Designing Adaptations for Children and Young People with Behaviours of Concern

This guide by Foundations recognises that every individual has unique strengths, preferences, and ways of experiencing the world. When someone shows distress through their actions, it often reflects unmet needs or environmental barriers that can be reduced through thoughtful home adaptations.

The guide focuses on children and adults with learning disabilities, many of whom are also neurodivergent. It draws from real-life situations discussed within the Foundations Behaviours of Concern Community of Practice and highlights how the built environment can either support or hinder wellbeing.

Rather than changing the person, adaptations aim to remove barriers and create opportunities for people to thrive. This person-centred approach respects human rights, values individual differences, and promotes independence.

This guide builds on our earlier publication Home Adaptations for People with Behaviours That Challenge (2018) (opens new window). Since that time, the language used in the sector has shifted. We now refer to behaviours of concern, recognising that these behaviours are often a form of communication, not a problem to be fixed.

The guide was developed through a student-led project and learning from our Community of Practice. It should be used alongside Behaviours of Concern: Best Practice Approach to DFG, with all principles applied flexibly and with the person’s voice at the centre. When the environment doesn’t match someone’s needs, distress often follows. Adaptations can bridge that gap.