Accessing NDIS Behaviour Support

July 17, 2020

How to identify challenging behaviours

If your child has a disability or you’re caring for someone with a disability, it’s important to be aware of signs that they may be presenting with challenging behaviours. Dealing with challenging behaviours can be difficult at times but it is an essential part of caring for someone with a disability. When managed properly with positive behaviour support, you can help ensure the safety of your loved one and the safety of others.

In this blog we’ll cover what behaviours to look out for and how an NDIS behaviour support plan can help you.

What are challenging behaviours?

If you suspect your child or client may be presenting behaviours of concern (challenging behaviours), the most important first step is to speak with your Support Coordinator or Plan Manager, if you have one, or contact a health professional as soon as possible.

The most common behaviours of concern are when the individual is doing actions that hurt themselves or others. This type of challenging behaviour often causes people to feel stressed or concerned and is important to identify as early as possible.

Some more examples of challenging behaviours include:

• Purposefully breaking objects
• Physically hurting themselves and/or others
• Repeating the same actions
• Offending others with their words and/or actions
• Refusing to do things
• Hiding from or avoiding people

These behaviours may occur for several reasons. Some of the most common are environmental factors to do with the individual’s surroundings or their state of the physical and emotional wellbeing. For example, if someone who tends to display challenging behaviours is unwell, has experienced a traumatic life event, is in an unfamiliar environment or is physically incapacitated due to an injury then they may be more likely to exhibit challenging behaviours.

Supporting an individual who is displaying one or more of these challenging behaviours is the best way to manage the behaviour and reduce the likelihood of developing any future challenging behaviours.

Assistance for NDIS behaviour support

If someone you care for has behaviours of concern associated with their disability, they may be eligible for funding to access a Behaviour Support Plan NDIS, also known as Behaviour Management Plan NDIS.

An NDIS behaviour support plan is designed to help the individual with disability and those around them by implementing positive and proactive strategies to reduce the risk of challenging behaviours. Behavioural support is a way of educating individuals with disability and providing them with help to better communicate their needs and learn coping skills.

Under the NDIS, there are multiple categories of funding that eligible participants can assess to cover disability support services required for behaviour support. Two of the most common categories are:

• Capacity Building budget – Improved relationships. Funding in this category can be used towards Behaviour Therapy services and Positive Behaviour Support Plans.

• Capacity Building budget – Improved daily living. This is all about improving an individual’s day to day coping skills and could include funding for anger management, counselling and social skill development.

Positive behaviour support strategies are evidence based, meaning they’re proven to work in many situations. Focused on encouragement and reward, individuals with challenging behaviours can improve their communication and social interaction skills.

With the right supports and training for people with disability and their families, challenging behaviours can be managed successfully, therefore improving the quality of life of the individual and their immediate support networks.

Accessing support

If your loved one doesn’t have an NDIS plan or they haven’t previously received support for challenging behaviours, get in contact with Disability Plan Services. Our experienced team can work with you and your family member to ensure you understand what support they may be eligible for and assist you in obtaining the supports you need.

At Disability Plan Services, our team of Support Coordinators can assist to match your loved one with the professional Specialist Behaviour Support services they require. We work closely with some of South East Queensland’s best disability support providers who understand the complexities of challenging behaviours and can implement the right strategies to help you and your loved one.

We’re committed to supporting our local community and believe that everyone should have the right to access the supports they need to live a fulfilling life. We build relationships with local service providers, health professionals and most importantly our clients to deliver the best possible outcomes and always ensure the safety and security of our clients.

Complete the form below to contact Disability Plan Services today.