Early years
Big feelings in small bodies. Tricky transitions, biting, hitting, sleep and the early signs that something needs a closer look.
Positive Behaviour Support · Adelaide · Ages 2–18
Your child isn't giving you a hard time.
They're having a hard time.
When the meltdowns, the school phone calls and the sleepless nights start to feel like too much, you don't have to work it out on your own. AkindaCo helps families turn daily overwhelm into calm, one small, achievable step at a time.
The first 15-minute phone call is free. No pressure, just a real conversation about what your family needs.
- Family-centred
- Evidence-based
- NDIS funding welcome
- Free 15-minute first call
You are not alone in this
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in exactly the right place.
- Meltdowns that seem to come from nowhere and last far longer than they should.
- Dreading school pick-up because you already know what's coming.
- Walking on eggshells so the whole house doesn't tip over.
- Feeling judged by people who don't live your daily reality.
- Trying every reward chart and consequence going, and nothing seems to stick.
- Loving your child fiercely, and still feeling completely worn out.
None of this makes you a bad parent. It means your child needs a different kind of support. And so do you.
The approach
What is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a proven, person-centred way of understanding why behaviour happens, then gently changing the world around your child so the hard moments happen less often.
Instead of punishing behaviour, we listen to what it's telling us: an unmet need, a skill that's still growing, an environment that's asking too much. Then we build a practical plan that helps your child feel safe, understood and capable, and helps your whole family breathe again.
At AkindaCo we practise within the Multi-Element Behaviour Support (MEBS) framework. Rather than focusing narrowly on your child, MEBS looks at the whole picture: the places, routines, relationships and systems around them. Plans work on several elements at once, pairing changes to the environment with new skills, proactive strategies and clear, agreed ways to respond.
Want the full picture? Read our plain-English parent guide to PBS →
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Behaviour is communication
Every behaviour is a message. We help you understand what your child is really trying to say.
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Change the environment, not the child
Small, thoughtful changes at home and school often do more than any consequence ever could.
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Skills that last a lifetime
We focus on teaching real skills, so progress keeps growing long after our work together ends.
A clear path forward
You won't walk this alone. We'll take it one step at a time.
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1
Getting to know you
A relaxed 90-minute session with you and the people who know your child best. What's going well, what's tricky, and what you'd most love to change. With children we often use drawings, games or visual tools so their voice is part of it too.
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2
Understanding the behaviour
A Functional Behaviour Assessment: we look closely at what happens before, during and after the hard moments at home, at school and in real routines, to understand what the behaviour is communicating.
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3
A plan built around your family
A practical Behaviour Support Plan in plain language: ways to prevent stress before it builds, new skills to teach, and clear step-by-step responses for parents, carers and care teams.
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4
Support that sticks
A plan on paper changes nothing by itself. We coach you, your family and your child's team until the strategies genuinely work in everyday life, and we adjust anything that doesn't.
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5
Review and celebrate
Every three to six months we sit down together, look at what's changed, celebrate progress and set the next goals.
The first 15-minute phone call is free. The five stages only begin when you're ready.
Support for every stage
Working with children and young people aged 2 to 18
Every child is different, so support is never one-size-fits-all. We meet your child exactly where they are.
Primary years
School refusal, friendship struggles, shutdowns and outbursts, and the growing gap between home and the classroom.
Teen years
Independence, identity and bigger risks. Support that respects your teenager while keeping everyone safe.
We support autistic and ADHD children, children with developmental delay, and children who have experienced trauma, as well as those with no diagnosis at all. If your child is struggling, that's reason enough. We also work with adult PBS clients and have a separate information sheet for adults.
Working together
What this looks like for you
A few honest promises about how we work, so you know exactly what you're saying yes to.
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We come to you
Sessions can happen at home, at school, online or in our clinic, wherever works best for your child.
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No blame, ever
Behaviours of concern are nobody's fault, not your child's and not yours. We're interested in what works, not whose fault anything is.
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We'll ask for your help
Simple records of when and where behaviours happen make the assessment much stronger. We keep any tracking quick and realistic for busy families.
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Change takes practice
New strategies feel awkward at first, and progress isn't always a straight line. We stay alongside you while they become second nature.
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Everyone on the same page
With your consent, we connect with teachers, support workers and other therapists so your child gets consistent support everywhere.
Wraparound care
Therapy and support work under one roof
AkindaCo has its own team of support workers, and they are usually therapists in training. Our behaviour support practitioners train them directly in your child's plan, so the people supporting your child day to day use the same strategies as the therapy team. One team, one plan, pulling in the same direction.
- Our own support workers, not a separate agency
- Usually therapists in training, chosen for quality
- Trained directly by our behaviour support practitioners
- The same strategies at home, at school and in the community
About AkindaCo
Warm, practical support from someone who truly gets it.
PBS at AkindaCo is led by Paula Gillespie, our Founder and Managing Director. Paula is a Behaviour Support Practitioner, an Art Psychotherapist and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Adelaide (research profile · LinkedIn), and she has spent years walking beside families through their hardest days. Her approach is calm, down-to-earth and refreshingly free of jargon.
You won't be handed a folder and left to figure it out. You'll have a partner who listens without judgement, explains the why behind every strategy, and stays with you until things genuinely feel better.
AkindaCo's roots are in family therapy and systemic work. That means we are just as comfortable supporting the adults in a child's life, the parents, carers, teachers and support workers, as we are supporting the child. Behaviour change sticks when the whole system around a child changes with them.
PBS at AkindaCo is delivered by a team of behaviour support therapists, with a choice of male and female therapists across a range of ages and backgrounds. The right fit matters, especially for a child who has found trusting adults hard.
- Family-centred, strengths-based practice
- Deep experience in family therapy and systemic work with the whole team around a child
- In-house support workers, usually therapists in training, trained directly by our practitioners
- Experienced across home, school and community settings
- PBS practitioners registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, working toward APBS endorsement
- All our PBS practitioners are registered with Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia (BSPA), and we follow their best practice guidelines
- Support that can be funded through your child's NDIS plan
Kind words from real families
What families say about working with us
"AkindaCo has made our lives so much easier. I know my son is getting the best support."
"Mak has been amazing with our son. She is very knowledgeable, kind and supportive of our whole family."
"Lovely professional people who have an amazing ability to make you feel calm and hopeful for a positive future."
Reviews shared by families on Google.
You've carried this long enough.
Let's carry it together.
One 15-minute phone call could be the turning point your family has been waiting for.
Book your free 15-minute callClear and fair
Funding and cost, without the fine print
Positive Behaviour Support is funded through the Improved Relationships part of your child's NDIS plan. It appears as "Behaviour Support" or "CB Relationships" on PACE plans.
We bill per appointment, for the actual time delivered, never in prepaid blocks. Invoices go directly to the NDIA or your plan manager, so for agency- and plan-managed participants there are no out-of-pocket costs.
Not all of this work happens in the room with you. Careful behind-the-scenes time, like analysing what we've observed, writing the plan itself and working with your child's team, is a real part of behaviour support and is included in the billed hours.
An initial, interim behaviour support plan usually takes around 10–15 hours of professional time spread over several weeks. Before we begin, we'll map out how your funding will be used across the five stages, so there are no surprises.
Good questions
The things parents ask us first
How much does it cost?
The first 15-minute phone call is free, and we charge for everything from that point onwards. Support is usually funded through the Improved Relationships part of your child's NDIS plan at the set NDIS rate of $252.99 per hour for 2026–27. We bill per appointment for the actual time delivered, including the important non-face-to-face work like assessment, plan writing and team liaison, and invoices go straight to the NDIA or your plan manager, so there are usually no out-of-pocket costs. See Funding for the full picture.
Do we need an NDIS plan to start?
Most of our Positive Behaviour Support clients are funded through the NDIS, and we can help you understand how that works for your child. We're open to privately funded clients too, so if you're not with the NDIS, we can still talk through your options.
My child doesn't have a diagnosis. Can you still help?
Absolutely. You don't need a diagnosis to reach out. If your child is struggling and your family is feeling the strain, that's reason enough to start a conversation.
What ages do you work with?
We support children and young people aged 2 to 18, and we work closely with parents, carers, schools and the whole team around your child. We also work with adult PBS clients and have a separate information sheet for adults, so just ask.
Where are you based, and do you travel?
Our clinic is in Salisbury, opposite St Augustine's School, next to Indie College and the Aboriginal Community Centre, and we also have rooms at North Adelaide. We work with families across Adelaide's northern suburbs in-home, at school and online, so support fits around your life.
Do you have your own support workers?
Yes. AkindaCo has its own team of support workers, and they are usually therapists in training. Our behaviour support practitioners can train them directly in your child's plan, which means more consistent, wraparound care. Ask about support work in your free 15-minute call.
What makes AkindaCo different from other behaviour support providers?
Two things. First, our roots are in family therapy and systemic work, so we are very comfortable supporting the whole family and the team of adults around a child, not just the child alone. Second, we have our own team of support workers, usually therapists in training, and our behaviour support practitioners train them directly. Therapy and day-to-day support pull in the same direction.
How quickly can we get started?
We'll always do our best to fit you in quickly. Reach out today and we'll let you know current availability for your free consultation.
Safe, respected, heard
Your rights, every step of the way
You and your child always have the right to:
- be treated with dignity and respect
- have a real say in goals, strategies and supports
- privacy and confidentiality
- ask questions, request changes, or pause at any time
- give feedback or make a complaint without it ever affecting your supports
If you ever have concerns, you can speak with your AkindaCo practitioner, contact Shane Fotheringham, Clinical Director at hello@akindaco.com, or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.
Work with us
Shape a Positive Behaviour Support service.
We are recruiting in response to demand and our PBS waitlist. We are expanding the service across Adelaide and regional South Australia. Every position is part-time or full-time, hybrid, and sits within a systemic practice alongside family therapists, psychotherapists and an in-house support work team.
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PBS Team Lead
Lead the PBS team, influence how behaviour support runs across the organisation, shape the service as it grows, and hold a caseload. Management experience is essential.
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Proficient Practitioners
Clinical specialism without operational management or administrative load. Structured supervision, a mapped pathway to Advanced, and a graduated billable expectation. Advanced practitioners also welcome.
Salaries range from $75,000 to $120,000 pro rata, depending on position and experience. All positions require an allied health qualification and prior clinical experience. Applications from practitioners who use Auslan, and from regional South Australia, are particularly welcome.
Take the first step
Book your free 15-minute call
Interested in PBS? Pick a time that suits you and Paula will call you for a free 15-minute chat. Or send us a message with the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. We support families across Salisbury, North Adelaide and Adelaide's northern suburbs, plus school and online sessions further afield.
Find us in Salisbury opposite St Augustine's School, next to Indie College and the Aboriginal Community Centre, or at our North Adelaide rooms.
Choose a time with Paula