Functional Behaviour Assessment in ACT Schools: What Parents Need to Know

When a child's behaviour at school is getting them excluded, suspended, or simply written off as "disruptive," a functional behaviour assessment (FBA) is one of the most powerful tools available — but in Canberra, getting one is not automatic. Unlike in the US, where IDEA mandates FBAs in specific circumstances, ACT schools have discretion over whether and how they conduct them.

Here's how FBAs work in the ACT context, what parents can request, and what happens when behaviour is rooted in disability.

What a Functional Behaviour Assessment Is

A functional behaviour assessment is a structured process for understanding the relationship between a student's behaviour, their environment, and the unmet need or trigger driving that behaviour. Rather than treating behaviour as a character problem to be punished, an FBA asks: what is the behaviour communicating, and what in the environment is sustaining it?

The assessment typically involves:

• Direct observation of the student in the classroom and other settings
• Interviews with teachers, parents, and (where appropriate) the student
• Review of behaviour incident data and any existing medical or psychological reports
• Analysis of the function of the behaviour (escape, attention, sensory, access to preferred items/activities)

The output is a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) — the Australian equivalent of a US Behaviour Intervention Plan (BIP) — which documents the identified triggers, preventive strategies, teaching strategies to replace the problematic behaviour, and de-escalation protocols.

Who Conducts Them in the ACT?

In ACT public schools, functional behaviour assessments and Behaviour Support Plans are typically developed by or with input from:

• School psychologists — ACT public schools have access to psychologists through the Directorate's Student Support Services
• Network Student Engagement Teams (NSETs) — multidisciplinary teams of allied health professionals and behavioural specialists who provide intensive consultative support for complex students
• External NDIS-funded behaviour support practitioners — where a student has a Behaviour Support Plan as part of their NDIS plan, the practitioner delivering that plan can collaborate with the school (with principal approval and parental consent)

The ACT's 2024–2034 Inclusive Education Strategy is rolling out Inclusion Coaches to build proactive behavioural management capacity in schools — but this is early stage and inconsistent across schools.

When Is an FBA Required?

In Australia, there is no IDEA equivalent mandating an FBA before a disciplinary change of placement. However, the DSE 2005 and the DDA 1992 create parallel obligations:

• Schools must make reasonable adjustments so students can participate in education on the same basis as their peers
• Behaviour that is a direct manifestation of disability must be treated as a disability-related support need, not a disciplinary matter
• Schools have a positive obligation to prevent harassment and victimisation of students with disability — including protecting students from punitive consequences for disability-driven behaviour

If a student with a known or suspected disability is receiving recurring suspensions, exclusions, or punitive responses to behaviour that is clearly linked to their disability (for example, meltdowns linked to sensory overload in a student with autism), that is a red flag for a DSE compliance breach. An FBA and BSP are the appropriate response — not repeated punishment.

In practice, the 2023 ACT Auditor-General's report identified that students with disabilities are disproportionately represented in ACT school suspension data, and that disciplinary data tracking has historically masked the extent of this problem by using the ACT Student Disability Criteria rather than the broader NCCD dataset.

What to Request and How

If your child's behaviour at school is being managed punitively without a functional lens, here is the specific language to use:

When requesting an FBA and BSP:

"We would like to request that the school conduct a functional behaviour assessment for [child's name]. We believe [child's name]'s behaviour at school is related to their [diagnosis or observable disability impact], and we'd like the school to develop a Behaviour Support Plan that addresses the function of the behaviour and provides proactive adjustments, rather than reactive consequences."

If the school is reluctant or claims they lack the capacity:

"We understand resources are stretched. We'd like this request documented in writing so we can determine the appropriate next steps, including whether we need to involve Student Support Services or the Directorate's Network Student Engagement Team."

If you have an NDIS-funded behaviour support practitioner, request that the school formally permit them to deliver support during school hours and collaborate on the ILP's behavioural goals.

What a Good Behaviour Support Plan Looks Like

A robust BSP for an ACT school context should include:

Prevention strategies: Specific environmental modifications and antecedent management strategies to reduce the likelihood of the behaviour occurring. For example: "Student will be given a 10-minute warning before transitions," or "Student will have access to noise-cancelling headphones during whole-class activities."

Replacement behaviour teaching: The specific alternative behaviour the student is being taught to use instead, and how it will be taught. This is not "student will behave better" — it is "student will ask for a break using the break card rather than leaving the room without permission."

De-escalation protocols: A step-by-step response plan for when the behaviour does occur, including who responds, what language is used, and what environment the student moves to.

Response to crisis: Clearly documented procedures for acute situations, including who is contacted, what physical intervention (if any) is permitted under the school's policy, and what the re-entry process looks like.

Data collection: Named staff responsible for collecting behaviour data, the method of collection, and how frequently data will be reviewed.

Every element must be specific, assigned to a named person, and reviewed at a set interval. "We'll support the student" is not a plan.

When Behaviour Is Also a Legal Concern

If your child has a disability and is being suspended at disproportionate rates, or if a suspension is for behaviour that is directly caused by their disability, you have grounds to challenge this through the ACT's escalation pathway:

1. Raise with the principal in writing — request that the suspension decision be reviewed in the context of the student's disability and DSE 2005 obligations
2. Contact the ACT Education Directorate directly if the principal is unresponsive (02 6205 5429)
3. Lodge a complaint with the ACT Human Rights Commission if the school's behaviour management approach constitutes disability discrimination under the Discrimination Act 1991

Free support from ADACAS or Advocacy for Inclusion may be available for escalation, though both organisations operate on waitlists.

For the complete escalation framework, ILP meeting scripts, and Behaviour Support Plan templates specific to ACT schools, see the ACT Parent's Tactical Playbook.

The Difference Between the ACT and US Systems

In the US, if a student with a disability is being disciplined in a way that constitutes a change of placement, IDEA requires a Manifestation Determination Review — a formal meeting to assess whether the behaviour was caused by the disability or a failure to implement the IEP. ACT law does not have this specific mechanism. Instead, the protections flow through the DSE 2005's requirement for reasonable adjustments and the DDA's prohibition on discrimination.

The practical implication: in the ACT, your leverage is in making the argument that the school's punitive response, absent a BSP and appropriate adjustments, constitutes failure to make reasonable adjustments under the DSE 2005. Frame it as a compliance issue, not a disciplinary appeal.

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