Responding to Behaviours of Concern - Positive Behaviour Support
When a child is overwhelmed, unsure, or unable to express their needs, behaviour can become a way of communicating their needs. For neurodivergent children, these moments may happen more often due to sensory differences, difficulties with communication (including expressing needs, preferences and worries), and difficulties with flexibility or unexpected change.
These behaviours are a message that the expectations are higher than the child’s current capacity to cope. Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) helps us understand what a child is communicating, adjust the environment to meet their needs, and support them to learn new skills to replace the challenging behaviour and increase overall wellbeing.
What Is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based, person-centred approach that focuses on:
Understanding the message behind concerning behaviour (what the child is doing and saying that is unsafe for them or others, limiting their relationships or learning)
Adjusting what we do as adults to support the child so that the behaviour that’s causing concern / distress is less likely to occur (e.g., adjusting the environment, routines, and expectations)
Responding with safety, connection, and co-regulation supports when challenges happen
Teaching new, safe, easy-to-use ways for the child to express their needs
Supporting the child and family’s wellbeing and excellent quality of life
PBS isn't just about “stopping” behaviour - it's about helping the child feel understood, supported, and safe, while learning new skills.
Let’s look at the four key components of PBS:
Understanding the Behaviour: What Is the Message?
Preventing Behaviour from Occurring
Responding in the Moment
Teaching a New, Replacement Skill
1. Understanding the Behaviour: What Is the Message?
We first need to understand what the child’s behaviour is trying to communicate. Most behaviours in young children reflect one of these key messages:
Sensory: “My body feels too much or not enough.”
Escape / Avoidance: “This is too hard / too much / I need a break.”
Connection: “I want to play / interact.”
Tangible: “I want that item or activity.”
How We Can Understand Behaviour: Zooming Out and Zooming In
Zoom Out: The Big Picture
Zooming Out means looking at broader patterns over the past 2 - 4 weeks. This helps us identify what expectations the child needs more support with - for example, communication, sensory regulation, predictability, connection, independence, flexibility, etc.
Helpful questions when Zooming Out:
Are sleep, eating, health, illness or pain affecting behaviour?
How does my child express themselves most easily?
What are their current interests and preferred activities?
When is the concerning behaviour more or less likely to happen? Where and with whom?
What helps them to return to calm?
What do we think / know are the messages behind the behaviour?
Zoom In: Understanding Individual Moments (ABC)
Zooming In means looking closely at what happens before, during, and after a behaviour happens. This is usually done with simple ABC tools:
A = Antecedent (What happened right before the behaviour to ‘trigger’ it?)
What was the child doing?
What was the adult / siblings / etc doing?
What was said (e.g., instruction, request, told ‘no’)?
What was happening in the environment?
Were there any changes e.g., to routine, transitions?
B = Behaviour (What did the child do or say?)
Describe only what you see or hear.
Avoid guessing their emotion or intent.
Keep it factual and specific.
Examples:
“Threw blocks across the room”
“Screamed ‘no!’ and lay on the floor”
“Ran to the door”
“Hit sibling’s arm with both hands”
C = Consequence (What happened immediately after?)
What did the adult do or say?
What did peers or siblings do or say?
What did the child get or finish?
Examples:
“Adult picked up the child”
“Sibling walked away”
“The toy was removed”
“Child stopped the task and ran outside”
ABC: What to Record (Step-by-Step)
You can use a simple table, dot points, or jot notes in your phone over a few days. The goal is not perfection or long notes - it's simply noticing patterns.
Step 1: Write the triggering antecedent (A)
E.g., “Told to pack away blocks because lunch was ready.”
Step 2: Describe the behaviour (B)
E.g., “Yelled ‘no’, pushed blocks off the table, hit a sibling's arm.”
Step 3: Record what happened next (C)
E.g., “Sibling cried and left; adult left and comforted sibling; child continued playing with blocks.”
What patterns might you start to notice?
Zooming in to the ABCs of difficult moments might help you see things like:
When the behaviour is most likely to occur e.g., during certain routines, in specific settings
What the message / unmet need is e.g., supports the child to access an object they want, supports the child to avoid something that they don’t like
2. Preventing Behaviour from Occurring
Preventing the behaviour from needing to occur at all is a key purpose in PBS - made much easier once we understand the message behind the behaviour.
Prevention focuses on us as adults adjusting what we do, for example:
Adjusting the environment
Wording instructions differently
Making tasks easier to do
Offering alternatives and choices
Changing timing or routines
Example: A child climbing on indoor furniture
Possible messages:
“My body needs more movement.”
“I want to connect with you.”
Prevention strategies might include:
Creating a safe indoor movement area they can easily access (e.g., mini trampoline, climbing equipment)
Showing the child by pointing on a “movement choice board” with 4-6 pictures / photos which climbing game you will play together, using words and gestures too (E.g., “Let’s crawl in the tunnel”)
Setting up climbing equipment just outside the doorway where the child can easily see and access it
Other examples of prevention strategies:
Multi-modal communication: gestures, pictures, modelling, objects
Predictable routines: time notices before finishing / starting a new routine, visuals, “first dinner – then bath” picture schedule
Sensory support: tools freely available in each room before overwhelm occurs
Breaking tasks down: shorter, easier, more supported
Offering choices: share control and boost their motivation to want to do it
Leaning into interests: using their strengths to support participation
3. Responding in the Moment
Even with great prevention, children will still experience moments of overwhelm. In PBS, we use a consistent, calm response that focuses on helping the child’s nervous system return to calm and keeping everyone safe.
Examples of Safety Strategies:
Move unsafe objects away.
Ask other people to move to another area.
Reduce sensory load (lights, noise, number of people).
Reduce talking, eye contact, and instructions - say less, move slowly.
Examples of Connection & Co-regulation Strategies:
Slow your movements and voice.
Use simple validating phrases:
“This is hard.”
“You really wanted that.”
“I’m here.”
Model co-regulation:
Slow breathing
Rhythmic movement
Rocking, grounding
Offer calming tools (fidgets, water, rocking).
4. Teaching a New, Replacement Skill
This is where long-term change happens. Teaching a new skill gives the child a more successful way to communicate the same message next time.
Key tip! Always teach the new skill when the child (and you!) are calm - not when stressed.
Examples of replacement skills:
Touching or passing an adult a “finished” or “break” laminated picture card
Tapping a caregiver’s arm to request attention
Using a picture, gesture or word to ask for an item they want
Using an “all done / finished” gesture
Asking for movement break (“jump?” “outside?” “run?”)
The skill should be easy, clear, and more effective than the concerning behaviour to get the need met.
Putting It All Together: The PBS Flow
PBS is a positive, evidence-based cycle that includes key components:
1. Understand
Use Zoom Out + Zoom In and ABC to identify the message/s behind the behaviour.
2. Prevent
Adjust the environment, routine, sensory supports, expectations, or communication so it’s easier for the child to participate and learn.
3. Respond
Have a consistent plan for responding in the moment that supports the child to safely return to calm.
4. Teach
Teach the child a new skill that meets the need in an easier and safer way.
Teamwork Makes a Big Difference
PBS works best when everyone in a child’s world - family, educators, therapists- works together and uses the same shared strategies.
Key tip! A one-page plan with the child’s cues, messages, prevention strategies, and responses helps create consistency across home and educational settings.
Resources
Milestones Autism Resources sample ABC datasheet https://www.milestones.org/files/assets/datasheetabc.pdf
Australian online sensory stores https://www.williamready.com.au/ https://kaikofidgets.com/
The Challenging Behaviour foundation (they have lots of excellent free resources!) www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk
Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative and Proactive Solutions approach (focussed on preventing unsolved problems before behaviour happens and also have lots of excellent free resources) https://livesinthebalance.org/
Preschool Situational Self-Regulation Toolkit (University of Wollongong) https://www.prsist.com.au/
Autism Awareness Australia (includes 4 videos “Safety Series” with Australian parents of neurodivergent children and young adults - covers wandering/absconding/running away) https://www.autismawareness.com.au/navigating-autism/behavioural-challenges-for-young-autistic-children
How Grow Can Support Your Family
We specialise in neurodiversity-affirming, evidence-based supports for young children. We work with families to understand the behaviour and build practical, everyday strategies that reduce stress, support wellbeing, and teach new skills.
If you’re looking for support with your child’s behaviour, please send us an email - we’re here to help.