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What Is a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
A functional behaviour assessment is a structured process for working out why a person’s behaviours of concern are happening. It looks at the context, the triggers, and what the behaviour does for the person. The point is to understand the behaviour, not to label or diagnose the person. Every behaviour support plan should start with one.
Without a functional behaviour assessment, a plan rests on assumptions. Assumptions lead to strategies that don’t work.
The assessment is the foundation, and everything in the plan grows from what it reveals.
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How do I fund a functional behaviour assessment?
A functional behaviour assessment is usually funded through the NDIS.
NDIS: the assessment comes out of Capacity Building. On newer PACE plans that line appears as Behaviour Support; on older plans it appears as Improved Relationships.
Self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed: we work with all three.
Privately funded: available if you don’t have a plan, and you’ll get a clear picture of the costs before you book.
If you are not sure which funding applies to you, call us on 1800 678 647 or email hello@opt.net.au. We will sort it out before your first appointment.
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The four common functions of behaviour
01
Escape or avoidance
Behaviour support recognises four broad reasons behind most behaviours of concern.
The behaviour lets the person get away from something they find unpleasant, painful, overwhelming, or boring. A child who screams when asked to do homework may have learned that screaming reliably ends the homework demand.
02
Connection and attention
The behaviour brings social interaction. Often that’s a need for connection, reassurance, comfort, or simple acknowledgement, rather than the dismissive idea of “attention-seeking”. A person who throws objects may have found this is the fastest way to get someone to come into the room.
03
Access to something they want
The behaviour gets the person an item or an activity. A teenager who has a meltdown in the shops may have learned that the meltdown ends with being given the thing they asked for.
04
Sensory needs
The behaviour feels good, eases discomfort, or helps the person regulate their sensory system. Rocking, spinning, head banging, and humming can all serve a sensory purpose. Here the payoff is internal, not social.
Many behaviours serve more than one function, and the same behaviour can serve different functions in different settings. That’s why a thorough assessment across several environments matters so much.
What happens during a
functional behaviour assessment?
A functional behaviour assessment takes more than a single appointment. It runs over several sessions, across different settings, with input from the people who know the person best.
Observation across settings:
the practitioner watches the person in the places where behaviours of concern happen,
- at home
- at school
- in a day program
- at a group home
- out in the community.
Behaviour looks different in different settings, because the triggers are different.
Interviews with family, carers, and support people:
the practitioner talks with parents, carers, support workers, teachers, therapists, and anyone else regularly in the person’s life. Each one sees a different part of the picture. The support worker there on weekday mornings notices things that someone who sees the person twice a week would miss.
ABC data collection
ABC stands for Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence.
It means recording what happens before a behaviour (the antecedent), what the behaviour looks like, and what happens straight after (the consequence).
The practitioner may record this directly, or train carers and support workers to record it over days or weeks.
The more data points, the clearer the patterns.
Review of existing records:
previous behaviour support plans, incident reports, allied health assessments, medical records, and school reports all add context.
A behaviour that started six months ago might be linked to a medication change, a staffing change, or a move to a new home.
What does a functional
behaviour assessment produce?
The main thing a functional behaviour assessment produces is a well-supported explanation of why the behaviour is happening.
In behaviour support, that explanation is called a hypothesis about the function of the behaviour. That hypothesis drives everything that follows.
Your practitioner uses what the assessment reveals to build the behaviour support plan: the proactive strategies, the skills to work on, and the responses for hard moments.
A good hypothesis is specific.
“The person becomes aggressive” is a description.
“The person hits their head against the wall when asked to move between activities in a noisy, busy room, and the behaviour results in the demand being removed” is a hypothesis.
It names the trigger, the context, and the consequence that keeps the behaviour going.
What happens after completing
the assessment?
Once the functional behaviour assessment is complete, the practitioner uses the findings to build a behaviour support plan.
That plan includes proactive strategies to prevent behaviours of concern, skill-building goals, clear responses for crisis moments, and, where they apply, strategies to reduce restrictive practices. The assessment isn’t a one-off event.
As the person’s life changes, it may need updating. New environments, new support workers, new medications, or major life changes can all shift the function of behaviour.
Good Positive Behaviour Support includes ongoing monitoring and reassessment. For how Positive Behaviour Support works as a broader approach, see our guide to Positive Behaviour Support.
How long does a functional behaviour assessment take?
A functional behaviour assessment isn’t just a one-hour appointment. It runs over several sessions, usually across a few weeks.The exact timeline depends on how complex the situation is.
One behaviour of concern in one setting may take fewer sessions. Several behaviours across home, school, and community will take more.
As a rough guide:
- intake and record review, 1 to 2 sessions
- observation across settings, 3 to 6 sessions, sometimes more
- interviews with family and the support team, 1 to 3 sessions
- data analysis and hypothesis development, practitioner time, not face to face
- report writing, practitioner time.
From the first session to a completed report, the process often takes four to eight weeks.
That timeline can feel frustrating, especially when the behaviours are causing stress right now. But a rushed assessment produces a plan built on incomplete information.
Getting the assessment right saves months of strategies that were never going to work.
For how this can be funded, see our guide to behaviour support funding in your NDIS plan.
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Common questions about functional behaviour assessments
What is a functional behaviour assessment?
How long does a functional behaviour assessment take?
What are the four functions of behaviour?
Who can conduct a functional behaviour assessment under the NDIS?
What is ABC data collection?
Is a functional behaviour assessment the same as a diagnosis?
What is an example of a functional behaviour assessment?
When should you ask for a functional behaviour assessment?
Reviewed by Rachel Hardcastle
OPTIMUM HEALTH SOLUTIONS
Rachel has worked in Behaviour Support for over 16 years, where her experience has included complex and forensic work. Rachel’s approach is entirely person-centred, meaning her practice starts and ends with the person, building support around them. Rachel works clinically and leads the development of the Behaviour Support team at Optimum Health Solutions, supporting practitioners to grow and do their best work with the people they see.
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