About Maya
The person before the behaviour: identity, relationships, communication, sensory profile and support needs.
Maya is a creative, observant and justice-oriented young person who loves animals, digital art, playlists, astronomy, quiet humour, hoodies and predictable routines. She is often described as mature and insightful when calm, but she can become overwhelmed quickly when she perceives pressure, unfairness or social threat.
Maya wants to feel capable and respected. She responds best when adults communicate clearly, offer choices without crowding her, and preserve dignity during hard moments.
- Use short, concrete language and give Maya time to process before repeating the question.
- Offer written or visual choices when verbal communication is difficult.
- Do not crowd, interrogate or ask repeated “why” questions during escalation.
- Use neutral, dignity-preserving phrases such as “we can make this smaller” or “you can show me, type it, or point.”
- Validate the feeling before redirecting the behaviour.
- Keep repair brief, warm and predictable after incidents.
Functional Formulation
Click each panel. This formulation translates Maya's FBA into implementation language.
School refusal, shutdown, yelling, hiding, throwing small items and repeated distressed messaging occur when Maya feels overwhelmed, cornered or unable to express what she needs safely.
Autism, ADHD, anxiety, developmental trauma, sensory sensitivity and written expression difficulties increase vulnerability to overload, threat detection, demand avoidance and reduced communication access during stress.
Common triggers include unexpected changes, loud classrooms, peer conflict, being watched while completing work, written tasks, rushed transitions, perceived unfairness and adult tone that sounds disappointed or punitive.
Avoidance is maintained when the only reliable way to reduce demands is escalation or withdrawal. Inconsistent routines, public correction, too much language, and delayed co-regulation can strengthen the cycle.
Maya has a strong relationship with Ruth, high insight when regulated, creative strengths, emerging self-advocacy, strong values, responsive school staff and clear interests that can be used for engagement.
- 1Escape or delay overwhelming demandsBehaviour often reduces the size, speed or intensity of demands when Maya cannot yet ask for adjustment.
- 2Regain control and predictabilityRefusal and withdrawal can help Maya create certainty when the environment feels too fast or too open-ended.
- 3Communicate distressYelling, hiding and messaging often communicate “I cannot cope” before Maya can access more precise words.
- 4Access co-regulation and safetyMaya needs calm adult presence, reduced language and a clear path back to safety before learning can occur.
Behaviours of Concern
Select a behaviour to view operational definition, risk, triggers and replacement pathway.
Teach Maya to request “make it smaller,” “show me first,” “can I type it?” and “I need two minutes” before refusal becomes the safest exit.
Use a pre-agreed “quiet reset” card, low language, sensory tools and a timed check-in. Staff should avoid forcing immediate verbal explanation.
Teach safe discharge options: squeeze item, rip scrap paper, step to regulation space, type feelings, or choose a sensory strategy before items are thrown.
Create a predictable reassurance script, visual plan for tomorrow, one check-in time, and a coping card for “what I know / what I can do now.”
Behaviour Support Goals
Click each domain to expand training and monitoring detail.
Proactive Strategies
Prevention is the largest part of Maya's plan. These strategies reduce the need for behaviour by meeting the function early.
- Use a visual plan for the day with clear first/next/then steps.
- Preview changes before they happen and provide a reason where possible.
- Reduce written output load through typing, drawing, voice notes or adult scribing.
- Provide predictable entry routines and calm greeting scripts.
- Offer non-verbal choices before verbal processing collapses.
- Use sentence starters: “I need…”, “make it smaller”, “not that way”, “I need quiet.”
- Accept typed, pointed or written communication as valid.
- Avoid repeated questioning during escalation.
- Connection before correction, especially after refusal or shutdown.
- Adults return warmly after incidents and make repair predictable.
- Use private redirection and preserve dignity in front of peers.
- Separate the behaviour from Maya's identity.
- Use quiet space, headphones, weighted item, drawing pad and movement breaks.
- Plan transitions with countdowns and clear exit routes.
- Monitor fatigue, hunger, sleep, sensory load and social stress.
- Reduce visual and auditory clutter during high-demand tasks.
Skill Development
Replacement skills are directly matched to the function of behaviour.
“Make it smaller,” “show me first,” “can I type instead?”, “I need two minutes,” and “I need help starting.”
This meets escape/control needs without requiring refusal or escalation.
Teach Maya to use a reset card, move to an agreed space, use headphones or drawing, and return through a low-demand bridge task.
Use body maps, colour scales and simple scripts to link early sensations with actions: “tight chest = quiet break,” “hot face = less talking.”
Build a predictable script for anxious checking: “You are safe. You are not in trouble. The next step is written down. We will check again at 7pm.”
Response Strategies
Use the escalation ladder. Click each stage for staff actions.
- Use visual plan and predictable choices.
- Offer meaningful roles and short success tasks.
- Reinforce self-advocacy attempts.
- Keep sensory tools available.
- Reduce words and slow pace.
- Offer two concrete options.
- Say: “We can make this smaller.”
- Offer quiet reset before escalation.
- One calm adult leads; others reduce audience.
- Do not ask why or lecture.
- Use short safety statements: “You’re safe. I’m making it smaller.”
- Keep line of sight if Maya moves to a safe space.
- Prioritise safety using least restrictive options.
- Move other students away while preserving Maya's dignity.
- Contact Ruth or senior staff as agreed in the crisis plan.
- Document antecedents, responses and recovery supports.
- Offer water, quiet, sensory tools and space.
- Repair briefly: “We’re okay. You’re not in trouble. We’ll try again smaller.”
- Teach later, not immediately.
- Record what helped and what to adjust next time.
Restrictive Practices
Current status, safeguards and least restrictive practice.
- This interactive version records no current regulated restrictive practice in use.
- The plan prioritises proactive environmental design, communication access, sensory regulation and relational co-regulation.
- Any proposed restrictive response must be treated as a clinical escalation requiring BSP review, authorisation advice and last-resort justification.
- Communication supports, quiet space access, staff consistency and skill teaching are the current least restrictive safeguards.
- Continue monitoring for zero use of restrictive practices.
- Record any unsafe escalation and review environmental antecedents.
- Use risk assessment, proactive planning and replacement teaching before considering restriction.
Implementation, Training and Monitoring
How the team keeps the plan alive across home, school and community settings.
| Area | What to do | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Staff training | Train Ruth, school staff and support workers in communication access, early warning signs, low-demand responses, de-escalation and repair. | Initial training within first month; refreshers each term; onboarding for new staff. |
| Daily communication | Use a simple home-school communication channel covering sleep, sensory load, triggers, successful adjustments and recovery supports. | Daily / each school day. |
| Data collection | Track refusal, shutdown, yelling/throwing, distressed messaging, task adjustments requested and successful regulation strategies. | Ongoing; reviewed monthly. |
| Team review | BSP, family, school, OT/psychology and support providers review fidelity, attendance, quality of life and risk indicators. | Monthly or incident-triggered; full annual review. |
| Reportable incidents | Any reportable incident is managed under relevant NDIS/provider requirements and triggers multidisciplinary debrief. | As required. |
Practitioner Declaration
Compliance and sign-off information adapted into the interactive template.
- The plan has been developed by a practitioner considered suitable as an NDIS behaviour support practitioner under the NDIS Rules.
- The practitioner is authorised by the specialist behaviour support provider to submit the behaviour support plan.
- The plan has been developed in accordance with legislative requirements and relevant restrictive practice authorisation requirements.
- This sample BSP contains no current regulated restrictive practice.
- To the best of the practitioner's knowledge, the information provided in this demonstration BSP is fictional and for training purposes only.