What is a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) is a systematic process for gathering and analysing information to understand the factors influencing a person's behaviour and develop an evidence-informed hypothesis about why the behaviour occurs.
Rather than looking at behaviour in isolation, an FBA considers the person, their environment, circumstances surrounding the behaviour, patterns over time and what happens before and after the behaviour.
The purpose is not simply to describe or reduce behaviour. A high-quality FBA provides the foundation for Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) strategies that address the person's needs, increase meaningful participation, develop skills and improve quality of life.
Looking for an FBA template?
The Behaviour Help App includes a structured online Functional Behaviour Assessment template that guides practitioners through the assessment process.
The FBA template is completed within the Behaviour Help App rather than provided as a blank downloadable Word or PDF template. Once the assessment has been completed in the App, the completed Functional Behaviour Assessment report can be downloaded as a Word or PDF document.
Functional Behaviour Assessment
Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) is an evidence-based and systematic assessment process of collecting and analysing information from various sources that helps to gain insights into the factors contributing to the behaviour and identify why a behaviour is occurring.
An FBA helps move beyond simply describing what a person does to developing a better understanding of the factors that may be influencing their behaviour.
In a variety of settings, FBAs are an essential tool for gathering information so we can develop an effective Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP). The PBSP involves utilising a person-centred and strength-based approach to address the needs of the individual, the underlying factors contributing to behaviours of concern and overall quality of life.
PBSPs can support individuals across settings such as home, school or college, day services, respite, family members' or friends' homes and in the community.
FBAs are commonly used when an individual is exhibiting behaviours of concern that are of such frequency, intensity or duration that they are negatively impacting their daily life, education, leisure, work, social participation, safety or quality of life.
Functional Behaviour Assessments can be used with children, adolescents and adults and should always be individualised to the person and their circumstances.
Why Conduct a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
Behaviour does not occur in isolation. There may be multiple interacting factors influencing why a behaviour occurs, including the person's needs, communication, health and wellbeing, skills, relationships, environment, activities, expectations and previous experiences.
A Functional Behaviour Assessment helps us move beyond asking only:
"How do we stop this behaviour?"
Instead, an FBA encourages us to explore questions such as:
- What is happening for this person?
- When and where is the behaviour more or less likely to occur?
- What happens before the behaviour?
- What happens after it?
- Are there patterns across people, activities, environments or times?
- What might the person be communicating through their behaviour?
- What needs may not currently be adequately understood or met?
- What changes could improve the person's participation, independence and quality of life?
Understanding these factors allows supports to be developed around the individual rather than relying on generic or purely reactive behaviour management strategies.
What Does a Functional Behaviour Assessment Include?
A comprehensive FBA does not usually rely on one questionnaire, observation or behaviour chart. Information is gathered from multiple sources and considered together to build a more complete picture of the person and their behaviour.
Understanding the person
An FBA should begin with the person rather than the behaviour.
Relevant information may include the person's:
- strengths, interests and preferences
- communication
- relationships and important people
- daily routines
- health and wellbeing
- sensory and environmental needs
- skills and support needs
- activities and participation
- significant life experiences
- current environments and systems of support
Clearly defining the behaviour
The behaviour should be described in observable and measurable terms so that everyone collecting information has a shared understanding of what is being recorded.
This may include examining:
- frequency – how often the behaviour occurs
- duration – how long the behaviour lasts
- intensity – the degree or magnitude of the behaviour
- other relevant characteristics or patterns
Interviews and questionnaires
The individual and people who know them well can provide valuable information about the circumstances in which behaviour occurs.
Depending on the situation, information may be gathered from the individual, family members, carers, teachers, disability support workers, behaviour support practitioners, allied health professionals and other people involved in the individual's life.
Information from different people and settings can help identify patterns that may not be apparent from a single perspective.
Key Observations of a Functional Behaviour Assessment
Observations are an important component of an FBA. Whenever a behaviour of concern takes place, we may be looking to observe:
- The context, precursors and surrounding environmental factors. What happened before the behaviour? (Antecedent)
- The behaviour itself. What did the individual actually do? (Behaviour)
- What happened immediately afterwards? (Consequence)
A useful way to remember these observations is ABC: Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence.
Using an ABC Behaviour Chart
An ABC Behaviour Chart is one method of recording information about individual incidents:
- A – Antecedent: What happened immediately before the behaviour?
- B – Behaviour: What did the person actually do?
- C – Consequence: What happened immediately after the behaviour?
One incident alone does not necessarily explain why a behaviour occurs. Collecting ABC information across multiple incidents can help identify recurring patterns and relationships between environmental events and behaviour.
Reviewing Behaviour Data and Identifying Patterns
Looking across multiple observations and sources of information can help identify patterns associated with particular activities, environments, people, expectations, transitions, communication opportunities, changes in routine and other contextual factors.
Behaviour can also be measured in different ways depending on what is being assessed. This may include frequency, duration and intensity.
Patterns should be interpreted carefully and considered alongside the other information gathered during the assessment. A single observation or ABC incident should not automatically be assumed to establish why a behaviour occurs.
Developing a Functional Behaviour Hypothesis
Once information has been gathered, the next step is to bring the evidence together.
A functional hypothesis is an evidence-informed explanation of the factors that may be contributing to the occurrence and maintenance of the behaviour.
It should not be based on assumptions or a single incident. Information from interviews, questionnaires, observations, behaviour measurements, ABC data, reports and other relevant sources should be considered together to identify patterns and relationships.
There may also be more than one factor influencing a behaviour.
The functional hypothesis provides a foundation for determining what supports may be required and should continue to be reviewed as further information becomes available.
Functional Behaviour Assessment Resources
Conducting an FBA involves several stages, and different resources may be useful at different points in the assessment process.
Explore our Functional Behaviour Assessment resources:
- Seven Steps of Functional Behaviour Assessment
- Tools for Conducting an Effective Functional Behaviour Assessment
- ABC Behaviour Chart and ABC Data Collection
- Functional Behaviour Assessment Questionnaires and Interviews
- Behaviour Frequency, Duration and Intensity
- Developing a Functional Behaviour Hypothesis
- Benefits of a Functional Behaviour Assessment
Looking specifically for an FBA template? The Behaviour Help App includes a structured online Functional Behaviour Assessment template as part of its assessment workflow. The template is completed online in the App, and the completed FBA report can then be downloaded as a Word or PDF document.
Moving Beyond a Static FBA Template
A Functional Behaviour Assessment rarely exists as just one document.
Practitioners may need to bring together information from interviews, questionnaires, reports, observations, behaviour recording forms, ABC charts, incident records, spreadsheets and information provided by different members of the person's support team.
The challenge is therefore not simply having an FBA template. It is bringing all of this information together, identifying meaningful patterns and using the evidence to develop an individualised Functional Behaviour Assessment.
The Behaviour Help App provides a structured workflow for this process.
Practitioners can gather and organise assessment information, review behaviour data and ABC incidents, examine patterns, develop functional hypotheses and complete the FBA within one platform.
Once completed, the Functional Behaviour Assessment report can be downloaded from the App as a Word or PDF document, allowing practitioners to save, edit where appropriate and share the report with the individual's support team.
Collaboration During a Functional Behaviour Assessment
Critical to understanding behaviours of concern is collaboration between the various team members such as the individual, parents, carers, educators, allied health professionals, disability support workers and other key people.
Different people may observe the individual in different environments and circumstances. Bringing these perspectives together can provide a more complete understanding than relying on information from one person or setting alone.
Where multiple people are collecting behaviour information, clear definitions and consistent data collection methods are particularly important.
Effectiveness of Functional Behaviour Assessment
A Functional Behaviour Assessment can help teams move from reacting to behaviour towards understanding and addressing the factors that may be contributing to it.
This can support the development of individualised, proactive strategies rather than relying on generic behaviour management approaches.
Importantly, an FBA is not about labelling behaviour as "good" or "bad" or making a person more compliant. It is about developing a better understanding of the person and their circumstances so that support can be more individualised, respectful and effective.
A Person-Centred Approach to Functional Behaviour Assessment
An FBA should never reduce a person to their behaviour.
The assessment needs to consider the person's strengths, preferences, communication, autonomy, relationships, environment, participation and quality of life alongside the behaviour being assessed.
Behaviour may communicate something important about what the person is experiencing or what they need.
The purpose of assessment is therefore to develop a better understanding of the person and the circumstances surrounding their behaviour so that support can address their needs and enhance participation and quality of life.
Functional Behaviour Assessment Across Different Settings
FBAs can be undertaken across a range of environments.
At home
An FBA may help families and support teams understand patterns associated with routines, communication, activities, relationships, transitions and other aspects of everyday life.
At school
Functional Behaviour Assessment can help education teams understand factors influencing behaviour within the learning environment and identify supports that improve participation, engagement and access to learning.
Disability and community services
An FBA can assist support teams to develop a shared understanding of behaviour across different staff members, activities and community environments.
Across multiple environments
Some behaviours occur differently depending on the setting. Gathering information across environments can help identify whether particular people, activities, expectations or environmental circumstances are associated with changes in behaviour.
Examples of Behaviours Where Functional Behaviour Assessment Can Help
Functional Behaviour Assessments can be valuable when behaviours are having a significant impact on an individual's safety, participation, relationships, learning, independence or quality of life.
- physical aggression
- self-injurious behaviour
- property damage
- behaviours associated with significant distress
- leaving or absconding from safe environments
- disruptive behaviour
- other behaviours that present a risk to the individual or others
The same observable behaviour can occur for very different reasons in different people. This is why an individualised assessment is important.
For example, two people may both leave an activity, but the factors influencing that behaviour may be entirely different. One person may be experiencing sensory overload, another may not understand what is expected, another may be communicating that they need a break, while another may be seeking access to something elsewhere.
An FBA helps avoid assuming that the same behaviour always has the same explanation.
Positive Behaviour Support Plans
After conducting a thorough Functional Behaviour Assessment and developing an understanding of the factors contributing to behaviours of concern, the next critical step is the development of a Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP).
The FBA and PBSP should be directly connected. The information gathered during the assessment should inform the strategies included in the person's Positive Behaviour Support Plan.
Depending on the findings of the FBA, this may involve strategies relating to:
- quality of life and meaningful participation
- supportive environments
- communication
- predictability and choice
- skill development
- supportive interactions
- supportive activities
- preventative support
- safe and respectful response strategies
Strategies should be informed by what has actually been learned about the individual rather than selected from a generic list of behaviour strategies.
Complete Your Online FBA Template and Positive Behaviour Support Planning in One Platform
The Behaviour Help App supports practitioners through the Functional Behaviour Assessment and Positive Behaviour Support process.
Instead of managing assessment information across multiple disconnected Word documents, forms and spreadsheets, practitioners can use a structured workflow to bring relevant information together.
The Behaviour Help App supports practitioners to:
- develop the individual's profile
- define behaviours of concern
- gather and organise assessment information
- record behaviour data
- record and review ABC incidents
- identify patterns
- develop functional hypotheses
- complete a structured online Functional Behaviour Assessment template
- generate a professional Functional Behaviour Assessment report that can be downloaded as a Word or PDF document
- use assessment findings to inform Positive Behaviour Support planning
This creates a structured pathway from assessment → understanding → support planning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Behaviour Assessment
What is the purpose of a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
The purpose of an FBA is to gather and analyse information to better understand the factors influencing a person's behaviour. This understanding can then be used to develop individualised Positive Behaviour Support strategies.
What should be included in an FBA?
An FBA may include information about the person and their environment, clearly defined behaviours, interviews and questionnaires, direct observations, behaviour measurements, ABC data, analysis of patterns and an evidence-informed functional hypothesis.
What is an ABC chart in an FBA?
An ABC chart records the Antecedent, Behaviour and Consequence surrounding an incident. Reviewing multiple ABC observations can help identify patterns associated with when and where behaviour occurs and what happens immediately before and afterwards.
What is a functional hypothesis?
A functional hypothesis is an evidence-informed explanation of the factors that may be influencing and maintaining a behaviour. It is developed by considering information gathered from multiple sources rather than assuming the reason for behaviour based on a single observation.
Is there an online Functional Behaviour Assessment template?
Yes. The Behaviour Help App includes a structured online Functional Behaviour Assessment template within its assessment workflow. The template guides practitioners through the FBA process and helps bring together relevant assessment information, behaviour data, ABC incidents, patterns and functional hypotheses. The template itself is completed within the Behaviour Help App rather than downloaded as a blank Word or PDF form. Once the FBA is completed, the completed Functional Behaviour Assessment report can be downloaded as a Word or PDF document.
Is an FBA the same as a Positive Behaviour Support Plan?
No. The FBA is the assessment process used to understand the factors influencing behaviour. The findings from the FBA then inform the development of an individualised Positive Behaviour Support Plan.
Who can contribute to a Functional Behaviour Assessment?
Depending on the individual and setting, information may be contributed by the individual, family members, carers, teachers, disability support workers, behaviour support practitioners and other relevant professionals.
Read Next:
Looking for a More Structured Way to Complete an FBA?
The Behaviour Help App brings your online FBA template, assessment information, behaviour data, ABC incidents, analysis, functional hypothesis and Positive Behaviour Support planning together within one structured platform. Once completed, your FBA report can be downloaded as a Word or PDF document.