The ABC’s of Behavior:

Understanding the ABC’s (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Analysis) across the PBS Triangle

Compiled June 2007, by Chris Borgmeier, Ph.D, Portland State University; Ericka Guynes, M.S., David Douglas SD; and Michele Cook, M.S., Multnomah ESD and Gresham-Barlow SD.

Content and materials contained in this staff development curriculum are provided by the many outstanding members of the greater PBS community.

Introduction to The ABC’s of Behavior:

A Curriculum for Training Your School Staff to Better Understand the ABC’s & Function of Problem Behavior

PBS Team Step-By Step Planning Guide

ABC’s across the Triangle

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Audience:

Administrators, Certified Staff, Classified staff, Specialists and anyone who else who works with challenging students on a regular basis

Training Goals:

School Staff will:

Acquire an awareness of the ABC’s and that students engage in recurring problem behavior for a reasons

Understand the ABC analysis process well enough to participate in student support discussions surrounding the function of student’s behavior

Practice analyzing the ABC of behavior and develop a hypothesis statement about the function of students behavior

Support development & implementation of more effective interventions for students

PBS Team & Administrator Step-By Step Planning Guide

ABC’s across the Triangle

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In August/September:

Identify a recurring staff development time that all staff can attend (administration, certified and classified), designate dates/times for ABC Training Series to be presented at staff meetings (reserve enough staff meeting time to one lesson of 40 minutes and five 20 minute follow up lessons). It is recommended that lessons be delivered about monthly

September – March:

  • PBS Team will attend three ½ day trainings – ABC Training Series Lesson(s) will be modeled and the team will have time to plan how to use the curriculum materials to develop a lesson to share with all staff
  • For each lesson, the PBS Team will present the lesson to all staff, give staff a ‘homework task’ between staff meeting trainings, and then staff will report back experience/learning

At staff meeting:

PBS Team will present the lesson to all staff

Each lesson will end with an “Application Activity” that staff will use to practice applying skills taught between staff meeting trainings

Staff will bring ‘homework task’ to next staff meeting which will be used with next the next steps in the training

PBS Team will repeat these steps for each lesson

Tip: For sustainability purposes, create a schedule to revisit ABC training andtrainnew staff for next school year.

Content of Training:

Lesson # 1 - Introduction

  • Understanding behavior
  • Summary statements
  • Practice activity 1
  • Homework activity 1

Lesson # 2 – ABC Practice

  • Review Lesson #1 and share homework summary statements
  • Linking function of behavior with ‘possible motivation’ on referral form
  • Practice activity 2 (1 pages)
  • Homework activity 2 (2 pages)

Lesson # 3 – ABC Practice

  • Review Summary Statements
  • Video vignette practice
  • Practice activity 3 (2 pages)
  • Homework activity 3 (2 pages)

Lesson # 4 – Proactive v Reactive Responses

  • Shifting from students perspective (function) to our perspective (adult response)
  • Comparing traditional responses to PBS responses
  • Practice Activity (1 pages)
  • Homework Activity (1 pages)

Lesson # 5 – Function Based Interventions: Attention

  • Review traditional responses and PBS responses
  • Interventions: Prevention, Teaching and Reinforcing when the function is attention
  • Practice Activity (1 pages)
  • Homework Activity (1 pages)

Lesson # 6 – Function Based Interventions: Avoid/Escape

  • Review traditional responses and PBS responses
  • Interventions: Prevention, Teaching and Reinforcing when the function is escape
  • Practice Activity (1 pages)
  • Homework Activity (1 pages)

Organization of Training:

There will be an introductory 40 minute lesson and five 20 minute lessons.

All PowerPoint presentations and video are on the CD, there is a folder for each lesson and contains the supporting resources for each lesson following:

Lesson #1

Lesson #2

Lesson #3

Lesson #4

Lesson #5

Lesson #6

Each lesson has a consistent format,has its own tab/sleeve and includes the following:

Lesson Plan

PowerPoint with notes for presenter (2 slides per page loose leaf)

A PowerPoints Handout (6 slides per page) to make copies for staff

Activity/Practice Worksheet(s) to make copies for staff

Homework Activity/Task to make copies for staff

TIP for PBS Team – to ensure the PBS team has time to get through all six lessons by April 1st, we recommend reserving staff development time on

your school’s master calendar by September 30,

(see the recommended training schedule)

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Sample ABC Training Calendars - ABC Training modeled at Quarterly Trainings and Taught by PBS Team at Staff meetings

Sample PBS ABC Training/Meeting Timeline

August / September / October / November / December / January / February / March / April / May / June
PBS Trainings
PBS Team Meetings / ABC Training
Lesson 1 2 modeled for PBS Team
PBS Team develops plan to deliver ABC lessons to staff / ABC Training
Lesson 3 &4modeled for PBS Team
PBS Team develops plan to deliver ABC lessons to staff / ABC Training
Lesson 5 &6modeled for PBS Team
PBS Team develops plan to deliver ABC lessons to staff / PBS Team plans for ways to follow-up with ABC Training next year
School Staff Meetings / Plan for Introduction & Kick Off activities for SW-PBS implementation / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 1 of ABC Training Series / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 2 / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 3 / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 4 / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 5 / PBS Team Teaches
Lesson 6

***Develop plan to revisit ABC’s next school year & train New Staff

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