What is a ‘behaviour of concern’?
Autism characteristics combine and interact in a way that is unique to each person. Each individual with Autism will have a range of strengths, abilities, and individual support needs, which is why we take a strength-based approach when providing support and strategies.
When we understand these characteristics and the impacts they may have on a person’s life and those around them, it helps us to better understand them. Having a better understanding of the person helps everyone involved to consider why the behaviour is happening and implement more meaningful support.
‘A behaviour of concern may be referred to as, ‘problem behaviour’, ‘difficult behaviour’, ‘socially unacceptable behaviour’ or ‘challenging behaviour’
Behaviour is viewed as a form of communication. PBS considers the purpose or reasons behind the behaviour in order to facilitate positive change. The goal of PBS is to improve quality of life and respect the human rights of the individual.
Our PBS Team
We have a Team of dedicated and experienced clinicians that work to encourage lasting, positive behaviour change and improve the quality of life of the person with Autism and their family and carers.
Our PBS Team is made up of Speech Pathologists, Psychologists and Occupational Therapists, who are trained and registered as PBS Practitioners.
Positive Behaviour Support services
Our PBS service provides coaching, consultation and support to the team supporting the person with Autism. A brief outline of what our PBS services look like is outlined below.
PBS services will usually begin with a comprehensive assessment of the person and family, their individual needs, and the behaviours or situations that are of current concern. This process is referred to as a Functional Behaviour Assessment.
This process will result in a Functional Behaviour Assessment report. This is a formal document that captures the shared understanding of the behaviours of concerns, next steps, and recommendations. This report can be provided to NDIS and used as supporting documentation by the individual and family as they see fit.
Sometimes, the difficulties being experienced place the individual or the people around them at risk of harm or exclusion, and we can work to develop some early response plans to help manage these difficulties while working towards a more comprehensive plan of support.
Following the Functional behaviour Assessment, we work towards the development of a Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP). This is a plan that outlines the various recommended (and individualised) strategies and supports that will assist with improving a person’s quality of life and reducing the behaviours you are concerned about. These plans focus on how to set up positive environments for a person so that their quality of life improves and identifying skills that needs to be specifically taught so they can meet their needs in a better way.
Click here to download our Easy English What is a Behaviour Support Plan? booklet.
Developing a PBSP is only part of the PBS process. The individualised coaching, consultation, and support to those people around the person with Autism is of significant importance to this process. Having a PBS practitioner to help guide you through that process and troubleshoot along the way helps to keep everyone consistent and moving forward. It also helps to have this support while people begin to develop new skills or trial new changes to the environment.
Even once a plan is in place and working well, ongoing monitoring and review of the plan and the strategies included is important as needs and demands change. Having regular meetings with your school, work, therapy, and other people involved is provided to help maintain positive changes and shared understanding along the way.
At times a person’s behaviours of concern may place themselves or others in an unsafe situation; in such instances our staff may need to use emergency strategies to keep that person safe. At the Autism Association of WA we ensure a duty of care for all our clients and adhere to all Government Restricted practice guidelines. In the PBS Service it is our goal to remove the need for these practices over time with behaviour support services.
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