The ABC Behaviour chart focuses the practitioner’s observation on three key aspects of a child and their situation:
- A refers to the antecedent, the event or activity that occurs immediately before a particular behaviour
- B refers to an observed behaviour, a child’s action(s), as seen/heard and recorded
- C refers to the consequence, the event that immediately follows a behavior; such as the response(s) from the children and/or adults in the environment.
An ABC behaviour chart does not have to be complex. As with all record- taking documentation, it should contain information about who the observations are about, who made the observations and the time of the observation. This will enable a thorough analysis and overview of a number of observations about a particular child and contribute towards appropriate changes to be made which will benefit those involved.
To make best use of the ABC behaviour chart, it is important to record what interventions and/or changes are made to the ways in which practitioners respond to events as a result of the findings. This enables practitioners to be able to work together and evaluate, over due course, any changes to behaviour and whether the support from any practitioners involved has been successful in contributing to a child’s positive experiences in the setting.
Any information gathered about a child should be shared with parents.