VCU-ACE ABC of Behavior Transcript 1

Using PBS to Promote the Functional Behavior Assessment Process

Module 1 - Presentation 2
ABCs of Behavior

Slide 1: Title

ABCs of Behavior
Presenter: Teresa Cogar
Presenter Title: M.Ed.

Slide 2: Introduction

 Behavior never happens in isolation.

 Something happens before and after a behavior.
 Behaviors occur at a specific time and place.

Interfering behavior never occurs in isolation. There is always something that happens before
and after a behavior. Also, behaviors occur at a very specific time and place. With these clues,
we can piece together the very fundamentals of the behavior chain.

Slide 3: Behavior Chain

 Setting events, SET UP a behavior.

 Setting events are known as slow triggers.
 Antecedents, SET OFF a behavior.
 Antecedents are known as fast triggers.
 Consequences, MAINTAIN a behavior.
 Each works together to impact behavior.

Let’s talk about the behavior chain. The first piece in the chain is called the setting event. A
setting event is what sets up the behavior, or what happened before the behavior occurred. In
some cases, setting events may be obvious to you, and in others, it may take more observation
and data to uncover the specifics. Setting events can occur at home during a morning routine or
even the night before. Missing breakfast, lack of a good night’s sleep, or even a missed step in a
student’s morning routine can be the setting event for a behavior later in the day. Because
setting events happen over a longer period of time, these are also known as slow triggers.

While the setting events happen much earlier than the actual behavior, there are also events that
happen immediately before the behavior. Such events work to set off the behavior and are
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known as antecedents. Unlike the slower setting events, an antecedent acts quickly and is
referred to as a fast trigger. A student who is given a math worksheet may throw the worksheet
on the floor, because he thinks it is too hard. Giving him the math worksheet is a fast trigger that
resulted in the interfering behavior.

Finally, there are consequences that maintain the behavior. Consequences act as positive or
negative reinforcers to the behavior. Anything that reinforces a behavior acts to increase the
likelihood that the behavior will occur again. For example, if the student does not have to do the
math worksheet for 3 minutes after throwing it on the floor, then he is being reinforced for the
behavior. Throwing the worksheet was reinforced, and he will likely do it again!

Each piece of the behavior chain will work together to develop or impact interfering behavior.
For us to understand how to implement an effective intervention, we must be aware of what
these are, how they impact the student, and how they may be modified to reduce or stop the
behavior. Let’s examine each piece of the behavior chain in depth starting with setting events.

Slide 4: Setting Event

Settings events:
 Known as the slow triggers.
 Set up the possibility that a behavior may occur.
 Setting events for Vivienne:
 rushing to get ready
 missing the bus,
 mom drives her to school
 Decrease or increase likelihood that behavior may occur

Setting events are known as slow triggers and set up the behavior. Slow triggers are events that
happen a period of time before the interfering behavior. They are conditions that set up the
possibility that a behavior may occur, but do not set off the behavior at that very moment. For
example, Vivienne woke up late one morning before school and had to rush to get ready. She
barely got to eat any breakfast and didn’t get to watch her favorite television show before leaving
for the bus stop. Since the bus was early, Vivienne missed the bus. Mom had to drive her to
school. During her math class, which is her second class of the day and her favorite, Vivienne
refused to complete the class assignment and laid her head down on her desk. The teacher in this
case may think that the presentation of the math assignment was the cause of Vivienne’s refusal
to do the work when in actuality she was feeling overwhelmed by her morning and needed a
break. The morning events were the setting events that set up Vivienne’s behavior during her
math class. Remember, setting events occur at some point before the behavior. Ultimately,
setting events can increase or decrease the likelihood that an interfering behavior may occur.
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Slide 5: Examples

 Physical Setting event = cafeteria

Behavior - fidgets with string, walks around room

 Social Setting event = fight on the playground.

Behavior - became angry and unable to focus

 Biological Setting event = head cold.

Behavior – head on desk crying during reading

Setting events can be physical, social, or biological. Here we will provide some examples of each
and the behavior that follows. Let’s talk about Owen. The setting event for him is the school
cafeteria. He is over overstimulated by the noise and other students in the cafeteria. After lunch
Owen goes to history class. During the first 20 minutes of class, Owen fidgets with a string he
has in his pocket and walks around the room. This is the behavior that is the result of the physical
setting event.
The next example is of a social setting event. Jaquan got in a fight on the playground. During
science, Jaquan became angry and was unable to focus and do his work. This behavior follows
the social setting event of fighting on the playground.
The last setting event is biological. Katherine has a head cold. Katherine is frequently observed
putting her head on her desk and began crying during reading. Her behavior of putting her head
on the desk and crying is related to the setting event of having a head cold. If the teacher had not
considered that she had a head cold, he might have thought she didn’t want to read the book
assigned.
Slide 6: Eliminating/Reducing the Setting Event

 You can help to reduce the impact of the setting event.

 Eliminate the setting event.
 Possibility of an interfering behavior more likely to occur.

You can help reduce the impact of the setting event. First, try to eliminate the setting event if
you can. In the case of such slow triggers, you can help to reduce the impact of the setting event
by doing several things. For example, if the student gets teased on the bus every morning prior
to the start of school, work to eliminate the teasing and help the student to start her day on a
more positive note by giving her the strategies she needs that will help her deal with the
interfering behaviors of the other students. Yet, in some cases, such as a medical problem, you
cannot always eliminate the problem on your own. If you cannot eliminate it, you can still
reduce its effect by reducing the demands that may trigger the interfering behavior. However, it
is important to note that there may not always be a setting event for interfering behaviors. They
only make the possibility of an interfering behavior more likely.
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Slide 7: Antecedent

 Setting event - Antecedent – Behavior

 Antecedent – Grammar assignment

 Behavior – Paper is crumple

This graphic displays components of the behavior chain. The arrows in this graphic show the
connection of each link of the chain to the next. Three links of the chain are shown here: the
setting event, followed by the antecedent, and lastly the behavior itself.

When Becca is presented with a grammar worksheet in English class, she crumples the paper and
throws it to the floor. The antecedent in this situation is the presentation of the grammar
assignment. The behavior is the crumpling of the worksheet, which happened immediately after
the worksheet was given to her.

Slide 8: Antecedents

 Antecedents:
 Directly influence behavior.
 Should be addressed when behavior occurs.
 Requires observation and assessment.
 There is ALWAYS an antecedent.
 Logan – example

Antecedents are powerful and directly influence behavior. Antecedents should be addressed
whenever interfering behavior occurs. While the antecedent is often clear, there will be times
when the antecedent is not always apparent. When the antecedent is not apparent it will require
observation and assessment to determine the fast trigger to the behavior. It is important to
remember, even if we don’t know what it is right away, there is ALWAYS an antecedent.

For example, Logan woke up and everything went as planned and according to his normal
routine. He slept well the night before, had a good breakfast and came to school happy and
ready for the day. During the second period Algebra class, the teacher announced a pop quiz on
polynomial equations. Logan immediately cried out that he had to use the bathroom and ran out
of the room to the nearest restroom. He stayed in there much longer than anticipated and when a
fellow student tried to get him to come back to class, he refused to leave and another teacher
became involved. The antecedent in this example is the pop quiz!
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Slide 9: Examples

 Clay arrives late to P.E.

 Other students are engaged in activities.

 Clay begins to cry and runs out of the gym.

 Identify antecedent.

 Essential part of behavior chain.

Let’s look at an example of how antecedents directly influence behavior. Clay arrives late to P.E.
every day. Many times the students are already engaged in other activities and are often
cheering loudly. This is overstimulating to Clay. He often begins to cry and runs out of the gym.
The antecedent is the cheering students. The behavior is Clay crying and running out of the
gym.

By looking at what happened immediately before the behavior, we can help identify the
antecedent. And, then we can eventually identify why the behavior is happening. This is an
essential part of the behavior chain that will assist us as we gather information about the behavior
and start the Functional Behavior Assessment process.

Slide 10: Consequence

 Is the last part of the behavior chain.

 Occurs after behavior.

 Maintains behavior.

 Can be positive or negative.

 Increases the likelihood of positive or negative behavior.

This last part of the behavior chain is the consequence. It occurs after the behavior and maintains
the behavior. Consequences can be either positive or negative. Positive reinforcers will increase
the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future. Behavior that is reinforced is made
stronger. Consequences maintain the behavior and make the behavior “work” for the student
with ASD. Let’s talk about Emmaline. She is given a matching activity and immediately throws
her learning materials. If she is allowed a five minute break while the supplies are cleaned up,
she is more likely to display the same behavior the next time work is given to her. The
consequence, the 5 minute break, “worked” for her. It gave her something she desired. Think
about our example with Logan running to the bathroom in Algebra class. What do you think the
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pay-off is for Logan? His escape to the bathroom is getting him out of Algebra. The
consequence for Logan is escape! Remember, consequences can also act as reinforcers to
behavior and increase the chance that the behavior will occur again and again.

Slide 11: Examples

 Aiden sits next to the same peer every day.

 Pokes him on the shoulder to get his attention.

 Peer walks away.

 Consequences happened after behavior.

 Provide information about interfering behavior.

.
Let’s look at an example of how consequences happen after a behavior occurs. Aiden sits next to
the same peer in 3rd period English every day. When Aiden is trying to get his classmates
attention he will poke him on the shoulder over and over. The peer walks away from Aiden,
because it is unsettling to him. The behavior in this example is Aiden poking his classmate over
and over. The consequence is his classmate walking away from him.

As you can see, the consequences happened after the behavior. Consequences are a crucial piece
to the behavior chain. They help to provide a great deal of information about the context in
which interfering behavior occurs in the classroom.

Slide 12: Example

 Jamal listens to books on computer.

 Difficulty getting work done in time.
 Consequence is access to the computer.
 Consequence increases likelihood behavior happens again.

It is important for us to look at consequences as a way to reinforce and maintain positive

behaviors. Let’s look at an example.

Jamal is a fifth grade student with ASD. He thoroughly enjoys listening to books on the
computer in the classroom. Jamal has had difficulty in getting his work done in a timely manner.
His teacher decides to work on this behavior. On the occasion that Jamal finishes his work on
time, the teacher allows him access to the computer to listen to a book before moving to the next
task. Jamal is learning that when he completes his work in a timely fashion he has time to listen
to the book on the computer. The consequence of gaining access to the computer increases the
likelihood that Jamal will complete his work in a timely manner the next time. Consequences
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increase the likelihood that behavior will happen again. It is our job to look at consequences for
all behaviors!

Slide 13: Conclusion

 Behavior chain provides big picture.

 ABC’s of behavior help gather information for FBA.

Gathering information about the behavior chain will help provide see the bigger picture of why
the behavior is happening. Now that you understand the ABC’s of behavior, you can begin the
process of gathering information towards the Functional Behavior Assessment process.

Slide 14: Reference

Information for this presentation was taken from Practical Functional Behavioral Assessment
Training Manual for School Based Personnel written by Sheldon Loman, Ph.D. and Christopher
Borgneier, Ph.D. at Portland State University.