Do you know your ABCs

1
Do you know your ABCs?

• In behavioral terminology ABCs
• is an acronym for
• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence

2
Why do we need to know our ABCs?

• Knowing and understanding the
  relationship between the
• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence
  contingency allows us to
• Observe behaviors as they occur and determine
  what specifically
• triggers a behavior, and, what
  maintains that behavior.
• Knowledge of the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence
  relationship provides us with information
  that can be used to
• reduce or eliminate problem behaviors by
  intervening before
• or after they occur.

3
What are Antecedents?

• Antecedents are anything in a persons
  internal or external environment that trigger a
  behavior.
• Examples
• The alarm clock ringing is an antecedent for
  waking up.
• Hunger pangs in our stomach are typically an
  antecedent for searching for food.
• Raindrops falling on us are typically an
  antecedent for opening our umbrella, or quickly
  seeking out a drier location.
• A dry mouth is typically an antecedent for
  finding something cold to drink.

4
What is Behavior?

• The most simple definition of
  behavior is
• The actions or reactions of a person or
  animal in
  
• response to internal or external stimuli.
• Simply put, everything we do, from the
  moment we
• arise in the morning, until the moment we
  retire at
• night is considered behavior.

5
What are Consequences?

• Consequences are actions or events that
  directly follow the occurrence of a behavior.
  Consequences either increase or decrease the
  probability that the behavior they follow will
  occur again in the future.

6
What are consequences?

• Examples
• A student completes an assignment and the
  teacher praises the student and gives her a
  sticker. The praise and sticker are a consequence
  for task completion, and increase the probability
  the student will complete additional assignments
  in the future.
• A student fails to complete their daily
  assignments, and the teacher takes away the
  students free-time privileges. Taking away
  free-time
• privileges is the consequence for not
  completing assignments. The
• consequence is meant to increase the
  probability the student will complete classroom
  assignments in the future.

7
What are Consequences?

• Examples
• A child sees a candy bar in the store and asks
  his Mother if she might
• purchase one. Mother says No. The child
  begins to cry and tantrum.
• Mother tries to ignore, but after 5 minutes
  gives in and buys the child a
• candy bar. Receiving the candy bar was a
  consequence for the childs
• behavior, and increases the probability that in
  a similar situation in the
• future the child will tantrum.
• Ms. Johnson daughter Shelly returned home two
  hours past her
• curfew. In response, Ms. Johnson takes away
  Shellys car and phone
• privileges for a week. Taking away privileges
  is the consequence for
• breaking curfew, and increases the probability
  that Shelly will be home
• on time in the future.

8
ABCs

• What the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence
  relationship
• shows us, is that human behavior is in fact
  highly
• predictable, even though it may not always appear
  to be.
• By understanding the ABC relationship, and honing
  our
• skills as keen observers of behavior, we can
  begin to use
• our knowledge and skills to address common
  classroom
• behavior problems before they become critical.

9
Utilizing an ABC Analysis

• Addressing ongoing problem behaviors in the
  school
• setting typically begins with observation and
  some simple
• data collection. An ABC Analysis Form is
  frequently used.
• An ABC Analysis involves carefully observing each
  
• occurrence of a problem behavior, and documenting
  the
• antecedent condition that preceded the behavior,
  giving a
• detailed description of the behavior, and the
  consequence
• event that followed the behavior.
• Note ABC Forms are available on this website,
  and are
• also available in abundance on the internet.

10
Utilizing an ABC Analysis

• The main purpose of repeated observations is to
  look for
• predictable patterns in a students behavior. Once
  a
• predictable pattern begins to emerge in our data,
  we
• can begin brainstorming ways to intervene.

11
Using you ABCs to ACT

• Once you have determined the antecedents that
  trigger a
• problem behavior, and the consequences that
  appear to
• maintain the behavior you can ACT.
• Based upon the ABC model there are only two
  possible
• options with regard to intervening with problem
  behaviors
• Intervene Before the behavior occurs, or
  intervene After
• the behavior occurs.

12
Using your ABCs to ACT

• Intervening before a behavior occurs is referred
  to as
• Antecedent Manipulation.
• If we can determine through an ABC Analysis what
  specific
• things, events, conditions tend to trigger
  problem behavior
• we can change the environment in ways that will
  prevent
• the problem behavior from occurring.
• This is the simplest, most effective, and least
  time
• consuming method for addressing problem behavior.

13
Using your ABCs to ACT

• Examples
• An ABC Analysis indicates that Jimmy typically
  shoves
• his work off onto the floor, curses, and
  overturns his desk
• during math seatwork time.
• Clearly, math seat-work is an antecedent for
  Jimmy to act
• out. By altering the environment though
  curriculum
• modifications, extra assistance, slicing back on
  the quantity
• of and difficulty level of the task, we can
  significantly
• reduce the probability that Jimmy will continue
  to act out.

14
Using your ABCs to ACT

• The second manner in which we can address problem
  
• behavior is to intervene after the behavior
  occurs. This is
• referred to as Consequence Interventions.
• You may remember that consequences are what
  maintains
• problem behaviors, and this is what we must
  change.
• Consequence Interventions are more difficult to
  implement,
• as they typically require changing our own, or
  someone
• elses response to a problem behavior.

15
Using your ABCs to ACT

• Example
• Tommy frequently calls out in class. Despite
  the fact that Ms. Johnson
• has a classroom rule stating No calling out.
  Raise your hand. She
• often finds herself calling on Tommy despite his
  behavior (hes quite
• persistent). By doing so Ms. Johnson is providing
  Tommy a
• consequence that results in unnecessary
  attention, and perpetuates his
• calling out.
• Ms. Johnson decides that in the future when Tommy
  calls out, she will
• simply ignore him completely (new consequence),
  and only call upon
• him when he raises his hand. His calling out
  behavior stops.

16
Using your ABCs to ACT

• Example
• Billy has developed a habit of cutting up and
  telling inappropriate jokes
• during class time, which is causing the students
  to laugh, and to be off-
• task during instruction. A consequence that gives
  Billy much attention
• and perpetuates his behavior.
• His teacher decides to reward the students with a
  special treat (one
• that Billy would really enjoy) each time Billy
  acts out and they ignore
• him completely (new consequence). Soon Billy sees
  others getting
• something he wants and his acting out stops.

17
Using you ABCs

• Now that you know your ABCs, I encourage
• you to put this knowledge to work for you in
• your classrooms. Your ABCs will be an
• invaluable tool in creating a climate of good
• behavior in your classroom, and a method
• for addressing problem behaviors as
• they arise.