navigating specialised positive behaviour support in australia

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a widely recognised framework used in schools, homes, and community settings across Australia to help individuals manage their emotions and build functional communication. However, when an individual’s needs become highly complex, standard approaches may not be enough to keep them and their support network safe.

In the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) landscape, this is where Specialised Positive Behaviour Support comes into play.

Highly regulated and deeply rooted in human rights, specialised PBS is designed for Australia’s most vulnerable participants. Here is a breakdown of what makes this support "specialised" and how it operates to protect and empower individuals with complex disabilities.

What Makes it "Specialised"?

General PBS strategies—like using a visual schedule or offering sensory breaks—can be implemented by parents, teachers, or general allied health workers.

"Specialised" Positive Behaviour Support, however, is a formal, heavily regulated clinical intervention. It is specifically mandated when an individual engages in behaviours of concern that pose a severe risk of harm to themselves or others (such as severe self-injury, property destruction, or physical aggression).

Crucially, specialised PBS is legally required when a participant is subjected to, or is at risk of being subjected to, a restrictive practice.

The Drive to Eliminate Restrictive Practices

A restrictive practice is any intervention that restricts the rights or freedom of movement of a person with a disability. This includes:

• Physical restraint: Using physical force to prevent movement.
• Chemical restraint: Using medication primarily to control behaviour, rather than to treat a medical condition.
• Environmental restraint: Restricting a person’s access to parts of their environment (e.g., locking cabinets or doors).
• Seclusion: Placing a person alone in a room they cannot exit.

Historically, these practices were used as a first resort to manage complex behaviour. Today, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission mandates that they must only be used as an absolute last resort. The primary goal of a Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner is to develop strategies that safely fade out and eventually eliminate the use of restrictive practices altogether.

The Role of the Specialist Practitioner

To deliver Specialised PBS, a professional (often a psychologist, occupational therapist, or social worker) must be registered with the NDIS Commission as an NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner. They must undergo rigorous assessment against a national capability framework to prove they have the clinical expertise to handle complex trauma and severe behavioural presentations safely.

When engaged, these specialists undertake a comprehensive process:

1. Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA): They conduct an exhaustive investigation to determine exactly why the dangerous behaviour is occurring, examining environmental, sensory, medical, and communicative factors.
2. Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan (BSP): Based on the FBA, they draft a legally binding document. If a restrictive practice must be used temporarily for safety, it must be explicitly detailed in this plan, approved by the relevant state or territory body, and lodged with the NDIS Commission.
3. Intensive Training: The specialist trains the participant's entire care network—parents, support workers, and day program staff—on how to implement proactive strategies so the individual’s needs are met without needing to resort to the dangerous behaviour.

Funding Specialised PBS

Because of the high level of clinical risk and regulatory oversight involved, Specialised PBS requires dedicated NDIS funding. It is funded under the Capacity Building – Improved Relationships category.

If a participant is subject to a restrictive practice, the NDIA is obligated to provide funding for a Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner to ensure the individual’s human rights are being protected and that a plan is in place to reduce those restrictions over time.

Specialised Positive Behaviour Support is not about controlling a person with complex needs; it is about liberating them. By systematically removing barriers, reducing distress, and eliminating restrictive practices, specialist practitioners ensure that every Australian, regardless of their complexity, can live a life of dignity, safety, and choice.

Official References

 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) 

 Homepage | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission 

 Department of Social Services