Principles of good practice for assessing and supporting challenging behaviour in a person with developmental disability

Good practice involves a multidisciplinary approach that seeks to understand why the challenging behaviour is occurring and address the underlying causes. Intervention and treatment for challenging behaviour in a person with developmental disability should aim to increase the person’s participation in, and contribution to their home and community, uphold their human and civil rights1, enhance their dignity, and promote their health, wellbeing and quality of life. Simply aiming to suppress or stop a behaviour is insufficient and unethical because this approach fails to address the underlying pathology, which could be biological, psychological, social or environmental.

Intervention for challenging behaviour in a person with development disability should ideally be based on an agreed behaviour support plan devised by a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)-accredited behaviour support practitioner, and should work towards reducing the use of restrictive practices such as chemical, mechanical or physical restraint and seclusion. These practices are regulated under state and commonwealth legislation, to minimise their use and the harm they are known to cause. For more advice, see Restrictive practices, the law and the responsibility of the doctor.

See Considerations when assessing and managing challenging behaviour in a person with developmental disability for considerations when assessing and managing challenging behaviour in a person with developmental disability.

For advice on consent, capacity for decision making, and supported decision making in people with developmental disability, see Consent, capacity and decision making.

Consider neglect or other forms of abuse when a person with developmental disability presents with challenging behaviour. It might be necessary that such circumstances are formally investigated. For advice, contact the state department of health or human services, or the state office of the Public Advocate or Public Guardian. See What to do if you suspect a person with developmental disability is being or has been abused.

Intervention should address any risks to the health and safety of both the person and those they live (eg parents, siblings, other residents) or work with.

1 For Human Rights, Rights of the Child; and Rights of Persons with Disabilities; see here.Return