Positive behaviour support Getting it right from the start

56 Positive behaviour support: Getting it right from the start - Facilitators reference manual
PowerPoint 78*
Functional behaviour assessment
‘It is not a matter of what causes self injury or what causes aggression or what causes
stereotyped or repetitive movements but for each of these difficult forms of behaviour,
what does it do for the individual, what purpose does it serve for them in life?’
Brown and Brown 1994
A functional behaviour assessment aims to identify which particular needs of the person are met
through their behaviour. This means trying to work out what message or purpose the behaviour is
serving for the person. Determining why the behaviour is occurring is an important starting point
in selecting positive behaviour support strategies to be included in a behaviour support plan.
Without conducting a functional behaviour assessment it is very easy to jump to inaccurate
conclusions of why a person is behaving in a certain way. In turn this can result in the selection
of inappropriate strategies that will not address the person’s needs or have positive effects on
the behaviour.
Inappropriate strategies can often make the behaviour worse, lead to an increase in the
frequency, intensity and duration of the behaviour and give rise to new and even more
problematic behaviours. There is also a risk that it can bring about serious harm to the person
and others involved.
For further information refer to the Office of the Senior Practitioner website
www.dhs.vic.gov.au/ds/osp for Positive Solutions in Practice; Getting It Right from the
Start, the value of a good functional behaviour assessment.