Neuro-affirming, Strengths-based Positive Behaviour Support

Positive behaviour support aims to help people displaying complex behaviours live their best life. As Behaviour Support Practitioners, we seek to understand the unmet needs showing through behaviour and create a plan of strategies for the participant.  This easy read information sheet provides plenty more information for you.

The term means different things to different people — and that’s part of the confusion.

Some people believe that Positive Behaviour Support can’t be neuroaffirming, because it shares historical roots with Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), which often focused on compliance, suppression of natural behaviours, and masking.

At Banksia, we do things differently. For us, neuroaffirming, strengths-based Positive Behaviour Support means:

We don’t do “one-size-fits-all”

Every person is unique, and support must reflect their identity, needs, and preferences — not force them to fit a mould.

We respect neurodiversity

We work with individuals in ways that honour their sensory profiles, communication styles, and natural ways of being — not against them.

We see behaviour as communication

Instead of trying to “fix” behaviours, we seek to understand what they’re telling us — and what needs are going unmet.

We don’t use compliance-based strategies

Instead, we focus on autonomy, co-regulation, connection, and meaningful skill-building — all through a trauma-aware, person-led approach.

We reject punitive, deficit-focused methods

Our approach is ethical, collaborative, and humanising. We work in partnership with individuals and their support networks to create safe, empowering environments where people can truly flourish.

In short, neuroaffirming PBS is about creating conditions where people feel safe, respected, and free to be themselves — because that’s where real learning and wellbeing begin.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an ethical and person-centred framework that draws from the science of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), but they are not the same.

While ABA is a broader discipline focused on changing behaviour through reinforcement, traditional ABA has often prioritised compliance and the reduction of neurodivergent traits—frequently at the expense of autonomy, identity, and wellbeing. This history has led to valid concerns within the Autistic community, including reports of trauma and masking.

PBS, by contrast, focuses on understanding the reason for behaviours, supporting quality of life, and building environments where individuals feel safe, respected, and empowered. It values dignity, choice, and collaboration—aiming to reduce behaviours of concern by meeting unmet needs, not by enforcing conformity.

At Banksia, we use PBS in a way that is trauma-informed, neuroaffirming, and rights-based. We do not support interventions that seek to eliminate identity or difference.

Whilst positive behaviour support and psychology are both disciplines focused on enhancing the quality of life for the participant, the two vary in their approach. Psychology casts a wider focus as it supports an individual’s mind and behaviour; whereas positive behaviour support specialises in changing behaviours through evidence-led, practical strategies.

The truth is that it really varies — after all, beings grow and evolve in their own time. Results generally tend to depend on the participant and the consistency of implementation of the Behaviour Support Plan’s strategies. What we guarantee is the relationship with our clients is long term. We're there for the long haul, because results and outcomes are dynamic.

Yes, positive behaviour support can help reduce complex challenging behaviours such as self-harm and aggression. If you need immediate support for you, or an individual who has harmed themselves, please contact Lifeline, 24/7 on 131114.

Positive behaviour support funding is funded under the ‘Improved Relationships’ category of NDIS Capacity Building support. Here’s more information about how to access your support through NDIS funding.