Positive behaviour support (PBS) helps children who are struggling with big emotions, meltdowns or behaviours that get in the way of everyday life. This guide explains what behaviour support involves, how it's funded through the NDIS, and how to choose a provider on the Central Coast — and it features local providers so you can start your shortlist.
ORS is a national, NDIS-registered provider offering Positive Behaviour Support, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Dietetics, and Key Worker Early Childhood Supports. Services span children, adults and families, with telehealth available nationally and no wait lists for Behaviour Support.
Aster and Sweetpea Services offers heart-led behaviour, social and inclusion support for children with additional needs, families and educators. Specialises in early intervention, youth services, and waitlist support to help children thrive socially, emotionally, and educationally.
NDIS-registered provider offering counselling, mental health therapy, and behaviour support for children, families, and adults across NSW (Tuggerah and other locations). Accepts Medicare, DVA, and NDIS funding; telehealth available; no referral required.
Multidisciplinary allied health provider (Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast, Tamworth) offering OT, psychology, speech pathology, dietetics, physiotherapy, positive behaviour support, and allied health assistants. Serves adolescents and adults; supports disability, mental health, aged care. Registered for NDIS, iCare, Medicare, DVA, HICAPS. Offers telepractice nationally.
Gosford-based psychology and counselling provider offering therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, and children/adolescents' mental health issues, plus consultancy services including Positive Behaviour Support, family group conferencing, and parenting/carer support programs. Medicare rebates available with GP Mental Health Care Plan.
Erina, NSW-based psychology practice offering child, adolescent, and adult mental health support, autism/ADHD assessment, and behaviour support plans. Accepts private, Medicare, and NDIS (self- or plan-managed) referrals. Assessments take 2-6 weeks. Telehealth available for supervision; in-person and phone/Teams options offered.
Central Coast psychology practice for children, adolescents and families, specialising in Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, assessment (cognitive, learning, adaptive behaviour), counselling, and positive behaviour support for challenging behaviour. Accepts professional and organisational referrals.
ORS is an NDIS-registered, multidisciplinary provider offering behaviour support, psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology, dietetics, and early childhood key worker supports for children, adults and families. Telehealth available nationally. No wait lists for behaviour support; also supports Medicare and private pathways.
Positive behaviour support (PBS) is an evidence-based approach that looks at why a child behaves the way they do, rather than just trying to stop the behaviour. A behaviour support practitioner spends time getting to know your child, your family and the settings your child spends time in (home, school, daycare). They then work with you to build a behaviour support plan — a practical document that identifies triggers, the purpose behind behaviours, and strategies to help your child feel safe, communicate their needs and build new skills.
Good PBS is proactive. Instead of focusing on consequences, it changes the environment, teaches replacement skills, and coaches the adults around the child to respond consistently. Where a child's behaviour poses a risk to themselves or others, a plan may include strategies to reduce the use of any restrictive practices over time.
Every child has hard days, but you might consider behaviour support if your child regularly:
Behaviour support is often part of a broader team that may include speech pathology, occupational therapy or psychology. Sometimes what looks like a "behaviour" is actually a communication, sensory or anxiety need — a good practitioner will help work this out.
Behaviour support can help children of almost any age, from toddlers through to teenagers. For younger children, much of the work happens with the parents — coaching you on strategies you use every day. As children get older, practitioners may work more directly with them, alongside family and school. There's no "too early": early support often prevents behaviours from becoming more entrenched.
The first appointment is usually about gathering information and building rapport, not fixing everything on day one. Expect the practitioner to:
Over following sessions they may observe your child at home or school and complete a functional behaviour assessment before writing a plan. Building the plan and coaching the family often takes several sessions.
Behaviour support delivered under the NDIS is funded from the Capacity Building — Improved Relationships budget (sometimes listed as improved daily living where relevant). The NDIS sets maximum price caps that providers can charge, and these are reviewed annually in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. As a general guide, behaviour support practitioner rates in Australia commonly sit in the region of $150–$220+ per hour, depending on the practitioner's experience level. Assessment, plan development and report writing are also billed at hourly rates.
Please treat these as indicative ranges only — always confirm current fees directly with the provider and check them against the latest NDIS price limits. If your child isn't on the NDIS, some behaviour support may be accessed privately or through psychology providers, where Medicare rebates can sometimes apply for the psychology component (a GP referral and Mental Health Care Plan may be needed).
This page features Central Coast providers including Aster and Sweetpea Services (Long Jetty), Challenge Community Services – Allied Health (Tuggerah), Recovery Station (Erina), Better Choice Consultancy and Psychology and ORS Gosford, Everyday Independence (Lake Haven and Gosford), Living Strength Care, Avina, Jigsaw Autism Services, Beam Health and Help Your Kids. When comparing them, check:
Taking the time to ask these questions upfront helps you find a provider who's a genuine fit — and gives your child the best chance of real progress.
Or read the full behaviour support guide, or browse all Central Coast providers.
Not always. Behaviour support is commonly funded through the NDIS Capacity Building budget, but some families access it privately or through psychology services. If you have an NDIS plan, check whether funding for improved relationships or daily living is included, and confirm the provider works with your plan management type.
As a general guide, behaviour support in Australia often ranges from around $150–$220+ per hour depending on the practitioner's experience. The NDIS sets maximum price caps that are reviewed annually. These figures are indicative only — always confirm current fees with the provider and check them against the latest NDIS pricing arrangements.
Behaviour support may be delivered by psychologists registered with AHPRA, occupational therapists (OT Australia/AHPRA), speech pathologists (Speech Pathology Australia), or other allied health professionals with behaviour support training. Under the NDIS, practitioners should also meet the requirements of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. It's fine to ask about qualifications directly.
Waitlists vary between providers and can change over time, so we can't guarantee a timeframe. Contact providers in Gosford, Tuggerah, Erina and surrounds directly to ask about current availability, and ask whether they offer any interim support while you wait.
Yes, many providers offer telehealth for parts of the work such as parent coaching and plan reviews, which can be handy if you live further from the main centres. Some assessment and observation may still be done in person at home or school. Ask each provider what they offer.