If your family member has an NDIS plan that mentions behaviour support, you may have heard the term behaviour support plan. So what is a behaviour support plan, and what does it look like? It can sound clinical and hard to picture. This guide explains it in plain English. You will learn what goes inside a good plan, who writes it, and how your family and support team learn to use it every day.
At My Behaviour Support, we write plans that people can follow. A plan that sits in a drawer helps no one. The goal is a plan you can use at home, at school, at work and in the community. If you are ready to arrange one, see our Behaviour Support Plans service.
What is a behaviour support plan?
A behaviour support plan is a written document that sets out how to support a person whose behaviour affects their safety, wellbeing or daily life. It explains why the behaviour happens, the strategies that help, and how to respond safely. Under the NDIS, its main aim is a better quality of life for the person.
The plan is built around one person. It reflects their needs, their strengths and the things that matter to them. The aim is to improve the person’s quality of life and help behaviours of concern reduce over time. This is the heart of positive behaviour support. We look at why a behaviour is happening, then we change the things around the person so the behaviour is less likely to occur.
Under the NDIS, these plans follow rules set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. We are a registered NDIS provider, so our plans follow those rules. We work with people of all ages, from young children to older adults.
What is the difference between an interim and a comprehensive behaviour support plan?
An interim behaviour support plan is a short plan focused on safety right now. A comprehensive behaviour support plan is the full, long-term plan, written after a complete assessment. Where a regulated restrictive practice is in use, the NDIS Rules set a deadline for each one. The difference is mostly about time and depth.
An interim behaviour support plan is a shorter plan. We write it when someone needs support quickly. This might be when there is a risk of harm, or when a restrictive practice is already in place. An interim plan focuses on keeping the person and others safe right now. It gives the support team clear steps to follow while the fuller work happens.
A comprehensive behaviour support plan is the full plan. It follows a complete assessment of the person and their behaviour. It looks at the whole picture, as well as the immediate risk. It sets out long-term strategies, skill-building and a plan to reduce any restrictive practices. When the comprehensive plan is ready, it takes over from the interim plan.
Where a regulated restrictive practice is used, the NDIS (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 require an interim plan within 1 month of the provider being engaged. A comprehensive plan is due within 6 months. You can read the timeframes on the NDIS Commission’s page on rules for behaviour support providers and practitioners.
Think of the interim plan as a safe first step. The comprehensive plan is the long-term map.
What does a good behaviour support plan include?
A good behaviour support plan includes a picture of the person, the function of the behaviour, proactive strategies, skills to teach, how to respond safely, and a plan to reduce any restrictive practices. It gives everyone around the person a shared way to help. Here is what each part contains.
Understanding the person
A behaviour support plan starts with the person, rather than the behaviour. It describes who they are, what they enjoy, how they communicate and what a good day looks like for them. It notes their strengths and the people who matter to them. This part keeps the plan grounded in the human being it is written for.
The function of the behaviour
Every behaviour has a reason. We call this the function of behaviour. A person might be trying to escape something, to get something, to communicate a need, or to meet a sensory need. We work this out through a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA). The FBA looks at what happens before a behaviour, the behaviour itself, and what happens after. Once we understand the function, the strategies make sense. Our guide on how a functional behaviour assessment works explains each step.
Proactive strategies
These are the changes we make so behaviours of concern are less likely to happen at all. Proactive strategies often involve the environment. We might adjust a routine, reduce a known trigger, improve how instructions are given, or add more choice to the day. Good proactive strategies do the quiet work in the background and give the person a better chance to do well.
Skill-building and replacement behaviours
A good behaviour support plan should help the person learn new skills. If a behaviour meets a need, we teach a safer way to meet that same need. These are called replacement behaviours. For example, we might build communication skills so a person can ask for a break instead of becoming distressed. We also support emotional regulation and independence. Skill-building gives the person tools they can keep using.
How to respond
Even with strong proactive work, hard moments still happen. The behaviour support plan describes how to respond safely and calmly. It names early warning signs so the team can step in early. It sets out clear, respectful responses that protect everyone. These responses are always about safety and dignity, never punishment.
Reducing restrictive practices
Sometimes a plan involves a restrictive practice. This is anything that limits a person’s rights or freedom of movement. A restrictive practice is always a last resort. When one is needed, the plan explains why, sets clear limits and includes a goal to reduce it and, where possible, remove it over time. We have experience supporting people with high-risk behaviours. Our aim is always to lower reliance on restrictive practices as safer skills and supports grow. Our Reducing Restrictive Practices service explains how.
Is there a behaviour support plan template?
Yes. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission publishes templates for interim and comprehensive behaviour support plans. Providers can use the Commission’s template, their own, or one required by their state or territory. The template sets the headings, but the content must come from an assessment of the person.
You can find the templates on the NDIS Commission’s page on how to develop behaviour support plans. A filled-in template is only as useful as the assessment behind it. That is why every plan we write starts with getting to know the person.
Who writes a behaviour support plan?
A behaviour support plan is written by an NDIS behaviour support practitioner, together with the person, their family and their support team. Our team includes practitioners with backgrounds in psychology, social work and behaviour therapy. The people who know the person well are part of the process from the start.
Our founder, Domenic Barca, is a Proficient Behaviour Support Practitioner. Michelle Boyce, one of our Behaviour Support Practitioners, works with complex needs using a trauma-informed approach.
A plan is never written in isolation. We build it in consultation with the person, their family, carers and their wider support team. We use frameworks like Positive Behaviour Support and the Capable Environment Framework, and assessments such as the FBA, QABF and a Quality of Life assessment to understand needs fully.
How does your family learn to use the plan?
Your family learns to use the plan through training and implementation support, where a practitioner walks through each strategy with you. A behaviour support plan only works if the people around the person can use it. So we do not just hand it over. We answer questions and practise the strategies with you.
We provide implementation support and training for families, carers and support staff. We make sure everyone feels confident to follow the plan in daily life, whether that is at home, school, work or in the community. Our Family & Carer Training is built for this.
This shared approach matters. When everyone responds in the same calm, consistent way, the person can feel safer.
How is a behaviour support plan reviewed?
A behaviour support plan is reviewed regularly, and sooner if the person’s needs change. Where a plan includes a regulated restrictive practice, the NDIS Rules require a review at least every 12 months, and whenever the person’s circumstances change. We build review and monitoring in from the start.
A behaviour support plan is a living document, and it can change. We track how the strategies are working and gather feedback from the people using the plan. If something is not working, we adjust it. This keeps the plan useful and current. Our Implementation & Review service covers this step.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a behaviour support plan take to write?
It depends on the person and their needs. An interim plan can be put in place quickly to keep someone safe. A comprehensive plan takes longer because it follows a complete assessment. Where a regulated restrictive practice is in use, the NDIS Rules require it within 6 months. We give you a clear idea of timing once we understand your situation.
How much does a behaviour support plan cost?
Our rate is $252.99 per hour, in line with NDIS pricing arrangements. Travel is charged at a 50% reduced rate, with no kilometres charged. If behaviour support is funded in the NDIS plan, it is used for this work. The NDIA reviews rates each year, so we confirm yours at the first consultation and in your service agreement.
Can a behaviour support plan reduce restrictive practices?
That is a key aim. When a restrictive practice is in place, the plan includes a clear goal to reduce it and, where possible, remove it over time. We work towards this by building safer skills and better supports around the person. Progress varies from person to person.
Who can have a behaviour support plan?
People of all ages can have one, from young children to older adults. A plan suits anyone whose behaviour is affecting their safety, wellbeing or daily life, and who has behaviour support in their NDIS plan. If you are not sure, a short conversation can help.
Getting started with a behaviour support plan
A good behaviour support plan gives your family a shared, practical way forward. It is built around the person, grounded in why behaviour happens, and focused on skills they can keep using. Guided by science, driven by care.
You can read about our Behaviour Support Plans service, the wider range of NDIS supports we provide, or how a positive behaviour support approach works.
To talk it through, make a referral and our team will call you to talk through the next steps. You can also contact us with a question.
