Under the NDIS, a behaviour therapist works out why a participant’s behaviour is happening, then builds skills and changes their environment so everyday life becomes safer and easier. Much of this work sits under Positive Behaviour Support, which the NDIS recognises as the way to support people whose behaviour affects their safety, relationships or quality of life.
Rather than simply trying to stop a behaviour, a behaviour therapist looks for the unmet need or message behind it and helps the person meet that need in a better way. They work with children, teenagers and adults, and with the families, teachers and support workers around them.
Is a behaviour therapist the same as an NDIS behaviour support practitioner?
Not exactly. “Behaviour therapist” is an everyday term and isn’t a protected title. Under the NDIS, the formal role is an NDIS behaviour support practitioner.
Only practitioners the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission considers suitable can carry out behaviour support assessments and write behaviour support plans. They must work for a provider that’s registered to deliver specialist behaviour support, and their skills are measured against the Commission’s Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
Behaviour therapists who deliver ABA therapy or day-to-day skill teaching often work alongside behaviour support practitioners as part of the same team.
Who do behaviour therapists support under the NDIS?
NDIS behaviour therapists often work with participants who are autistic, or who have an intellectual disability, developmental delay, an acquired brain injury or a psychosocial disability. Common reasons people seek behaviour support include:
- Meltdowns, aggression, or hitting, biting or throwing things
- Self-injury or unsafe behaviour, such as running off
- Behaviour being used to communicate needs, often because speech is limited
- Difficulty with routines such as sleep, toileting, eating or getting ready for school
- Behaviour at school or kinder that’s affecting learning or friendships
Many participants have a diagnosis such as ASD Level 2, but what matters most is how the behaviour affects the person’s daily life and the people around them.
What behaviour support does the NDIS fund?
The NDIS behaviour support guideline explains that behaviour support looks at the reasons behind behaviours of concern and helps the people who support the participant meet their needs. It can include:
- Behaviour support assessments, including functional behaviour assessments
- Interim and comprehensive behaviour support plans
- Training and monitoring for staff who use a behaviour support plan
- Positive behaviour support training for family members, friends or carers
This is why a behaviour therapist’s work goes well beyond one-on-one sessions. A large part of it is making sure the people around the participant can use the strategies every day.
What does the process look like under the NDIS?
It starts with a functional behaviour assessment. The practitioner gathers information about when and where the behaviour happens and what comes just before and after it. The NDIS Commission states that every behaviour support assessment must include one.
Next comes a behaviour support plan. An interim plan puts safe strategies in place quickly while the assessment is under way. A comprehensive plan follows, built on the full assessment. Where restrictive practices are involved, an interim plan must be developed within one month and a comprehensive plan within six months of the provider being engaged.
Then the plan is put into practice. The behaviour therapist works directly with the participant and trains parents, carers, teachers and support workers so everyone responds consistently.
Finally, progress is tracked with data and the plan is reviewed. Under the NDIS Commission’s position statement, a comprehensive plan must be reviewed if circumstances change, or at least every 12 months.
What approaches do NDIS behaviour therapists use?
Most draw on two closely related approaches.
Positive Behaviour Support focuses on understanding the function of behaviour, building skills and independence, and improving quality of life. It’s the framework the NDIS Commission expects behaviour support to follow.
ABA therapy uses structured, step-by-step teaching to build communication, play, self-care and daily living skills, and is often used with autistic children and young people.
For young children, behaviour strategies often sit within early childhood intervention, where a key worker coordinates therapy and keeps the family, kinder and other professionals working towards the same goals.
What about restrictive practices?
Restrictive practices are practices that limit a person’s rights or freedom of movement. The NDIS Commission regulates five types: seclusion, and chemical, mechanical, physical and environmental restraint.
A behaviour therapist’s role is to reduce and, where possible, eliminate them. When a plan includes a regulated restrictive practice, it must be submitted to the NDIS Commission, and the practice must be the least restrictive option. Good behaviour support never relies on punishment. It replaces restrictive responses with proactive, skill-building strategies.
Where do NDIS behaviour therapists work?
Behaviour therapists usually work where behaviour actually happens: at home, at school, in early childhood settings and in the community. Working in real settings means strategies are practised in everyday routines, which is why many services offer mobile behaviour therapy.
At school, behaviour therapists can observe in class, train staff and develop strategies that fit the school day. Schools also have their own duties. Under Australian law, education providers must try to understand the cause of a student’s behaviour and make reasonable adjustments, and a behaviour therapist can help the family and school work out what those should be.
How is behaviour therapy funded in an NDIS plan?
Behaviour therapy can be included in an NDIS plan when it’s reasonable and necessary. Positive Behaviour Support is usually funded under Capacity Building, Improved Relationships, and that funding can cover the assessment, the behaviour support plan and training for the people who use it. ABA therapy and early childhood supports usually sit under Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living, or the early childhood approach for young children.
Behaviour support must always come from a registered provider, whether a plan is NDIA-managed, plan-managed or self-managed.
For young children, access is changing. From 1 October 2026, children aged 8 and under with autism or developmental delay and low to moderate support needs start to access support through Thriving Kids, a new program outside the NDIS. Children with high support needs remain eligible for the NDIS.
Getting started with Helping Hands Behaviour Support
Helping Hands Behaviour Support (HHBS) is a registered NDIS provider specialising in Positive Behaviour Support, ABA therapy and early childhood intervention. Our behaviour therapists work with children and adults at home or at school, and collaborate with families, teachers and support workers so strategies work in everyday life. We work with NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed plans.
If you or someone you care for is an NDIS participant and you’d like to work with a behaviour therapist, call us on 0406 920 296 or send us an enquiry, and our team will help you get started with the right support. Support coordinators can make a referral online.
Note: This article is general information about behaviour therapy under the NDIS, not an assessment of any person or advice about an individual NDIS plan. If someone is at immediate risk of harm, call 000.
