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NDIS Functional Behavioural Assessments
Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA)
A Functional Behavioural Assessment is based on the principle that behaviour is communication. Every behaviour of concern is meeting a need — escape from something overwhelming, access to something wanted, sensory regulation, connection with others, or predictability and control.
Purpose: to understand more fully why a behaviour occurs, so that the right strategies to support the person can be developed and appropriate supports can be put in place.
Completed by: an NDIS-registered Positive Behaviour Support practitioner. It is a required part of delivering NDIS-funded behaviour support.
What’s involved?
Understanding needs informs support strategies, with the aim to adjust the environment, build skills, and ensure the person can get their needs met in ways that are safe and sustainable.
Functional Behavioural Assessment
What’s involved?
- Data collection, including frequency, duration and intensity of behaviours
- Direct observation in settings such as home, school or the community
- Stakeholder input from family, support workers, teachers and allied health professionals
- Record review, including reports, assessments, incident records and clinical history
- Health and medication review, including possible pain or illness
- Formal assessments selected to suit the individual
- Wider context, including culture, history, relationships, life events and the person’s own views
- Quality of life, including what is working, what is missing and what the person wants
*Testing times may vary depending on client’s needs
Behaviour is communication
A sound FCA is built from more than one source. Your clinician combines information from documents, interviews, direct observation and standardised assessment tools to develop a comprehensive picture of functioning.
Getting away from something overwhelming or difficult.
Getting access to something wanted or valued.
Meeting sensory needs or regulating internal experience.
Seeking interaction, reassurance or connection with others.
Creating certainty, control or a more manageable environment.
Why the full picture matters
Self-reported scores can sometimes understate difficulty. A person supported daily by family may not experience a task as difficult because someone else is already doing part of it, and some people may not recognise internal cues such as hunger, fatigue or rising distress. Where clinical judgement differs from a test score, the FCA explains why so the evidence is clear.
Restrictive practices
The assessment identifies any restrictive practices in use and examines why they are being used, what alternatives may be available, and what needs to change for them to be reduced. Reducing restrictive practices over time is a core part of the practitioner’s role.
What the assessment produces
The assessment findings feed the Comprehensive Positive Behaviour Support Plan.
Proactive strategies
Changes to the environment that help prevent distress and reduce the likelihood of behaviours escalating.
Skill development
Teaching other ways for the person to meet the same need safely and sustainably.
Response strategies
Clear strategies for supporters to use when behaviours escalate.
Restrictive practice reduction
A plan to reduce and eliminate restrictive practices over time.
Formal support
informal support
informal support
Recommendations
and risks
Timeframes and what to expect
An FBA gathers information over time rather than from memory or a single session. While the assessment is underway, the practitioner collects data, puts interim safety measures in place where needed and builds an understanding of the person. Behaviour support is a long-term process, not a crisis response service.
How it fits your NDIS plan
1
Confirm behaviour support funding
If funding is unclear, a Behaviour Support Funding Recommendation Report can establish whether specialist behaviour support should be funded.
2
Functional Behavioural Assessment
Collect data and evidence to understand the function of each behaviour.
3
Comprehensive PBS Plan
Use the assessment findings to develop proactive, skill-building and response strategies.
4
Training & implementation
Support the people around the participant to apply the plan consistently.
Greater Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
Telehealth available.
Talk to the Hively Health team about a Functional Capacity Assessment for an NDIS access request, plan review or a specific support need. We service wider Brisbane, with assessment available in clinic at East Brisbane, in the home or community, and by telehealth.
Ready to get started?
To book an initial consultation or discuss whether PBS is right for you or your participant, call 1300 11 4769 or get in touch online.
