NDIS Behaviour Support Plans: FBA, Interim and Comprehensive Plans
Behaviour support is one of the most heavily documented areas of NDIS work. A behaviour support plan has to be evidence based, person centred, and compliant with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s rules, and it all has to be written up in a way that holds together.
This guide covers what an NDIS behaviour support plan needs to include, how the functional behaviour assessment feeds into it, and the difference between an interim and a comprehensive plan. It is written for behaviour support practitioners working in the Australian NDIS context.
Contents
Who writes NDIS behaviour support plans
NDIS behaviour support plans are written by behaviour support practitioners the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission considers suitable. Psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and other allied health professionals work in this space, provided they meet the Commission’s expectations for capability.
Start with the Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA)
A behaviour support plan is only as strong as the assessment behind it. The functional behaviour assessment works out what a behaviour of concern is communicating, and what function it serves for the person. A strong FBA usually covers:
- Background and the person’s history
- The behaviours of concern, described clearly and specifically
- Antecedents, or what tends to happen before the behaviour
- Consequences, or what tends to happen after
- The likely function of the behaviour, such as escape, access, sensory input or attention
- Existing strategies and how well they have worked
What a comprehensive plan must include
A comprehensive plan builds on the FBA and sets out how the team will support the person. Strong plans generally include:
- A summary of the person, their strengths and their goals
- The findings from the functional behaviour assessment
- Proactive strategies that change the environment and reduce triggers
- Skill building strategies that teach new ways to meet the same need
- Response strategies for when a behaviour of concern occurs
- Any regulated restrictive practices, with a clear plan to reduce and eliminate them
- Implementation, training and review arrangements
Interim vs comprehensive plans
If a regulated restrictive practice is being used, an interim behaviour support plan is generally required quickly, within about a month, to keep the person safe while the full assessment is completed. The comprehensive plan then follows within about six months and replaces the interim one.
An interim plan is shorter and focused on immediate safety. A comprehensive plan is the full, evidence based document. Both are lodged with the NDIS Commission where restrictive practices are involved.
Handle restrictive practices with care
If a plan includes any regulated restrictive practice, it has to be clearly described, justified as the least restrictive option, and paired with a plan to reduce and eventually remove it. These sections carry real compliance weight, so they need to be precise, not rushed at the end of a long day.
Why the writing takes so long
Most behaviour support practitioners do not struggle with the clinical thinking. They struggle with the volume of writing. An FBA and a comprehensive plan together can run to dozens of pages, much of it structured, repetitive documentation that still has to be exactly right.
This is where Carearoo helps. You put your assessment notes in, and it drafts the full report on your own template, in your own format, in about five minutes. FBA, interim plan or comprehensive plan, it comes back structured and ready for you to review, edit and sign off. Clinical responsibility stays with you as the practitioner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an FBA and a behaviour support plan?
The functional behaviour assessment works out what a behaviour of concern is communicating and what function it serves. The behaviour support plan uses those findings to set out proactive strategies, skill building, and response strategies.
When is an interim behaviour support plan required?
Generally within about a month when a regulated restrictive practice is being used, so the person stays safe while the comprehensive assessment is completed.
Who can write an NDIS behaviour support plan?
A behaviour support practitioner considered suitable by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and other allied health professionals who meet the Commission’s capability expectations.
Do behaviour support plans have to be lodged with the NDIS Commission?
Where regulated restrictive practices are involved, yes. Both interim and comprehensive plans are lodged.
How this guide was written
Carearoo researches and drafts its guides with AI assistance, working from the primary sources linked in the text, and a person checks every fact against those sources before it is published. Last checked 1 August 2026.
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