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ABC’S of BEHAVIOR

How Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence play a part in the everyday life.:

abc-behaviour.jpg

ANTECEDENT

An event that occurs immediately before a behavior. 

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BEHAVIOR

An observable and measurable action


CONSEQUENCE 

A response that follows a behavior

What are the ABCs of Behaviors?

Photo from https://avatarms.com/behavior/

Why do we use ABC data? 

  1. When analyzing the antecedent and the consequences that influence a behavior, you are more likely to discover a pattern

  2. The information that is collected is used to create a hypothesis about the function of the behavior. 

  3. Once a function is determined then a plan can be created to teach and reinforce replacement behaviors that are functionally equivalent.

Example of a real life & the ABCs of behaviors

Situation: Your individual comes home from school and wants to watch videos on their iPad. While the child is playing games, the internet stops working for an unknown reason. The individual begins to cry loudly and throws the iPad across the room. You run into the room and yell "What happened". The child continues to cry and you are unsure of what to do.

Antecedent: Internet stops working 

Behavior: Throwing iPad and crying

Consequence: The parent comes in to help address the problem.​

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OTHER Possible Solution: In the future, the parent might consider trying the following:

  • In the future, the parent might consider downloading a few videos rather than relying on the internet.

  • Teaching the individual where the iPad should be placed if it is not working could reduce the possibility of throwing the iPad.

  • The parent does not approach the individual until they are calm. At that time, the parent can teach the individual how to ask for help or attention in a functional way.

For more information:  ABCs of Assessment

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