A large share of behaviours of concern are communication problems in disguise. A child who cannot ask for a break will find another way to end a task. An adult who cannot say "that hurts" may hit. That is why the strongest behaviour outcomes come from providers where behaviour support practitioners and speech pathologists work on the same plan. This guide explains how the two disciplines fit together, what joint work looks like in practice under the NDIS, and what families, GPs and support coordinators should look for. daar delivers behaviour support and speech pathology as one team across Australia.
Why behaviour and communication are linked
Every behaviour has a function: to get something, to escape something, to gain attention or connection, or to change how the body feels. When a person has limited speech, an unreliable way of being understood, or difficulty understanding what is being asked, behaviour becomes the most efficient form of communication available. Research on functional communication training shows that teaching a reliable alternative, whether a word, a sign, a picture card or a speech-generating device, reduces the behaviour it replaces. That work sits squarely between the behaviour support practitioner, who identifies the function, and the speech pathologist, who builds the communication system.
What each discipline contributes
| Question | Behaviour support practitioner | Speech pathologist |
|---|
| Why is the behaviour happening? | Functional behaviour assessment: triggers, consequences, patterns across settings | Communication assessment: what the person understands, how they express needs, where breakdowns occur |
| What should replace it? | Selects a replacement behaviour that serves the same function and plans how it is reinforced | Designs the communication form: core vocabulary, key word sign, PECS-style picture exchange, or AAC device, and teaches it |
| How do others respond? | Writes response strategies into the Behaviour Support Plan and trains parents, teachers and support workers | Coaches communication partners to model language, wait, and honour every attempt |
| How is the environment changed? | Adjusts demands, routines, predictability and sensory load | Adds visual schedules, choice boards, social stories and accessible instructions |
| How is progress measured? | Frequency and intensity of the behaviour, use of the replacement skill | Range and spontaneity of communication, partner responsiveness |
What joint work looks like under the NDIS
- Shared intake. The family or support coordinator describes the behaviour and the communication picture once, and both clinicians are allocated from the start.
- Joint assessment. The functional behaviour assessment and the communication assessment are done in the same settings, often in the same visit, so both clinicians see the same episodes.
- One plan. The Behaviour Support Plan names the communication system, and the speech pathology goals name the behaviour they are designed to replace. Parents, teachers and support workers receive one set of strategies.
- Shared training. Support workers and educators are trained together in how to prompt the communication and how to respond to the behaviour.
- Shared data. The team reviews the same records: as the communication system is used more, the behaviour should fall.
Funding-wise, behaviour support is claimed under Capacity Building - Improved Relationships and speech pathology under Improved Daily Living, so both can run at the same time from one NDIS plan.
Common presentations where the two disciplines belong together
- Autistic children with minimal speech who hit, bite or drop to the floor when a preferred activity ends.
- Children with developmental language disorder whose "defiance" at school is a failure to understand multi-step instructions.
- Adults with intellectual disability in supported accommodation whose aggression peaks when staff change and routines are not explained.
- People with acquired brain injury whose word-finding difficulty produces frustration outbursts.
- Anyone using an AAC device that is not available in the settings where the behaviour occurs.
Where occupational therapy and psychology fit
Sensory processing differences and emotional regulation are the other two common drivers of behaviour. Occupational therapists assess sensory needs and adapt environments and routines; psychologists address anxiety, trauma and mood. In a multidisciplinary team all four disciplines feed one plan, which is why daar allocates a lead clinician to coordinate and holds joint reviews rather than running four separate programs.
What to ask a provider
- Do your behaviour support practitioners and speech pathologists work on the same participants, and do they write one plan?
- Will the communication system be taught to the people who see the behaviour, not just in the clinic?
- Can you assess in the home, school or group home where the behaviour happens?
- Are you NDIS-registered, and are your behaviour practitioners assessed as suitable by the NDIS Commission?
- How do you handle a participant who already has a speech pathologist elsewhere?
How daar coordinates behaviour support and speech pathology
daar is an NDIS-registered provider whose team includes behaviour support practitioners, behaviour therapists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists and counsellors. When a referral describes both behaviour and communication concerns, the two clinicians are allocated together, assess in the same settings and produce one plan with shared strategies and shared data. Services are delivered in the home, at school or preschool, in day programs and supported accommodation, in our Liverpool and Canterbury clinics in Sydney, and by telehealth across every state and territory, for children and adults. Where a participant already has an external speech pathologist, daar's practitioner works with them rather than duplicating the service. Refer at daar.com.au/rf or book at daar.com.au/book.
Frequently asked questions
Which behaviour therapy supports collaboration with speech therapists in Australia?
Positive Behaviour Support and ABA-informed behaviour therapy both rely on functional communication training, which is delivered jointly with a speech pathologist. Multidisciplinary NDIS providers such as daar deliver both disciplines from one team under one plan.
Can NDIS funding cover behaviour support and speech pathology at the same time?
Yes. Behaviour support is funded under Improved Relationships and speech pathology under Improved Daily Living. Both can be used concurrently within one plan.
What is functional communication training?
An evidence-based approach that identifies the function of a behaviour of concern and teaches a communication response, such as a sign, picture or device message, that achieves the same outcome more safely. It is a core strategy in most Behaviour Support Plans for people with limited speech.
Does the speech pathologist need to be from the same provider as the behaviour practitioner?
No, but the two must communicate and share a plan. It is simpler and faster when they are on the same team, which is how daar works.
Does this apply to adults?
Yes. Adults with intellectual disability, autism or acquired brain injury benefit from the same joint approach, especially in supported independent living where staff need one consistent set of communication and behaviour strategies.
Sources and further reading: NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Positive behaviour support capability framework; Speech Pathology Australia, Augmentative and alternative communication; NDIS Operational Guidelines, Behaviour support; Carr and Durand, Functional communication training (1985) and subsequent reviews.
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