Proactive Behaviour Support

30/08/2026

Why is my child so challenging?

‘The Explosive Child’ by Dr Ross W Greene, Ph.D.

In his book The Explosive Child, Dr Greene says behaviourally challenging children need us to take a closer look about OUR beliefs about challenging behaviour (beliefs that most people don’t question unless they are blessed with a behaviourally challenging child) and apply strategies that are often a far cry from ways in which most adults interact with and discipline kids that are not behaviourally challenging (pg. 5).
Dealing more effectively with such kids requires an understanding of “why” they behave the way they do. In some instances this more accurate understanding by itself, can lead to improvements in your interactions with your child even before any formal strategies are tried.
You know the things that are commonly said about behaviourally challenging kids including: manipulative, attention-seeking, unmotivated, stubborn, willful, controlling, resistant and defiant. Then their parents are criticized as being passive, permissive, inconsistent disciplinarians. Dr Greene says DON’T BELIEVE ANY OF IT.
As Dr Ross Greene states “Behaviourally challenging kids are challenging because they’re lacking the skills to not be challenging”. Challenging kids are lacking the skills of flexibility, adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving – skills most of us take for granted. The challenging child is challenging particularly in situations that require these skills – where flexibility, adaptability, frustration tolerance and problem solving are required. Following adult directives, handling disagreements with others, completing a difficult homework task or a change in plan all require those skills. Given the child lacks these skills life will be more difficult until they learns those skills.
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR OCCURS WHEN THE DEMANDS BEING PLACED ON A CHILD OUTSTRIP THE SKILLS THE CHILD HAS TO RESPOND ADAPTIVELY TO THOSE DEMANDS! (page 10)

29/08/2026

Non-speaking does not mean Non-Communication!

Communication can include gestures, vocalisations, facial expressions, body movements and changes in baseline behaviour!

21/08/2026

19/08/2026

**NDIS CHANGES PASS SENATE: HUGE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON PARTICIPANTS' QUALITY OF LIFE & MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT**

One of the changes that concerns me most as a Behaviour Support Practitioner is the proposed reduction to Social, Economic and Community Participation funding.

The Government has stated its intention to use the new **“support determination”** power to reduce funding allocated to social and community participation by **50% in affected plans from 1 October 2026**, as participant budgets are progressively reset.

This is not simply about reducing the number of hours someone gets to “go out”.

As Behaviour Support Practitioners, one of our fundamental aims is **IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE**. We know that when people have meaning, purpose, relationships, choice and opportunities to participate in their community, behaviours of concern can reduce.

For many people with significant disability, community participation means:

• getting out of the house
• seeing friends and maintaining relationships
• attending day options
• participating in sport, recreation or hobbies
• accessing sensory and regulating activities
• developing independence and life skills
• having something meaningful to look forward to.

These activities can also be an important part of a Behaviour Support Plan.

When someone is becoming distressed or dysregulated, one of our proactive strategies may be to redirect or support them to engage in a preferred activity. Very often, that preferred and regulating activity is outside the home.

So what happens when access to those activities is significantly reduced?

For some participants, I am concerned we will see **more isolation, boredom, frustration, dysregulation and ultimately an increase in behaviours of concern**.

We absolutely work with OTs, families and support teams to develop meaningful home-based activities. But for some people, particularly those with significant intellectual disability, autism and complex support needs, there is simply no home-based substitute for swimming, going for a drive, visiting a favourite café, attending a day program, seeing familiar people or participating in the wider community.

There is also a potential **false economy** here.

If reducing preventative and community-based supports contributes to increased behaviours of concern, carer burnout, restrictive practices, crisis presentations, placement instability or increased reliance on more intensive disability supports, have we really saved money, or simply shifted the cost somewhere else?

And most importantly, the NDIS should not be measured solely by whether a participant is **safe, fed and cared for**.

Quality of life matters.

Friendships matter.

Belonging matters.

Choice and control matter.

Having somewhere to go and something meaningful to do matters.

For people with significant disability, **participation in ordinary community life should not be regarded as an optional extra. It is part of having a life.**

03/07/2026

Meet our amazing Behaviour Support Practitioners! Now accepting referrals. Use QR code below to make a referral

12/11/2022

How we show up is reflected in our nervous system cues to others. Humans can detect stress in other humans. It's a fact that helped early humans survive and it lives in us still. I highly recommend the Power of Showing up by and .

12/11/2022

Awesome sensory support ideas!

12/11/2022

Love this gem from the amazing Maggie Dent.

I had a great conversation recently with someone who truly understood how important play is. He made a statement that really stuck with me. Parents, teachers and adults in general often 'stick to the schedule' like glue, and in the process, he said, they "annihilate play". Absorbed play is vitally important for kids. It's exploration, discovery, regulation, motor planning, science, it's everything.

In a perfect world, kids would play more. However, sometimes there are schedules that we have to respect and appointments we have to keep. That's understood. But, there are plenty of opportunities in our daily lives to let kids stay absorbed in play.

For the teacher who says 'ya know what, they need this, we're going to stay outside a little more today'...that's what I mean.

For the parent who has a long 'to do' list but pauses because their child is deep in play....that's another example.

And if you ever get the chance to watch a child absorbed in play, take it. It's awesome to watch!

When we VALUE the power of play, we can recognize opportunities for our kids to absorb themselves, and stay absorbed, in it.

Let them play!

(Side note for the adults: If you haven't absorbed YOURSELF in play for a while, it's very therapeutic)