Steps:
1) Choose one behavior to observe.
Example: Tantrums
2) Define/describe that behavior clearly on the top of the form.
Example: “Tantrums — a tantrum begins when Jon throws his body onto the floor, shakes his arms and kicks his legs, makes loud noises, and rolls his body from side to side. A tantrum ends when Jon is quiet and still for at least thirty seconds.”
3) Whenever you see this behavior, complete one line of this form, describing the date, time, antecedents, behavior, and consequences.
Under “A” (Antecedent): Note what happened just before you saw the behavior.
- What was the child doing before the behavior occurred?
- Where was the child when the behavior occurred?
- What is the room like?
- Was there any stress on the child?
- Was the child alone or interacting with others?
- What were you doing before the behavior occurred?
Example: “Jon was lining up cars on the table during free play. The room was pleasantly cool and quiet. It was almost time to clean up and begin circle time, so I announced, ‘One minute until clean-up.’ About one minute later, I asked him to pick up the cars. He ignored me, so I began to put his cars in the bin. Then he had a tantrum.”
Under “B” (Behavior): Describe the behavior, including how long it lasted, how intense it was, and the frequency of the behavior within this time period.
Example: “Jon’s tantrum lasted six minutes. He screamed about seven times and cried continuously. It was not a serious tantrum, as it didn’t last too long and he didn’t try to hurt himself or anyone else.”
Under “C” (Consequence): Note what happened just after the behavior occurred.
- Did anything change in the environment?
- Did you do anything?
- Did any other people do anything?
- What did the child do after the behavior?
Example: “The cars were put away on the shelf. I told Jon, ‘No tantrums, time for circle.’ I picked him up and carried him to the circle area. Jon continued to cry until we finished the good morning song. He became calm once we started singing a different song that he enjoys.”
