Behavioural Support

Positive Behaviour Support for Child Development

October 21, 2026

Introduction

All children show challenging behaviour at times – it is a normal part of growing up. For some children, though, behaviours such as frequent meltdowns, aggression, self-injury or running away can be intense, happen often and make everyday life hard for the child and the whole family. Positive Behaviour Support helps families understand why these behaviours happen and what can be done to help.

At Reverence Community Care, we recognise that every child has individual strengths, needs and ways of communicating. This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for individual professional assessment.

What Is Positive Behaviour Support?

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based, person-centred approach. Rather than focusing on punishment, it aims to improve a person’s quality of life and reduce behaviours of concern by:

  • Understanding the behaviour: working out what the behaviour is communicating and what triggers it.
  • Changing the environment: adjusting routines, demands or surroundings so the behaviour is less likely to happen.
  • Teaching new skills: helping the child learn other ways to communicate their needs and manage their feelings.
  • Supporting the people around the child: giving families, carers and educators consistent strategies to use.

Why Do Behaviours of Concern Happen?

Behaviour is a form of communication. A child may be trying to tell us something they cannot yet put into words. Common reasons include:

  • wanting something, or wanting to get away from something they find hard
  • feeling overwhelmed by noise, lights, crowds or other sensory input
  • pain, tiredness, hunger or feeling unwell
  • unexpected changes to routines or difficulty moving between activities
  • frustration at not being able to communicate or be understood
  • seeking connection or attention from others

Signs Your Child May Benefit from Behaviour Support

It can help to seek professional advice if your child’s behaviour:

  • puts themselves or others at risk of harm
  • happens often, lasts a long time or is getting more intense
  • makes it hard to take part in family life, kinder, school or community activities
  • limits where your family can go or what you can do together
  • has not improved with the strategies you have already tried

Seeking support does not mean you have done anything wrong. Behaviours of concern are common for children with disability or developmental differences, and support can make a real difference. Speak with your child’s GP, paediatrician or a qualified behaviour support practitioner.

Practical Ways to Support Your Child at Home

  • notice patterns – what happens just before and just after the behaviour, and the time of day it occurs
  • keep routines predictable, and use visual schedules to show what is coming next
  • prepare your child for changes ahead of time, with warnings, timers or pictures
  • teach and praise simple ways to ask for help, a break or something they want
  • create a calm space your child can go to when they feel overwhelmed
  • stay as calm as you can, and look after your own wellbeing too

How a Behaviour Support Practitioner Can Help

A behaviour support practitioner works closely with the child and family to complete a functional behaviour assessment, which helps explain why a behaviour is happening. They then develop a behaviour support plan with practical, positive strategies, and support families, carers and educators to use them consistently. Plans are reviewed over time as the child grows and their needs change. Under the NDIS, behaviour support is overseen by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which sets requirements for practitioners and for the use of any restrictive practices.

How Reverence Community Care Can Help

Our Positive Behaviour Support practitioners work alongside families, schools and other therapists to understand each child and build strategies that work in everyday life. We support children at home, at school, in the community and via telehealth. To explore behaviour support for your child, contact our team.

Phone: 03 7037 0981 | Email: info@revcare.com.au

Sources & References

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