What behaviour support is
Some people with disability show behaviours that put themselves or others at risk, or get in the way of a good life, such as hurting themselves, aggression or running away. These are often called behaviours of concern. Behaviour support starts from the idea that behaviour has a purpose: it may be how someone communicates pain, fear, boredom or an unmet need.
Under the NDIS, behaviour support means specialist support to work out that purpose and change what is around the person so the behaviour is needed less. It is built on positive behaviour support, the evidence based framework the NDIS Commission expects practitioners to use.
What it includes
- A behaviour support assessment, including a functional behaviour assessment
- An interim behaviour support plan focused on safety, then a comprehensive plan
- Training family, carers and support workers to use the strategies
- Regular review, and steps to reduce and remove any restrictive practices
- Day to day support from workers who implement the plan
Who provides it
Specialist behaviour support must come from a provider registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission for specialist positive behaviour support, registration group 0110. The plan itself must be written by an NDIS behaviour support practitioner the Commission has found suitable. This applies however your plan is managed, including self managed.
Practitioners come from many backgrounds, including psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology, social work and education. You can check whether someone has been found suitable using the Commission's search.
Specialist support and implementing support
There are two parts. Specialist behaviour support is the practitioner's work: assessment, plan writing, training and review. Implementing support is the everyday work of support workers who follow the plan.
Where a person has frequent behaviours of concern that need intensive daily strategies, workers may deliver intensive and complex behaviour supports, which have their own price limits. The provider must be registered for implementing behaviour support plans, and plan managed participants must use such a provider.
How it is funded and what it costs
In plans made in the PACE system, specialist behaviour support sits in the Capacity Building category called Behaviour Support. Older plans used Improved Relationships. Implementing supports are usually paid from your Core budget.
The 2026/27 price limit for specialist behavioural intervention support is $252.99 an hour in most of Australia, higher in remote and very remote areas. For workers delivering intensive and complex behaviour supports, the weekday daytime limit is $79.60 an hour.
Intensive and complex behaviour supports are on the list of supports protected from the October 2026 funding reset, so they are not reduced when your plan is reassessed or renewed.
Behaviour support and restrictive practices
Restrictive practices, such as seclusion or physical restraint, can only be used as a last resort, in line with a behaviour support plan and any state or territory authorisation. Only registered providers can use them, and their use must be reported to the NDIS Commission. A central goal of good behaviour support is to reduce and eventually stop them.
Getting behaviour support in your plan
- Describe the behaviours, how often they happen and the risks, with examples
- Include reports from treating professionals, schools or current providers
- Ask for enough hours to cover assessment, both plans, training and review
- Find a practitioner with experience in your age group and type of disability