If your family member has a behaviour support plan, you may have come across the term "restrictive practices." It can sound clinical and a little confronting. But understanding what these practices are, why they exist, and how they are managed helps you make informed decisions about your loved one's care.
Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, a restrictive practice is defined as "any practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability."
In straightforward terms: if a support strategy limits what your family member can do, where they can go, or what they can access, it likely qualifies as a restrictive practice.
These are not everyday support techniques. They are a last resort, used only when there is a genuine risk of harm to the participant or others around them. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the NDIS Commission) regulates their use closely.
There are five types of regulated restrictive practices under the NDIS.
Seclusion is the sole confinement of a person in a room or space from which they cannot freely leave. An example would be directing someone to remain in a room alone during a serious behavioural episode.
Environmental restraint limits a person's access to areas, items, or activities. Locking away certain items, restricting access to parts of a home, or removing access to a phone are all examples of environmental restraint.
Physical restraint involves using physical force to prevent, restrict, or slow a person's movement. This includes holding someone to stop them from harming themselves or others, or using your body to block their exit from an area.
Mechanical restraint uses a device to restrict movement. Using a helmet to prevent a person from injuring themselves through repetitive head-banging, or securing someone to a chair, are examples of mechanical restraint.
Chemical restraint is the use of medication to influence or control behaviour. It is not medication prescribed to treat a diagnosed condition. It is medication given specifically to manage a behaviour, such as a sedative used to reduce agitation.
Restrictive practices are only permitted in the NDIS when specific conditions are met.
The practice must be:
A registered NDIS behaviour support practitioner must document the practice in a comprehensive behaviour support plan, and the plan must be submitted to the NDIS Commission. Depending on your state or territory, additional authorisation from a government body may also be required before the practice can be used.
Providers are required to report their use of regulated restrictive practices to the NDIS Commission every single month, including months where no practices were used. If a restrictive practice is used without an authorised plan, that is classified as an unauthorised restrictive practice, which is a reportable incident and must be notified to the Commission within five business days.
Every behaviour support plan (BSP) built under the NDIS has one primary purpose: to improve the participant's quality of life. The plan is developed with the participant, their family, carers, and other support people.
Where restrictive practices are included, the BSP is not just a document that approves their use. It is also a roadmap for removing them.
A comprehensive BSP includes:
The functional behaviour assessment is foundational. It involves direct observation, interviews with family and support staff, and analysis of patterns, including what happens before and after a behaviour occurs. Without this, a behaviour support plan is built on guesswork.
The goal is always to need these practices less over time, not to make them more routine. Here is how a quality behaviour support plan works toward that goal.
Skill building. Many behaviours of concern are a form of communication. When a person cannot express a need clearly, frustration builds. Teaching communication skills, coping strategies, emotional regulation, and daily living skills gives the person other ways to meet their needs without challenging behaviour. As those skills develop, the need for restrictive practices decreases.
Environmental modifications. Sometimes the environment itself is the problem. A setting that is too noisy, unpredictable, or poorly structured can trigger behaviours that then require a restrictive response. Adjusting the physical setting, reducing sensory overload, introducing visual schedules, or reorganising a daily routine can reduce how often behaviours occur in the first place.
Consistent strategies across your support network. A behaviour support plan only works when everyone uses it the same way. Your family, support workers, and anyone else involved in your loved one's daily life need to understand and apply the strategies consistently. The NDIS Commission requires that implementing providers follow the plan and receive training to do so correctly.
Routine medical reviews. Some behaviours are connected to pain, illness, or changes in health. Regular medical reviews help identify whether a physical health issue is contributing to the behaviour. Addressing the health cause can sometimes remove the need for a behavioural intervention entirely.
Monitoring and review. A BSP is not a set-and-forget document. The behaviour support practitioner reviews it regularly to assess what is working, what needs adjusting, and whether restrictive practices can be faded out. Over time, the plan should show clear progress toward elimination.
You have the right to ask your provider direct questions about any restrictive practice in your family member's plan. You can ask what proactive strategies have been tried, how the practice is being reduced, and what the timeline looks like for removing it altogether.
A good behaviour support provider will welcome those questions. They should be able to show you a clear plan that protects your family member's safety today and builds toward their independence tomorrow.