NDIS Behaviour Needs Assessments
Available across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.
A Behaviour Needs Assessment is completed by a behaviour support practitioner to determine whether a participant requires specialist behaviour support and what level of support may be clinically appropriate.
People Centred Therapies considers the participant’s behaviours of concern, risk of harm, daily functioning, communication, health, routines, sensory needs, support network, current strategies, and any identified restrictive practices.
The assessment then provides clear recommendations about whether behaviour support funding is required and, where appropriate, the type and intensity of support recommended.
What Is a Behaviour Needs Assessment?
A Behaviour Needs Assessment is a structured clinical assessment used to determine whether specialist behaviour support is required.
It is particularly useful where there are concerns about behaviour, safety, participation, restrictive practices, or support complexity, but the participant does not yet have sufficient behaviour support funding or evidence to commence a more comprehensive behaviour support process.
The assessment looks beyond the existence of a diagnosis or behaviour label. It considers what is actually occurring, how significant the impact is, what risks are present, what has already been tried, and whether specialist behaviour support is the appropriate response.
The purpose is not to assume that behaviour support is needed. It is to determine whether the available evidence demonstrates a genuine clinical need for it.
When May a Behaviour Needs Assessment Be Helpful?
A Behaviour Needs Assessment may be appropriate when there is uncertainty about whether specialist behaviour support funding is required.
Behaviours of concern have been identified but have not yet been formally assessed
Behaviours are affecting safety, participation, relationships, or quality of life
Current supports are struggling to manage behavioural risks
The participant does not currently have behaviour support funding
Additional evidence is required to support a request for behaviour support funding
Existing funding may not reflect the participant’s current level of need
Behaviours have changed in frequency, duration, intensity, or impact
Restrictive practices are suspected or have been identified
Previous strategies have produced limited or inconsistent outcomes
There is uncertainty about whether another service or specialist behaviour support is the more appropriate response
Understanding the Person Behind the Referral
Before determining whether behaviour support is required, PCT develops a broader understanding of the participant and their everyday circumstances.
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We consider what the participant enjoys, what they do well, what helps them feel safe and included, and what matters to them in everyday life.
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Assessment may consider personal care, domestic activities, mealtimes, community access, and safety awareness.
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We consider how the participant communicates wants, needs, refusal, discomfort, choices, and other important information, as well as how they best understand communication from others.
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Relevant physical health, mental health, pain, sleep, appetite, medication, and other health variables may be considered where they could affect behaviour or participation.
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Daily and weekly routines, sensory preferences, aversions, environmental demands, and changes in predictability may provide important context.
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We consider formal and informal supports, their current role, what is working, and where additional support or expertise may be required.
Understanding the Behaviour and Its Impact
Where behaviours of concern are identified, the practitioner develops a clear description of what is occurring and how significantly it is affecting the participant and the people around them.
For each relevant behaviour, assessment may consider:
Observable description
Frequency
Duration
Intensity
Setting events
Triggers
Risks to the participant
Risks to other people
Risks to the environment
Maintaining factors
How the behaviour typically begins
Historical response strategies
Previous behaviour support
Changes in the behaviour over time
Determining the Level of Behavioural Risk
Risk is an important part of determining whether specialist behaviour support is required and the urgency or intensity of support that may be appropriate.
PCT considers both the likelihood of harm and the potential impact of that harm.
Assessment may examine:
Risk to the participant
Risk to other people
Risk to property or the environment
Frequency and duration of incidents
Behavioural intensity
Circumstances associated with increased risk
Existing safeguards
Historical incidents
Previous strategies
Whether risk is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable
Identifying Restrictive Practices
A Behaviour Needs Assessment can also identify whether restrictive practices may already be occurring within the participant’s support environment.
This is important because some practices may be occurring informally without having previously been recognised as restrictive.
PCT’s assessment considers potential:
Chemical restraint
Environmental restraint involving restricted access
Environmental restraint involving containment
Mechanical restraint
Physical restraint
Seclusion
Other unregulated restrictive practices
The report can record whether a practice is confirmed or suspected and consider whether this increases the need for specialist behaviour support assessment and intervention.
Does the Participant Need Specialist Behaviour Support?
The central clinical question is whether the participant’s circumstances demonstrate a need for specialist behaviour support.
The practitioner considers:
Whether behaviours of concern are present
The severity and impact of those behaviours
Current and future risk of harm
Whether existing supports can reasonably manage the identified needs
Whether specialist behavioural assessment is required
Whether behaviour support intervention is likely to be beneficial
Whether behaviours are limiting participation or quality of life
Whether skill development may reduce identified risks or barriers
Whether restrictive practices are present or suspected
Whether additional behaviour support expertise is required
Whether there is sufficient clinical justification for behaviour support funding
A recommendation for behaviour support funding should follow from the evidence, not simply from the presence of a diagnosis or a referral request.
What Supports May Be Recommended?
A Behaviour Needs Assessment considers the participant’s broader support needs, not only whether specialist behaviour support is required.
Where the assessment identifies unmet needs, PCT may recommend supports from the disciplines or services best suited to address them.
Recommendations may include:
Specialist behaviour support
Support worker assistance
Occupational therapy
Speech pathology
Psychology or mental health support
Physiotherapy
Dietetics or other relevant allied health services
Functional Behaviour Assessment
Interim or Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan development
Skill-development intervention
Functional communication assessment or intervention
Support-network training
Assistive technology assessment
Additional functional or clinical assessment
Increased, reduced, or differently structured formal supports
Coordination or collaboration between relevant services
The recommendations are based on the participant’s identified functional needs, risks, goals, current support arrangements, and the clinical evidence gathered during the assessment.
Where a funded support is recommended, the report may identify the service type, clinical justification, proposed hours or level of support, and estimated cost.
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Where behaviours of concern, risk, restrictive practices, or other behavioural needs indicate that specialist behaviour support is required, the report may recommend an appropriate level of behaviour support funding and outline the assessment, intervention, implementation, training, and review likely to be required.
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The assessment may identify that some or all of the participant’s needs are better addressed by another discipline or support type.
For example, difficulties involving daily living skills, communication, mobility, swallowing, mental health, environmental access, or personal support may require referral to the relevant clinician or formal support service rather than being treated solely as a behaviour support issue.
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Some participants may require a combination of supports.
In these circumstances, the Behaviour Needs Assessment can identify how specialist behaviour support, allied health services, support workers, and other relevant supports may need to work together to address different aspects of the participant’s needs.
How Much Behaviour Support May Be Required?
Where behaviour support is recommended, the level of funding should reflect the work required rather than applying the same number of hours to every participant.
The practitioner may consider:
Number and complexity of behaviours of concern
Level of risk
Presence of restrictive practices
Amount of assessment required
Need for an Interim Behaviour Support Plan
Complexity of the Functional Behaviour Assessment
Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan development
Number of support environments involved
Stakeholder consultation requirements
Support-worker and family training
Skill-development intervention
Data collection and monitoring
Implementation support
Ongoing review
Travel and service-delivery requirements
Connecting Behaviour Support Funding to Clinical Need
Where specialist behaviour support funding is recommended, the report explains why the support is required rather than simply listing a proposed number of hours.
The assessment may consider:
How the support relates to the participant’s goals
Whether it may increase social or community participation
Whether the proposed support is likely to be effective and beneficial
Why informal supports cannot reasonably meet the identified need
Whether another service system is better placed to provide the support
The expected benefit of specialist behaviour support
The risks associated with insufficient intervention
What Happens if the Identified Need Is Not Addressed?
Where behaviour support is clinically indicated, the assessment may also describe the likely consequences if sufficient support is not available.
Depending on the participant, this may include:
Increased risk of harm
Increasing frequency or intensity of behaviours of concern
Reduced community participation
Breakdown of living or support arrangements
Increased reliance on restrictive practices
Reduced independence
Reduced access to meaningful activities
Increased pressure on family or informal supports
Increased support-worker difficulty or inconsistency
Loss of opportunities for skill development
Further decline in quality of life
These risks are individualised according to the available clinical evidence rather than assumed for every participant.
How We Complete a Behaviour Needs Assessment
Step 1: Review the referral
We clarify why the assessment is required, the concerns being raised, current funding arrangements, and the questions the report needs to answer.
Step 2: Understand the participant
We gather information about the participant’s strengths, goals, preferences, daily functioning, health, communication, routines, sensory needs, and current supports.
Step 3: Consult relevant people
The participant and relevant people may be consulted, with appropriate consent, to understand behaviour across environments and over time.
Step 4: Review available evidence
Relevant reports, incident information, behaviour data, medication information, support records, and previous assessments may be reviewed.
Step 5: Assess behaviour and risk
Behaviours are described and their frequency, duration, intensity, triggers, risks, maintaining factors, and historical responses are considered.
Step 6: Identify restrictive practices
Where relevant, the practitioner considers whether restrictive practices are present or suspected.
Step 7: Determine behaviour support need
The practitioner considers whether specialist behaviour support is clinically indicated and what services may be required.
Step 8: Develop funding recommendations
Where support is required, the report provides recommendations regarding the type and proposed level of support, together with the clinical reasoning supporting those recommendations.
What May Be Included in a Behaviour Needs Assessment?
A PCT Behaviour Needs Assessment may include:
Reason for assessment
Participant strengths and preferences
NDIS goals
Living arrangements
Family and relationships
Significant life events
Activities of daily living
Diagnoses
Physical and mental health
Communication
Daily and weekly routines
Sensory preferences and aversions
Formal and informal supports
Behaviours of concern
Behaviour frequency, duration, and intensity
Setting events and triggers
Risk of harm
Maintaining factors
Previous support strategies
Impact and severity of risk
Identified or suspected restrictive practices
Behaviour support recommendations
Proposed hours and costs
Clinical justification for recommended supports
Risks if recommended support is not available
Our Approach to Behaviour Needs Assessment
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The purpose of assessment is to determine need. Recommendations follow from the evidence available for the individual participant.
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Behaviour is considered alongside the participant’s health, communication, daily activities, environment, relationships, routines, supports, and goals.
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Recommendations consider the likelihood and potential impact of harm rather than relying only on the presence or absence of a behaviour label.
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We consider whether restrictive practices may already be present, including practices that have not previously been formally identified.
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Where behaviour support is recommended, proposed service type and intensity are based on the assessment work, intervention, implementation, and monitoring the participant is likely to require.
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Recommendations should make it clear why behaviour support is or is not clinically indicated and how the available evidence led to that conclusion.
Behaviour Needs Assessment FAQs
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No.
A Behaviour Needs Assessment determines whether specialist behaviour support is required and what level of support may be appropriate.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment is a more detailed behavioural assessment used to understand why specific behaviours occur and inform ongoing intervention and the Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan.
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No.
The purpose is to determine whether behaviour support is clinically indicated. The assessment may recommend behaviour support, another type of service, further assessment, or no specialist behaviour support at that time.
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Yes.
Where behaviour support is indicated, the assessment may recommend an appropriate level of funding based on risk, assessment complexity, intervention requirements, training, implementation, monitoring, and review.
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Yes.
The assessment includes consideration of confirmed and suspected restrictive practices where relevant.
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No.
The assessment is particularly useful where evidence is required to determine whether specialist behaviour support funding should be considered.
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No.
PCT provides clinical assessment and recommendations based on the participant’s presentation and available evidence. Funding decisions are made separately.
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PCT provides Behaviour Needs Assessments across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and our Toowoomba service area.
Behaviour Needs Assessments Across Our Service Regions
People Centred Therapies provides Behaviour Needs Assessments across:
Brisbane
Ipswich
Logan
The Gold Coast
Toowoomba
Determine Whether Behaviour Support Is Needed
If there is uncertainty about whether a participant requires specialist behaviour support, a Behaviour Needs Assessment can provide a structured clinical review of their behaviours, risks, current supports, restrictive practices, and broader circumstances.
The resulting report can identify whether behaviour support is clinically indicated and provide clear recommendations about the type and level of support that may be required.