NDIS Functional Behaviour Assessments
Available across Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment examines behaviours of concern to understand what is occurring, the circumstances influencing the behaviour, and the outcomes the behaviour may be producing for the participant.
People Centred Therapies takes a comprehensive approach that considers the participant as a whole person, including their strengths, communication, daily activities, health, sensory needs, routines, relationships, support network, environment, and quality of life.
Behavioural information is then gathered and analysed to develop an evidence-informed understanding of why each behaviour occurs and to guide the participant’s Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan.
What Is a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment is a structured process used to understand the relationship between a participant’s behaviour and the circumstances surrounding it.
Rather than describing behaviour using broad labels, PCT defines behaviours in observable and measurable terms and examines patterns involving what happens before the behaviour, what the participant does, what happens afterwards, and the conditions in which the behaviour is more or less likely to occur.
The assessment considers both the function of behaviour and the broader factors that may influence its occurrence.
The purpose is not simply to describe behaviour. It is to understand why the behaviour continues to occur and use that understanding to develop more effective support.
When May a Functional Behaviour Assessment Be Helpful?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment may be appropriate when behaviours of concern are affecting the participant’s safety, quality of life, relationships, independence, or participation in everyday activities.
Behaviours create a risk of harm to the participant or other people
Behaviour is increasing in frequency, duration, or intensity
New behaviours have emerged
The circumstances influencing behaviour are unclear
Behaviour differs between people, environments, or activities
Existing strategies are producing limited or inconsistent outcomes
Behaviour is restricting access to home, community, education, employment, or other meaningful activities
Communication difficulties may be contributing to behaviour
Changes in health, housing, routines, staffing, or support arrangements have occurred
A Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan requires development or review
Restrictive practices are currently being used and alternatives need to be explored
The assessment process is individualised. Not every participant requires the same assessments, observations, or data-collection methods.
Understanding the Person Beyond the Behaviour
Behaviour does not occur in isolation. PCT develops a broader understanding of the participant before drawing conclusions about why a behaviour occurs.
The areas explored depend on the participant and the reason for assessment.
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We consider what the participant enjoys, what they do well, what is important to them, their current skills, and what they would like to achieve.
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Assessment may consider personal care, domestic activities, transport, money management, mealtimes, safety, community participation, education, employment, and other everyday activities.
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We consider how the participant communicates wants, needs, choices, refusal, discomfort, requests for assistance, and other important information.
This may include speech, gestures, sign, writing, augmentative and alternative communication, and visual supports.
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Relevant disability, physical health, pain, sleep, medication, mental health, appetite, and other health factors may be considered where they could influence behaviour or participation.
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Assessment may explore sensory preferences and aversions across sound, touch, movement, visual input, taste, smell, and everyday activities.
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Where relevant, we may consider attention, memory, problem-solving, judgement, decision-making, learning, safety awareness, and executive functioning.
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Daily and weekly routines can help identify patterns involving activities, locations, people, support requirements, and circumstances associated with higher or lower rates of behaviour.
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We consider the participant’s relationships, meaningful activities, autonomy, community participation, formal and informal supports, and barriers that may affect quality of life.
Understanding What the Behaviour Actually Looks Like
Each behaviour being assessed is clearly defined before its function is interpreted.
Observable definitions help ensure that the participant, practitioner, family members, support workers, and other people involved are referring to the same behaviour when information is collected.
For each behaviour, PCT may examine:
What the behaviour looks and sounds like
Examples and non-examples
How an episode begins and ends
Frequency
Duration
Intensity
Current baseline
Early observable indicators
Settings and activities in which the behaviour occurs
People commonly present
Setting events
Immediate antecedents or triggers
Consequences following behaviour
Historical responses to the behaviour
Changes in behaviour over time
Where a participant has several behaviours of concern, each behaviour may be assessed separately. Different behaviours displayed by the same participant should not automatically be assumed to occur for the same reason.
Using Multiple Sources of Behavioural Evidence
PCT does not determine behavioural function from a single questionnaire, observation, or stakeholder report.
The practitioner may combine several sources of information to identify patterns and develop a functional hypothesis.
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Where appropriate and with consent, consultation may involve the participant, family members, support workers, supported living providers, educators, other allied health professionals, medical professionals, and other relevant people.
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Relevant Behaviour Support Plans, incident reports, behaviour data, clinical reports, progress notes, medication information, risk documentation, and previous assessments may be reviewed.
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Structured interviews, questionnaires, rating tools, and behavioural assessment methods may help identify possible patterns and functions requiring further investigation.
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Where appropriate, the practitioner may observe the participant within relevant activities and environments to examine the relationship between antecedents, observable behaviour, consequences, and surrounding environmental conditions.
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Existing records may be analysed to identify patterns across frequency, duration, intensity, time, location, activities, antecedents, consequences, and other relevant variables.
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Where clinically appropriate, Functional Analysis may be used to systematically test particular hypotheses about behavioural function.
Functional Analysis is not automatically required for every participant or every behaviour.
What Assessment Tools May Be Used?
Assessment tools are selected according to the participant, the behaviour being investigated, and the clinical questions requiring assessment.
Not every participant completes every assessment.
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Assessment may include:
Questions About Behavioural Functioning
Functional Assessment for Multiple Causality
Functional Assessment Interview
ABC recording
Overt Behaviour Scale
Comprehensive Assessment of Triggers for Behaviours of Concern Scale
Functional Analysis, where appropriate
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Depending on the participant, assessment may include:
Adult Executive Functioning Inventory
Teenage Executive Functioning Inventory
Child Executive Functioning Inventory
Montreal Cognitive Assessment
Cognistat Cognitive Assessment
Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination
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Assessment may include:
Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile
Sensory Processing Measure
Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire
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Measures may include:
World Health Organisation Quality of Life – Brief
KIDSCREEN
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Where relevant, PCT may use structured preference assessment or reinforcement inventories to identify activities, items, interactions, or experiences that are meaningful to the participant.
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Criterion-referenced assessments may be used where communication, daily living, community participation, education, independence, or vocational skills are relevant to the behavioural assessment.
These may include assessments from the Assessment of Functional Living Skills, Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills, and Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program.
Identifying the Function of Behaviour
Behavioural function describes the outcome that a behaviour appears to produce for the participant.
The practitioner examines patterns involving what occurs before and after the behaviour and whether particular outcomes repeatedly follow it.
Depending on the participant, behaviour may be associated with:
Access to attention or social interaction
Access to an item, activity, person, or location
Escape, avoidance, delay, or modification of an activity or demand
Sensory outcomes
A behaviour may serve more than one function, and the same behaviour may serve different functions under different circumstances.
The practitioner therefore considers the available evidence across settings, people, activities, and time before developing a functional hypothesis.
Developing a Holistic Understanding of Behaviour
Identifying a behavioural function is an important part of assessment, but it does not necessarily explain the participant’s complete behavioural presentation.
PCT integrates functional assessment findings with broader clinical information to develop a holistic formulation.
This may consider:
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Longstanding factors that may increase the likelihood of particular behavioural patterns, such as communication needs, sensory differences, health, learning history, previous experiences, skill limitations, or environmental circumstances.
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Immediate circumstances associated with the onset of behaviour, such as particular demands, transitions, changes in access, social interactions, pain, fatigue, or environmental conditions.
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Factors that may contribute to behaviour continuing over time, including reinforcement patterns, inconsistent responses, limited access to alternative skills, environmental arrangements, or barriers to effective support.
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Strengths, relationships, interests, routines, skills, environments, and existing supports associated with improved participation or lower rates of behaviour.
Function helps explain what the behaviour achieves. Formulation helps explain the broader circumstances in which that behaviour has developed and continues to occur.
Understanding Risk Alongside Behaviour
Where behaviours create a risk of harm, the assessment considers the behaviour itself and the circumstances that increase or reduce that risk.
PCT may consider:
Risk to the participant
Risk to other people
Risk to property or the environment
Frequency and duration
Objective indicators of intensity
Early observable indicators
Setting events
Known triggers
Maintaining factors
Previous injuries or significant incidents
Historical response strategies
Strategies that have previously helped or worsened the situation
The impact of previous behaviour support
Understanding these patterns helps identify where preventative strategies, skill development, environmental changes, and safety planning may be required.
From Functional Assessment to Comprehensive Behaviour Support
At PCT, the Functional Behaviour Assessment is generally completed as part of the broader behaviour support process.
The assessment provides the clinical foundation for the participant’s Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan.
Findings may inform:
Measurable behaviour and quality-of-life goals
Functionally equivalent replacement skills
Functional communication
Daily living and participation goals
Environmental changes
Proactive and preventative strategies
Reinforcement arrangements
Teaching and prompting strategies
Reactive responses
Support-network training
Data collection and monitoring
Implementation responsibilities
Restrictive practice reduction, where relevant
The assessment develops the understanding. The Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan translates that understanding into practical support.
How We Complete a Functional Behaviour Assessment
Step 1: Referral and assessment planning
We review the referral, behaviours of concern, current risks, existing supports, available documentation, and the reason behaviour support has been requested.
Step 2: Understand the participant
We gather information about the participant’s strengths, goals, communication, daily activities, health, sensory needs, routines, relationships, support network, and broader circumstances.
Step 3: Consultation and record review
Relevant people may be consulted, with appropriate consent, and existing reports, plans, behaviour data, incident records, and other information may be reviewed.
Step 4: Define and measure behaviour
Each behaviour being assessed is defined objectively, and information is gathered regarding its frequency, duration, intensity, antecedents, consequences, setting events, and current baseline.
Step 5: Behavioural assessment
Appropriate indirect assessment, direct observation, structured assessment tools, behaviour data, and Functional Analysis where clinically appropriate may be used.
Step 6: Analyse function and risk
The practitioner examines the available evidence to identify behavioural function, relevant risks, maintaining variables, skill needs, and environmental factors.
Step 7: Develop the functional hypothesis and formulation
The available evidence is integrated into an explanation of why the behaviour is likely to occur and the broader factors influencing its presentation.
Step 8: Inform intervention and the Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan
Assessment findings are translated into goals, skill-development priorities, proactive strategies, reactive responses, implementation requirements, and monitoring.
What May Be Captured Through a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
The exact content depends on the participant and the behaviours being assessed.
A PCT Functional Behaviour Assessment may include:
Participant strengths, interests, preferences, and goals
Relevant social and personal history
Disability and health information
Activities of daily living
Communication needs
Daily and weekly routines
Sensory needs
Cognitive capacity
Quality-of-life factors
Formal and informal supports
Participant preferences and potential reinforcers
Historical interventions
Observable definitions of behaviours
Behaviour frequency, duration, intensity, and baseline information
Setting events and antecedents
Consequences and maintaining variables
Direct observation
Indirect and descriptive assessment findings
Incident and behaviour-data analysis
Functional Analysis findings, where completed
Risk of harm
Likely behavioural function
Functional hypotheses
Holistic formulation
Behaviour and skill-development goals
Recommended intervention priorities
Our Approach to Functional Behaviour Assessment
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We consider behaviour alongside the participant’s strengths, communication, health, relationships, environment, routines, support network, opportunities, and quality of life.
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Behaviour is described using observable and measurable information so assessment is based on what is actually occurring rather than subjective labels.
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Functional conclusions may draw on consultation, direct observation, behaviour data, structured assessment, incident records, historical information, and other relevant evidence.
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The purpose of assessment is to identify what variables may be influencing behaviour and what can be changed, taught, or supported differently.
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A functional hypothesis should fit the available evidence. When new information does not support the original explanation, the hypothesis should be reconsidered rather than defended automatically.
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Assessment findings should directly inform skill development, environmental changes, proactive strategies, reinforcement, support responses, and implementation.
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Reducing a behaviour is not the only measure of success. Behaviour support should also increase access to meaningful activities, communication, functional skills, participation, choice, safety, relationships, and quality of life.
Functional Behaviour Assessment FAQs
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No.
The Functional Behaviour Assessment develops the clinical understanding of the participant and their behaviours.
The Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan uses those findings to describe the strategies, skill development, responses, implementation requirements, and monitoring required in practice.
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Not necessarily.
Direct observation can provide valuable information, but the practitioner may also use behaviour data, incident reports, stakeholder consultation, structured assessments, historical information, and other evidence.
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No.
Antecedent, behaviour, and consequence information is one part of the assessment. PCT also considers the participant’s communication, health, sensory needs, routines, quality of life, support network, functional skills, environment, history, and other factors relevant to behaviour.
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No.
Assessment methods and tools are selected according to the participant, their behaviours, available evidence, and the clinical questions being investigated.
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Yes.
Different behaviours displayed by the same participant may occur for different reasons and should be assessed according to the evidence relating to each behaviour.
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Yes.
The same behaviour may produce different outcomes under different circumstances.
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The hypothesis should be reviewed.
Functional assessment is an ongoing process, and new observations or intervention outcomes may strengthen, modify, or challenge the original explanation.
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No.
Assessment also identifies strengths, preferences, existing skills, meaningful activities, protective factors, and opportunities for developing more effective ways for the participant to communicate, participate, and access important outcomes.
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PCT provides Functional Behaviour Assessment as part of our specialist behaviour support services across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and our Toowoomba service area.
Functional Behaviour Assessment Across Our Service Regions
People Centred Therapies provides Functional Behaviour Assessment and specialist behaviour support across:
Brisbane
Ipswich
Logan
The Gold Coast
Toowoomba
Assessment may occur in the participant’s home, supported living environment, education setting, workplace, community environment, or another setting relevant to understanding the behaviour.
Start the Behaviour Support Assessment Process
Submit a behaviour support referral with information about the participant, their current circumstances, behaviours of concern, known risks, existing supports, and the outcomes they are working towards.
Where available, existing Behaviour Support Plans, incident reports, behaviour data, clinical reports, medication information, and other relevant records can help our practitioners plan the assessment process.