full comprehensive plan will follow within six months. Both are submitted and monitored in line with NDIS Commission requirements.
Building Skills That Last
The part of PBS that tends to make the biggest long-term difference is the skill-building component. Reducing a specific behaviour is one thing. Giving someone the tools to navigate life more confidently is another.
Depending on the person’s needs, this might involve introducing an AAC[GU1] device or visual communication system so they can express themselves when words aren’t available. It might involve working on emotional regulation, helping someone recognise what they’re feeling and respond to it before things escalate. It might be as practical as building a daily routine that makes the world feel more manageable.
The families we work with often tell us this is where they notice the biggest shift, not just in behaviour, but in the person’s overall confidence and engagement with life.
Moving Away From Restriction
A core goal of NDIS positive behaviour support is to reduce and eventually eliminate restrictive practices. This is something we take seriously at Connect2Care. Restrictive practices, including physical, environmental and chemical restraints, are tightly regulated under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Framework[GU2] and the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 and must be authorised by the relevant state or territory authority.
Our job is to make those interventions unnecessary over time. As a person develops new skills and their environment becomes better matched to their needs, the pressure that was driving the behaviour decreases. The goal is always fewer restrictions, more freedom.
Making Sure Everyone Is on the Same Page
A PBS plan is only as effective as the consistency with which it’s implemented. If the strategy at home is calm and supportive, but school is still responding the same old way, progress is going to be slow.
That’s why we work with everyone in the person’s life, not just the individual. We provide training and practical guidance for family members, support workers, teachers and anyone else regularly involved in their care. When the whole team is working from the same understanding, the environment becomes more predictable and behaviour tends to follow.
At Connect2Care, our Behaviour Support Practitioners work closely with the broader allied health team, supporting each participant. Occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists and other practitioners each bring a different lens to understanding a person’s needs. When PBS is delivered alongside this team, rather than in isolation, the plan is more cohesive and the outcomes tend to be stronger.
What Are the Goals of PBS Programs?
Every PBS plan we develop has goals specific to the person, but broadly speaking, the aim is always the same: a safer, more independent and more connected life.
That means reducing behaviours that create risk. It means building skills that open up opportunities. It means more participation in the community, stronger relationships and better emotional health. And it means giving families some breathing room, because when a PBS program is working, the behaviours of concern start to ease.
What Strategies Are Used in PBS Programs?
The strategies in a PBS plan are chosen based on the assessment, not pulled from a standard menu. That said, there are approaches we draw on regularly at Connect2Care.
Environmental modifications are often the first and most immediate lever we can pull, adjusting a space to be quieter, more predictable, or better matched to sensory needs. Visual supports like schedules, social stories and cue cards can dramatically reduce anxiety for people who struggle with uncertainty. Positive reinforcement, done genuinely and in a way that’s meaningful to the individual, helps build and maintain new skills. Sensory strategies address the physical environment in more targeted ways. And for some participants, therapeutic approaches like counselling sit alongside the behaviour support work.
Every plan also includes a clear crisis response protocol, so that when difficult moments do arise, everyone knows what to do and nobody is left guessing.
Positive Behaviour Support in Melbourne
Connect2Care delivers positive behaviour support across the country. We come to you. Whether support is needed at home, at your child’s school, in a day program, or in the community, our practitioners work in the environment where it matters most. We also offer telehealth for assessments and plan reviews, where that works better for the family.
If your NDIS plan doesn’t currently include Improved Relationships funding, we can help you understand how to request it at your next plan review. It’s worth having that conversation early.
Frequently Asked Questions About Positive Behaviour Support
How does PBS help people with disability?
It helps by changing the conditions that lead to behaviours of concern rather than just reacting after the fact. At Connect2Care, we focus on understanding the person’s experience, building their skills and adjusting their environment so that difficult behaviour becomes less necessary. For a full explanation of the approach, see the sections above on Functional Behaviour Assessment and skill building.
Who can access PBS services?
PBS is available to NDIS participants of any age who experience behaviours of concern, or whose families and support workers are struggling to manage those behaviours safely. Connect2Care works with children, teenagers and adults across a wide range of disabilities.
What behaviours can PBS address?
We regularly work with behaviours including aggression, self-injury, property damage, absconding, social withdrawal, school refusal, difficulties around food and emotional outbursts. The approach is built around the individual, so it’s not tied to any specific diagnosis or behaviour type.
How long does a PBS program take?
Where restrictive practices are involved, an Interim Behaviour Support Plan is developed within 30 days. A full comprehensive plan is completed within six months. From there, ongoing support and plan reviews continue for as long as needed, with a formal review at least every 12 months.
Is PBS effective for all disabilities?
We’ve delivered PBS successfully for people with intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, acquired brain injury, psychosocial disability and more. Because the approach is built around the individual, it tends to translate across a wide range of situations and disability types.
What is included in a PBS plan?
The plan covers the key findings from the functional behaviour assessment, proactive strategies to prevent triggering situations, skill-building goals, clear guidance for support workers and family members on how to respond, measurable outcomes and a review schedule. Any restrictive practices in use are documented and submitted for regulatory authorisation through the relevant state authority.
Who delivers PBS programs?
At Connect2Care, PBS is delivered by registered Behaviour Support Practitioners who are registered with the NDIS Commission. Our practitioners often work alongside other members of a participant’s allied health team, including occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physiotherapists, to make sure support is coordinated and consistent.
How does PBS improve quality of life?
When behaviours of concern decrease and the person builds new skills, the whole shape of daily life tends to change. We see participants accessing their community more, building friendships, taking on more independence and engaging more actively with the things they enjoy. Families tell us they feel less anxious, more capable and more hopeful about the future. That’s what we’re working toward.
When should someone start a PBS program?
Earlier is generally better, but Connect2Care works with people at all stages. If you’re noticing safety concerns, a sudden change in behaviour, escalating distress, or real strain on the family or care team, those are signs it’s time to reach out. We’ll talk you through whether PBS is the right fit and what getting started would involve.
Let’s Talk
If you think positive behaviour support could make a difference for someone you care for, we’d love to hear from you. Connect2Care works with NDIS participants and families right across Melbourne and we take the time to understand your situation properly before we recommend anything.
