FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSESSMENT
Understand why behaviour may be happening. Build support that fits real life.
When behaviour keeps happening and the pattern is unclear, families and support teams may need more than general advice. A Functional Behaviour Assessment helps slow things down, look at what happens before and after behaviour, and understand what the person may be communicating or needing.
The goal is to create a clearer picture of what may be contributing to the behaviour so the next steps are practical, respectful, and easier for caregivers and support teams to follow.
WHEN A FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSESSMENT MAY HELP
When behaviour keeps happening and the reason is unclear.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment may help when families and support teams need a clearer understanding of behaviour patterns, context, communication, routines, and what support should look like next.
The same behaviour keeps returning
Similar concerns may be showing up around routines, transitions, expectations, communication, waiting, denied access, or particular environments.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment can help clarify:
- Patterns across routines and settings.
- What may be happening before and after the behaviour.
- What support may make sense next.
Different strategies have been tried
Families or teams may have tried several approaches, but it may still be unclear what is helping, what is not helping, or why the behaviour continues.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment can help clarify:
- What has already been tried.
- Which patterns seem most relevant.
- What may need to change next.
Support people are responding in different ways
Caregivers, aides, schools, daycares, or other support people may be unsure how to respond consistently or what plan they should be following.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment can help clarify:
- Shared goals and support priorities.
- More consistent responses from caregivers and support teams.
- Practical recommendations for daily life.
A support plan needs stronger direction
A family, funder, school, or support team may need written assessment information and recommendations to guide a Behaviour Support Plan.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment can help clarify:
- Current concerns and support needs.
- Possible function of behaviour.
- Recommendations caregivers and support teams can use.
ASSESSMENT PROCESS
How the Functional Behaviour Assessment process works.
The assessment process is structured, but it should still feel understandable. The goal is to gather the right information, make sense of the pattern, and turn that understanding into practical next steps.
01
Listen and review
We begin by learning about the concern, current routines, previous strategies, support history, and what the family or team is hoping to understand.
02
Observe and gather information
Where appropriate, assessment may include observation, records review, caregiver input, team input, and information from the settings where concerns are showing up.
03
Understand the pattern
We look at what may be happening before, during, and after behaviour, along with communication, routines, environment, skills, and how caregivers, support teams, and others respond.
04
Build practical recommendations
The assessment is used to create written recommendations and a Behaviour Support Plan that caregivers and support teams can understand, use, and review as support continues.
WHAT THE ASSESSMENT CONSIDERS
Behaviour is understood through patterns, context, and support needs.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment does not look at behaviour in isolation. It considers what happens around the behaviour, what skills and supports may be involved, and what information is needed to build practical next steps.
01
Behaviour patterns
What the concern looks like, how often it happens, how intense it may be, how long it lasts, and where or when it tends to happen.
02
What happens before, during, and after
What may be setting the behaviour up, what the behaviour looks like in observable terms, and what happens afterward.
03
Routines, settings, and broader context
How routines, transitions, timing, environment, fatigue, health, expectations, activities, or the people involved may affect the pattern.
04
Communication, skills, and possible function
What the person may be trying to access, avoid, express, or manage, and what communication or skill needs may be part of the picture.
05
Current strategies and support-team responses
What has already been tried, what seems to help, what may not be helping, and how caregivers, support teams, and others involved are currently responding.
06
Support planning needs
What practical strategies, skills, environmental supports, communication supports, or response changes from caregivers, support teams, and others involved may help guide next steps.
ASSESSMENT + SUPPORT PLAN
What families and teams receive.
The assessment is meant to lead somewhere practical. Families and support teams should come away with a clearer understanding of the behaviour pattern and a written plan that helps guide what happens next.
A clearer summary of the concern
A plain-language summary of what was reviewed, what patterns were noticed, and what support needs appear most relevant.
Functional understanding
An explanation of what may be contributing to the behaviour, including relevant routines, environments, communication, skills, and responses from caregivers, support teams, and others involved.
Written recommendations
Practical recommendations for prevention, skill-building, communication, environmental supports, caregiver and support-team responses, and next steps.
Behaviour Support Plan
A written plan that caregivers and support teams can understand and use across relevant routines, settings, and support roles.
SERVICE FIT
How a Functional Behaviour Assessment is different from other support options.
Functional Behaviour Assessment is one service pathway. It may be the right fit when the main question is why behaviour may be happening and what supports should be recommended next.
Behaviour Consultation
Behaviour Consultation is ongoing support for families and teams who need coaching, plan adjustment, collaboration, and help using strategies in daily life.
Risk Assessment
A Risk Assessment is a focused assessment when the main concern is safety-related behaviour, supervision, and practical safety planning.
Functional Behaviour Assessment + Risk Assessment
The Functional Behaviour Assessment + Risk Assessment pathway may fit when both behaviour patterns and safety concerns need structured review.
One-Month Intensive Behaviour Support
One-Month Intensive Behaviour Support is a structured month of more frequent support when the current level of support is not enough.
PAYMENT AND REQUESTED ASSESSMENTS
A Functional Behaviour Assessment is usually arranged privately unless funding is confirmed.
Families may seek a Functional Behaviour Assessment because they want clearer direction, or because FSCD, PDD, a school, an agency, or another support team has requested written assessment information or recommendations.
Functional Behaviour Assessment services are typically arranged through private pay unless the family has confirmed that the assessment is covered, reimbursable, or included in an approved funding arrangement.
PRIVATE PAY
Assessment paid for directly
Many families arrange Functional Behaviour Assessment services privately when they want written recommendations, a clearer support plan, or assessment information before another service path has been confirmed.
REQUESTED BY A FUNDER OR SUPPORT TEAM
Assessment requested for planning purposes
FSCD, PDD, a school, an agency, or another support team may request assessment information or written recommendations. A request for assessment information does not automatically mean the assessment is funded.
Kind Behaviour can explain service fit, scope, fees, billing, and documentation. Families are responsible for confirming funding approval, reimbursement rules, agreement wording, and payer requirements before assessment begins.
FAQ
Questions families often ask about Functional Behaviour Assessment.
What is a Functional Behaviour Assessment, or FBA?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment, or FBA, is a structured process used to understand why behaviour may be happening. It looks at behaviour patterns, what happens before and after behaviour, communication, routines, environments, skills, and how caregivers, support teams, and others respond. The goal is to create practical recommendations and a Behaviour Support Plan.
Is a Functional Behaviour Assessment a diagnosis?
No. A Functional Behaviour Assessment does not diagnose a medical, psychological, or developmental condition. It is used to understand behaviour patterns, possible function, support needs, and practical next steps.
When might a Functional Behaviour Assessment, or FBA, be recommended?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment, or FBA, may be recommended when behaviour keeps happening, the reason is unclear, strategies have not worked consistently, or a family or support team needs written recommendations and a clearer Behaviour Support Plan.
What does "function of behaviour" mean?
Function means what the behaviour may be doing for the person. Behaviour may help someone communicate, access something, avoid something, get support, respond to stress, or manage a sensory or regulation need. The goal is not to blame the person. The goal is to understand the pattern so support can be more useful.
How is a Functional Behaviour Assessment different from Behaviour Consultation?
Behaviour Consultation is ongoing support that helps families and teams understand concerns, try strategies, and adjust support over time. A Functional Behaviour Assessment is a more structured assessment process used when the main need is to understand why behaviour may be happening and what supports may be recommended next.
How is a Functional Behaviour Assessment different from Risk Assessment?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment focuses on behaviour patterns and possible function. A Risk Assessment focuses more directly on safety-related behaviour concerns, supervision needs, and practical safety planning. If both are needed, the Functional Behaviour Assessment + Risk Assessment pathway may be the better fit.
Do parents, caregivers, or support teams need to participate?
Yes. Assessment depends on information from the people who know the person and the settings where concerns are happening. Parent, caregiver, and support-team input helps make the recommendations more practical and realistic.
What do families receive after the assessment?
Families and support teams receive written assessment information and recommendations. Depending on the service scope, this may include a plain-language summary of the concern, functional understanding, written recommendations, and a Behaviour Support Plan.
Can FSCD or PDD request assessment information?
Yes. Families or support teams may seek a Functional Behaviour Assessment because FSCD, PDD, or another support team has requested written recommendations, support planning information, or a clearer understanding of current needs. Kind Behaviour can explain service fit and assessment scope, but does not determine funding eligibility or approval.
What happens after I send an inquiry?
Kind Behaviour will follow up to understand what kind of support you are looking for and gather the basic information needed to review service fit. If Kind Behaviour may be a good fit, the next steps, scheduling, scope, fees, and any relevant funding or payment details will be explained clearly.
If another service or support path may be more appropriate, Kind Behaviour will say that plainly.
NEXT STEP
Not sure whether a Functional Behaviour Assessment fits?
Send a brief email with what is happening. We can help clarify whether a Functional Behaviour Assessment, Risk Assessment, combined assessment, Behaviour Consultation, or more focused support may make sense.