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Behaviours of concern: what they mean and what helps

Behaviours of concern are behaviours that put the person or others at risk of harm, or get in the way of the person living the life they want. They're usually a sign of an unmet need, and positive behaviour support works out what that need is and how to meet it.

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Behaviours of concern at a glance

What it means
Behaviour with a risk of harm, or a big impact on someone's life
Not the same as
Stimming, needing routines or communicating differently
Why it happens
Usually an unmet need: pain, communication, sensory, environment or feelings
What helps
Positive behaviour support and a behaviour support plan
NDIS funding
Capacity Building – Improved Relationships
At CHSA
PBS team across Adelaide; first call free

What are behaviours of concern?

"Behaviours of concern" is the term the NDIS and disability services use for behaviour that puts the person or the people around them at risk of harm, or that stops the person doing the things they need and want to do. What makes a behaviour "of concern" is its impact, not whether it looks unusual.

Behaviour is communication. A person might hit out, run away or hurt themselves because they're in pain, overwhelmed, scared or can't get their message across another way. The behaviour isn't the person, and it isn't anyone's fault.

Positive behaviour support (PBS) is how the NDIS approaches this. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission describes it as an evidence-, values- and rights-based approach that focuses on quality of life by understanding the reasons behind behaviour.1 Every person is different. Talk to your support coordinator or our team about your situation.

What are some examples of behaviours of concern?

What makes a behaviour "of concern" under the NDIS is its impact. The South Australian Government describes behaviour that causes a risk of harm as behaviour that hurts someone else, hurts the person themselves, damages property or can spread illness.2 Using those headings, and adding the impact on everyday life, examples include:

  • Hurting others hitting, kicking, biting, scratching or pushing a family member, support worker or another person
  • Hurting themselves head-banging, biting or scratching their own skin, or eating things that aren't food
  • Damaging property breaking, throwing or tearing things at home, school or in the community
  • Spreading illness behaviour that can pass on an infection, such as spitting or smearing
  • Stopping everyday life leaving without telling anyone into an unsafe place, or behaviour that means the person can't go to school, work or out in the community

What isn't a behaviour of concern? Stimming, needing routines, avoiding eye contact, communicating without speech or doing things differently aren't behaviours of concern on their own. They often help the person feel safe and regulated. We'd only look at them if they cause harm, and then the aim is to understand and support, not to stop the person being themselves.

Why do we say "behaviours of concern" and not "challenging behaviour"?

You may still hear "challenging behaviour", especially in older reports and in schools. It means much the same thing. Many people now say "behaviours of concern" because the older term can make it sound as if the person is the challenge.

The newer term puts the focus on what's worrying (the risk of harm or the impact on the person's life) and on working out the need behind it. It also keeps the person separate from the behaviour: a person with behaviours of concern, not a "challenging" person.

Why do behaviours of concern happen?

Behaviours of concern nearly always serve a purpose for the person. Common reasons include:

  • Pain or illness toothache, constipation, reflux, a headache or feeling unwell, especially when the person can't easily tell anyone
  • Trouble communicating not being understood, or not having a way to say no, ask for help or ask for a break
  • Sensory overload noise, lights, crowds, smells or the feel of clothes
  • Change and unpredictability a new worker, a change of routine, a move or not knowing what's coming next
  • Feeling unsafe or overwhelmed fear, stress, past trauma or too many demands at once
  • Not enough to do boredom, or losing access to people, places and activities the person enjoys

Often there's more than one reason. Every behaviour serves a purpose (its function) for the person, such as getting help, getting away from something that's too much, or getting a sensory need met. A functional behaviour assessment is how a behaviour support practitioner works out that purpose, so the support fits the person.

What can help today?

While you wait for support, small everyday changes can make hard moments less likely. These ideas come from the kinds of preventative and early support the South Australian Government lists:2

  • Keep routines predictable and give warning before changes, with pictures or a timetable if that helps
  • Make time for things they enjoy every day, not only as a reward
  • Reduce known triggers such as noise, crowds or sensory overload
  • Offer choices so the person has a say in what happens
  • Communicate calmly and clearly with fewer words, in the way the person understands best
  • Bring in a trusted person someone the person feels safe with
  • Give a way out a quiet space or a way to leave a situation that's too much

Write down what happened before, during and after a hard moment. It helps your practitioner later.

If someone is in danger, call 000. The NDIS Commission also says to call 000 if a person's life is at risk or there's an immediate risk of harm.1

What happens next with the NDIS?

If behaviours of concern are affecting someone's life, NDIS-funded behaviour support can help. The NDIA's guideline explains what behaviour support the NDIS funds and when.3 In practice, the steps usually look like this:

  1. Talk to your support coordinator or planner

    Your support coordinator, local area coordinator or NDIA planner can explain your options and help you ask for support.

  2. Ask for behaviour support in the plan

    Behaviour support is paid from the Capacity Building – Improved Relationships budget. If it isn't in the plan yet, ask about a plan review.

  3. Choose a behaviour support provider

    It's always the person's choice. At CHSA the first call is free: call 08 8166 4700 or refer online, and we usually reply within 1–2 business days.

  4. Getting to know the person

    A first consultation of 90 minutes, then a functional behaviour assessment to understand why the behaviours happen. At CHSA it's part of the whole PBS service.

  5. A behaviour support plan

    Your practitioner writes a behaviour support plan with the person and the people around them.

  6. Everyone learns to use it

    Family, support workers and school are shown how to put the plan into practice, and it's reviewed as things change.

Where do restrictive practices fit?

A restrictive practice is any action that limits a person's rights or freedom of movement, and it doesn't address the reasons for behaviour.1 A goal of positive behaviour support is to reduce and, where possible, remove restrictive practices. At CHSA any decision about one is evidence-based, and a restrictive practice is only ever a last resort. Restrictive practices in South Australia explains the rules, authorisation and the person's rights.

What about behaviours of concern in children?

Children with disability, including children with autism or intellectual disability, can show behaviours of concern for the same reasons adults do, and they often have fewer ways to tell us what's wrong. It isn't caused by bad parenting, and parents aren't to blame.

Behaviour can look very different at home and at school, so support works best when everyone is on the same page. Our practitioners visit homes and schools, and can share strategies with teachers and early learning staff so the child gets the same calm, consistent support everywhere. [Confirm: whether the PBS team works with early childhood services such as kindergartens and childcare]

The Australian Institute of Family Studies has a practice guide for professionals on understanding behaviours of concern in children with disability.4

Who can help at CHSA?

Our eight behaviour support practitioners support children, teenagers and adults at home, at school, in the community, at our clinics and by telehealth. Rowena Cornish and Jess Valerio are the team's two clinical supervisors. All our behaviour support practitioners are assessed as suitable by the NDIS Commission.

Common questions about behaviours of concern

Is stimming a behaviour of concern?

Not on its own. Stimming, such as rocking, flapping or humming, often helps a person feel calm, focused or regulated. It's only looked at if it causes harm, for example if it injures the person, and even then the aim is to keep what it does for them in a safer way.

How does positive behaviour support help with behaviours of concern?

Positive behaviour support starts with the person's quality of life and the reasons behind their behaviour.1 A practitioner works out what the behaviour is communicating, then sets out practical strategies in a behaviour support plan: changes to routines and surroundings, new ways to communicate and cope, and calm, consistent responses that keep everyone safe.1 It aims to make hard moments less likely, without trying to change who the person is.

Does the NDIS fund help with behaviours of concern?

Yes. Behaviour support is paid from the Capacity Building – Improved Relationships budget, and the NDIA's guideline explains what it funds and when.3 If it isn't in the plan, talk to your support coordinator or local area coordinator about a plan review. At CHSA, our PBS service is NDIS-funded only.

Will my child need restrictive practices?

Not necessarily. Having behaviours of concern doesn't mean restrictive practices will be used. A goal of positive behaviour support is to reduce and, where possible, remove them, and any decision is evidence-based and a last resort. Read about restrictive practices in South Australia.

What can families do while waiting for support?

Keep routines predictable, reduce known triggers, offer choices, make time for things the person enjoys, and write down what happens before and after hard moments. If anyone is in danger, call 000. You can also call our team for a free first chat.

Who can write a behaviour support plan?

Under the NDIS, a behaviour support practitioner the NDIS Commission has assessed as suitable. At CHSA, all eight of our behaviour support practitioners have been. Read what a behaviour support practitioner does.

References

  1. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). Understanding behaviour support and restrictive practices. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices/understanding-behaviour-support (accessed 3 November 2026).
  2. Government of South Australia, Department of Human Services. (2022). Decision making for authorisation. https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/care-and-support/disability/restrictive-practices/ndis-service-providers/authorisation-decision-making (accessed 3 November 2026).
  3. National Disability Insurance Agency. (n.d.). Our Guideline – Behaviour support [Confirm: read by hand before publishing — title, version and date]. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8508/download (accessed 3 November 2026).
  4. Australian Institute of Family Studies. (n.d.). Understanding behaviours of concern for children with disability [Confirm: read by hand before publishing — title, version and date]. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/understanding-behaviours-concern-children-disability (accessed 3 November 2026).

Talk to our PBS team

Understanding behaviours of concern is where positive behaviour support starts. The PBS page covers the rest, including fees and who you might work with.

Positive behaviour support

Written by Trevor Keen, Founder and Physiotherapist [Confirm: byline author for this page]. Clinically reviewed by [Confirm: reviewer — Rowena Cornish or Jess Valerio, shown with NDIS Commission suitability].

Last reviewed 3 November 2026. How we write our pages

General information only. Speak with your GP or one of our team about your situation.

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