What is a behaviour support practitioner?

What does a behaviour support practitioner do?

A behaviour support practitioner starts from one idea: behaviour is communication. When someone hurts themselves or others, runs, breaks things or shuts down, there is usually a reason, such as pain, sensory overload, a change in routine, or no other way to say “stop” or “I need something”. The practitioner works out that reason with the person and the people around them, then changes what’s around the person so they need that behaviour less. Positive behaviour support puts the person’s quality of life first, understands behaviour before responding to it, and uses respectful support rather than punishment. The aim is a better life on the person’s own terms, not making them fit in. Our positive behaviour support team works this way. The work usually has five parts:

1. Getting to know the person

   Spending time with the person, in the way that works for them, and with the family, carers, teachers and support workers who know them best.

2. Assessment

   A functional behaviour assessment: watching, asking and gathering records to understand when behaviours of concern happen, what comes before them and what need they meet for the person. A comprehensive behaviour support plan has to be based on one.⁴

3. The behaviour support plan

   A written behaviour support plan that builds on the person’s strengths, adjusts their environment and routine, teaches new skills that meet the same need, and sets out how everyone responds when things start to get hard.

4. Training and coaching

   Showing families, support workers, teachers and house staff how to use the plan in real life, and checking it works for them too.

5. Review

   Checking how things are going and updating the plan when life changes, at least every 12 months where the plan includes regulated restrictive practices.⁴

A goal of positive behaviour support is to reduce and, where possible, remove restrictive practices, and under NDIS rules any restrictive practice must be a last resort.⁸ At CHSA that work is evidence-based: we try strategies and collect data first, and restrictive practices in South Australia explains how it works.

Who can be a behaviour support practitioner?

There is no single required degree. The NDIS Commission looks at a person’s qualifications, experience and evidence of their skills against the Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework.¹ It then decides whether the person is suitable, not suitable, or that it’s unable to make a decision.² Until someone is found suitable they can’t do behaviour support assessments or write behaviour support plans for NDIS participants, even under supervision.¹ They must also be engaged by a registered NDIS provider, or be registered themselves.¹

The Framework describes four capability levels: core, proficient, advanced and specialist.³ In broad terms:

Core

Newer to positive behaviour support. Works on less complex situations, with close supervision from a more experienced practitioner.

Proficient

Does assessments and writes plans for a wider range of situations.

Advanced

Works with more complex situations and higher risk, and often supervises and mentors others.

Specialist

Works at the most complex end, and often leads practice, training or research.

Here is the part many websites leave out: the NDIS Commission does not endorse capability levels.² It decides whether a practitioner is suitable; a level describes where someone sits on the Framework, and isn’t a licence or a title the Commission gives. So when choosing a practitioner, ask about their experience with needs like yours and who supervises them, rather than relying on a level. The Commission has reviewed the Framework, and updated assessment processes apply to new applicants from 18 December 2026.² [Confirm: re-check the Commission’s wording on the 18 December 2026 changes before publishing]

Behaviour support practitioner, psychologist, OT or support worker: what’s the difference?

These roles often work with the same person, and they’re easy to mix up. CHSA has behaviour support practitioners, psychologists and occupational therapists, so we see how the roles fit together every day.

Behaviour support practitioner

Assessed as suitable by the NDIS Commission to do behaviour support assessments and write behaviour support plans.¹ Works with the whole support team, not only the person. It isn’t an Ahpra-registered profession, so practitioners come from many backgrounds.

Psychologist

Registered with Ahpra. Assesses and treats mental health and emotional wellbeing, often through talking therapy with the person. A psychologist can also be a behaviour support practitioner if the Commission finds them suitable, but the two are separate roles. See psychology at CHSA.

Occupational therapist (OT)

Registered with Ahpra. Helps with daily living, sensory needs, routines, equipment and the home or school environment. An OT’s sensory or functional assessment can feed into a behaviour support plan. See occupational therapy.

Support worker

Gives day-to-day support and follows the behaviour support plan. Support workers don’t write the plan; the practitioner trains them to use it.

What happens first when you work with a behaviour support practitioner at CHSA?

NDIS rules set timeframes that start once a behaviour support provider is engaged.⁴ At CHSA, the start usually runs like this:

1. A free first call

   Call 08 8166 4700 or send a referral. We usually reply within 1–2 business days, and our team talks through what’s happening and what you’d like to change.

2. Referral and service agreement

   We gather the NDIS plan details and goals, agree a service agreement with you, including the hours we quote, and match you with a behaviour support practitioner. The service agreement sets the engagement date the NDIS timeframes run from.⁴

3. Initial consultation

   A 90-minute meeting with the person and the people who support them.

4. Interim plan within 1 month

   If one is needed, so there’s support in place while the assessment happens.⁴

5. Functional behaviour assessment

   Your practitioner observes everyday situations and talks with the person and their supporters to understand why behaviours happen. Every one of our practitioners does this as part of the whole PBS service.

6. Comprehensive plan within 6 months

   Built from the assessment, and written with the person and their support team.⁴

7. Training and review

   Your practitioner shows the support team how to use the plan, and reviews it at least every 12 months, or sooner if things change.

How do I choose a behaviour support practitioner?

It’s always the person’s choice of provider. Good questions to ask any practitioner, including ours:

• Have you been assessed as suitable by the NDIS Commission? Ask, and check the Commission’s practitioner search. It only lists practitioners who agreed to publish their details, so a missing name isn’t proof either way.⁵
• Do you work for a registered provider? Specialist behaviour support providers must be registered with the NDIS Commission for this support.⁴
• How will you include the person and the family? The person’s voice, preferred way of communicating and goals should shape the plan.
• Have you worked with similar needs, ages and settings? For example children at school, adults in supported accommodation, or people with complex communication needs.
• Who supervises you, and how is your work reviewed? Supervision is a good sign at any stage of a career.
• How will you train our support workers and family? A plan only helps if the people using it understand it.
• How will you work to reduce restrictive practices? Expect evidence, data and a clear plan, not a quick fix.
• How often will you review the plan, and how will we hear about progress?

Who are CHSA’s behaviour support practitioners?

Our eight behaviour support practitioners show how varied the backgrounds can be: psychology, social work, disability studies and behaviour analysis, among others. Between them they support children, teenagers and adults, at home, at school, in the community, by telehealth and at our two clinics. Rowena Cornish and Jess Valerio are the team’s two clinical supervisors, and every assessment and plan is guided by supervision and team review. All our behaviour support practitioners are assessed as suitable by the NDIS Commission.⁵ Each profile lists their qualifications.

• Rowena CornishBehaviour Support Practitioner and Clinical SupervisorView profile
• Jessica ValerioBehaviour Support Practitioner and Clinical SupervisorView profile
• Emily PalmBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile
• Steph CollettBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile
• Xin Yu KohBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile
• Christian DewarBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile
• Pulkit MalaanBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile
• Charlie FraserBehaviour Support PractitionerView profile

How much does a behaviour support practitioner cost, and how is it funded?

Behaviour support at CHSA is charged by the hour and paid from the person’s NDIS plan.

Hourly rate

$252.99 per hour, the 2026–27 national NDIS price limit for Specialist Behavioural Intervention Support, item 11_022_0110_7_3.⁶

Travel

Charged at 50% of the hourly rate.

How many hours

It depends on the person and the plan. We quote the hours in your service agreement before work starts.

Which budget

Capacity Building – Improved Relationships.⁷ If behaviour support isn’t in the plan yet, talk to your support coordinator or LAC about a plan review.

Plan types

We accept NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed plans. Our PBS service is NDIS-funded only.

All PBS fees are on the positive behaviour support page. How we deliver services is on our service delivery page.

How do you become a behaviour support practitioner?

Common questions about behaviour support practitioners

References

1. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). Apply to become an NDIS behaviour support practitioner [Confirm: exact page title]. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices/apply-become-ndis-behaviour-support (accessed 3 November 2026).
2. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). Positive behaviour support [Confirm: exact page title]. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices/positive-behaviour-support (accessed 3 November 2026).
3. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (2024). Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework. https://ndiscommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/Positive-Behaviour-Support-Capability-Framework-2024.pdf (accessed 3 November 2026).
4. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). Rules for behaviour support and restrictive practices [Confirm: exact page title]. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices/rules-behaviour-support-and (accessed 3 November 2026).
5. NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). Find an NDIS behaviour support practitioner. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices/find-ndis-behaviour-support (accessed 3 November 2026).
6. National Disability Insurance Agency. (2026). NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2026–27. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8703/download (accessed 3 November 2026).
7. National Disability Insurance Agency. (n.d.). Our Guideline – Behaviour support [Confirm: exact page title]. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8508/download (accessed 3 November 2026).
8. 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).