The ABC Framework (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) When a behavior occurs, we look at three things:
Antecedent (The Trigger): What happened right before the behavior? (e.g., The bell rang, the room got loud, the math worksheet was handed out).
Behavior: What exactly did the student do? (e.g., Cried, threw a pencil, put their head down).
Consequence: What happened right after? (e.g., The student was sent to the hall, the teacher took the paper away, a peer laughed).
Low-Effort Application in the Classroom You do not need complex spreadsheets to track whether an intervention is effective.
The Sticky Note Method: Keep a pad of sticky notes on your desk. Every time a specific student has an outburst during math, put a quick tally mark on the note. If you introduce a fidget toy the next week and the tallies drop from 5 a day to 1 a day, you have immediate, concrete proof that the accommodation is effective.
Finding the Pattern: ABC tracking helps you spot hidden triggers. If you notice a student only melts down right before lunch, the issue might not be defiance—it might be that they are overstimulated by hunger, or they are terrified of the loud cafeteria.
Why this Matters: When it comes time to meet with parents or an ARD/IEP committee, having even simple tally marks moves the conversation from "He seems to be doing better" to "Since introducing the Theraband, his out-of-seat behaviors decreased by 80%."
