Functional Behaviour Assessment in Queensland Schools: How It Works
Functional Behaviour Assessment in Queensland Schools: How It Works
When a student with disability is repeatedly escalating — meltdowns, physical incidents, refusal, absconding — the question Queensland schools are supposed to answer is not "how do we punish this behaviour" but "what is this behaviour communicating, and what's causing it?"
A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) is the process for answering that question rigorously. It's the foundation of any genuine behaviour support plan under Queensland's Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework. Here's what it involves, who does it, and what parents should expect.
What Is a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
An FBA is a structured, evidence-based process that identifies:
- The target behaviour — specifically and observably defined (not "acts out" but "throws materials from desk when given written tasks exceeding 10 minutes duration")
- Antecedents — what immediately precedes the behaviour (the trigger conditions)
- The function of the behaviour — what the student is communicating or gaining through the behaviour
- Maintaining consequences — what happens after the behaviour that reinforces it
The most important output is the functional hypothesis: the reason behind the behaviour. Common behavioural functions include:
- Escape/avoidance — avoiding a demand, sensory input, or social situation
- Attention — gaining adult or peer attention
- Tangible — accessing a preferred object or activity
- Sensory/automatic — the behaviour itself is self-reinforcing (e.g., hand-flapping, rocking)
- Communication — expressing distress, pain, or unmet needs when verbal communication is limited
Understanding the function is what allows a school to design an effective response. The same topography of behaviour (e.g., desk-flipping) can have different functions in different students — and the same strategy won't work for all of them.
Who Conducts FBAs in Queensland
Within Queensland state schools, FBAs are primarily conducted by:
Guidance Officers — who hold postgraduate qualifications in educational studies, counselling, and psychology, and are trained in assessment and behavioural analysis. Guidance Officers can conduct observations, structured interviews, and review existing data.
Behaviour specialists / HOSES — some schools have specialised staff with behaviour support training who assist with Tier 3 interventions.
External NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioners — if a student has NDIS-funded Positive Behaviour Support in their plan, an external practitioner (typically a psychologist or allied health professional with specialist PBS training) can conduct an FBA. NDIS-funded practitioners must be registered with the NDIS Commission.
It's worth noting the division of responsibility: the school is responsible for implementing behaviour support during school hours. If an NDIS behaviour support practitioner has conducted an FBA and developed a plan for home and community settings, the school should be collaborating with that practitioner — but the school cannot require the parent to use NDIS funds to replace the school's own behavioural support obligation.
The FBA Process Step by Step
A genuine FBA is not a 20-minute conversation. It involves:
1. Problem identification and operational definition The target behaviour is defined in specific, observable terms. This prevents different staff members from responding to different things.
2. Information gathering Multiple sources, including:
- Structured teacher and parent interviews (e.g., Functional Assessment Interview forms)
- Direct observation of the student across different settings and times of day — particularly during conditions when the behaviour is likely and unlikely to occur
- Review of incident records and existing assessment data
- Scatterplot analysis to identify temporal or situational patterns in when the behaviour occurs
3. ABC (Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence) data collection Systematic recording of what happens before, during, and after each incident over an observation period.
4. Functional hypothesis development Based on the collected data, the assessor develops a hypothesis about the function: "When [antecedent condition], [student] engages in [target behaviour] in order to [function]."
5. Hypothesis testing (where possible) In rigorous FBAs, the hypothesis is tested by systematically varying conditions to confirm whether the predicted function actually drives the behaviour.
6. Behaviour support plan development The findings directly inform the behaviour support plan — including antecedent modifications, replacement behaviour teaching, and reactive strategies.
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What Parents Should Ask For
If your child is experiencing repeated behavioural incidents at school and there's no formal FBA in place, request one in writing. Address it to the Guidance Officer and HOSES.
Key questions to ask:
- "Has an FBA been completed for [child's name]? If so, can I see the results and the resulting behaviour support plan?"
- "If not, what is the timeline for completing one, and who will be responsible?"
- "Who conducted the most recent observation of [child's name]'s behaviour in the classroom setting?"
- "What is the current hypothesis about the function of [child's name]'s challenging behaviour?"
If the school cannot answer these questions, it suggests the behaviour is being managed reactively rather than through a genuine support process.
When There Is No FBA and Suspensions Are Being Used Instead
In 2023, approximately 16,118 Queensland students with disability received short suspensions. Research by Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion indicates that suspensions are frequently applied to behaviours that are direct manifestations of disability — behaviours that should trigger a support response, not a punitive one.
Under the Disability Standards for Education 2005, repeatedly suspending a student for disability-related behaviour without first implementing adequate adjustments may constitute unlawful discrimination. If your child has been suspended multiple times and there is no FBA or behaviour support plan in place, raise this in writing with the principal and reference the DSE.
You can also contact Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion or lodge a complaint through the Queensland Human Rights Commission if the pattern continues.
The Queensland Disability Support Blueprint covers the PBL framework, behaviour support planning, suspension rights under the DSE 2005, and how to escalate when school discipline is being used in place of support. Download the complete guide at /au/queensland/iep-guide/
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