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What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?

A practical approach to improving quality of life through respectful, evidence-based support.

Positive Behaviour Support essentials.

👉 Online materials to help you better understand positive behaviour support.

What is PBS? An easy read version.

Behaviour support & restrictive practices.

NDIS Positive Behaviour Support Guidelines.

Clear standards for Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

NDIS Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) sets clear standards to guide respectful, person-centred care. It focuses on understanding individual behaviours and creating tailored strategies that promote positive outcomes while reducing restrictive practices.
PBS aims to improve quality of life by supporting participants to develop skills and manage behaviours safely. Steppr applies these standards to deliver consistent, practical support that respects each person’s needs and rights across Perth and regional WA.

Understanding NDIS positive behaviour support standards

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Understanding positive behaviour support (PBS)

Positive behaviour support is an evidence, value and rights based approach. It focuses on improving a person’s quality of life and understanding the reasons behind behaviour and ways to meet a person’s needs. This includes strategies such as teaching a person new skills, making changes to their environment and providing guidance to their support team.


A behaviour support plan provides strategies to address behaviours. It meets the individual’s needs, while respecting their dignity and working to improve their quality of life. 


PBS in plain language

Positive behaviour support (PBS) helps people whose behaviour puts their safety, relationships or quality of life at risk. Instead of focusing only on stopping a behaviour, PBS works out what the behaviour is telling us and changes things so the person's life works better.

Who it helps

NDIS participants, and the families, support workers and support coordinators who support them.

Understanding behaviour

Behaviour usually has a reason. It might be about communication, pain, stress, sensory needs, routine or unmet needs. A functional behaviour assessment helps us find out why.

Communication

When someone has few ways to say what they need, behaviour can become their way of communicating. PBS supports people to be understood and to understand others.

Environmental changes

Small changes, such as a calmer space, clearer routines or fewer unexpected changes, can make a big difference.

Skill development

PBS teaches new skills so the person has better ways to get what they need.

Quality of life

The goal is a good life: more choice, better relationships and more of what matters to the person.

Where to next

Read about behaviour support plans , see all our services , or learn how PBS works with Steppr.