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VCU-ACE - Strategies for Supporting Positive Behaviors in Students with ASD Online Course
Antecedent—Behavior—Consequence
The When and the Where of Behavior
Slide: Introduction
· Learn more about WHEN and WHERE behavior occurs
· In this presentation we will cover:
o The importance of the behavior chain
o What is a setting event?
o What is an antecedent?
o What is a consequence?
Now that we’ve learned how to DEFINE behavior, it’s time to move on to the next letter in the D.A.S.H. process. Yet, before we can learn how to ASK about behavior, we need to go over a few fundamentals regarding the when and where of behavior.
In this presentation, we will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand the importance of the behavior chain. The behavior chain gives us information about WHEN and WHERE behavior occurs. As we learn more about WHEN and WHERE behavior occurs, this will help us to better understand ultimately WHY the behavior occurs.
A thorough and individualized assessment of behavior must examine what happens before and after a behavior occurs. This is referred to as the behavior chain. As you will learn in this presentation, the behavior chain is very important.
In this presentation, we are going to cover the following topics:
· What is a setting event?
· What is an antecedent?
· What is a consequence?
Slide: ABC of behavior
· It’s time to examine the ABCs of behavior
· A = Antecedent (including setting events)
· B= Behavior
· C= Consequences
Now that we know how to accurately define a behavior, it’s time to examine the behavior chain: A= Antecedent (including setting events), B= Behavior and C= Consequence and later, we show how that fits into D.A.S.H. process.
Slide: Behavior never happens in isolation!
o Something always happens before and after a behavior
o These events are known as the behavior chain
o The behavior chain includes:
§ Setting events, or slow triggers, SET UP a behavior
§ Antecedents, or fast triggers, SET OFF a behavior
§ Consequences, or the pay off, MAINTAIN a behavior
Interfering behavior never occurs in isolation. There is always something that happens before and after a behavior. Also, behaviors occur in a very specific time and place. With just these small amounts of clues, we are piecing together the very fundamentals of the behavior chain.
A behavior chain considers the events that set up a behavior, the events that set off a behavior and the events that maintain a behavior.
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 detective work to uncover the specifics. Oftentimes, 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 something as simple as a missed step in a student’s crucial morning routine can contribute to a day starting off on the wrong track and be the setting event for a behavior later on. Because setting events happen over a longer period of time, these are 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 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. This is a fast trigger that resulted in the interfering behavior.
Finally, there are consequences to any behavior which maintain the behavior. There is always an ‘after’ aspect to a behavior, and these events are known as consequences. Consequences act as reinforcers or punishers to the behavior. For the student, this is the pay off to their behavior. Anything that reinforces a behavior acts to increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. With the student above, if he did not have to do the math worksheet for 3 minutes while the teacher was busy with other students, then he was reinforced for throwing the worksheet on the floor. His behavior was maintained 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: What is a setting event?
· Slow trigger
Setting events are known as slow triggers and set up the behavior. They are a little like atmospheric conditions. When it’s cloudy, you know there is an increased chance of rain sometime that day. A setting event is really no different for the student with ASD and when known to staff, help us gauge how a student might handle difficult assignments, changes in the routine, or other aspects to life in the classroom. Slow triggers 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. The bus was early and she had missed it when she arrived at the bus stop so her 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 instead 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.
Slide: Types of setting events
Setting event / BehaviorPhysical –
Owen is over stimulated by the cafeteria / After lunch he goes to history class. During class, Owen fidgets with a string and walks around the room
Social –
Jaquan got in a fight on the playground / During science he was really angry and was unable to focus and do his work
Biological-
Katherine has a head cold / Throughout the entire day, Katherine is observed putting head on desk and began crying during reading
Setting events can be physical, social, or biological. Here are some examples.
Setting event / BehaviorPhysical –
Owen is over stimulated by the cafeteria / After lunch he 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.
Social –
Jaquan got in a fight on the playground / During science he was really angry and was unable to focus and do his work.
Biological-
Katherine has a head cold / Throughout the entire day, Katherine is frequently observed putting her head on her desk and began crying during reading.
Slide: Examples of setting events
· Understanding setting events may take some of the ‘mystery’ out of erratic behaviors
· All of those ‘little things’ that set up a stormy atmosphere for Jack’s day
· You can help to reduce the impact of the setting event
· There may not always be a setting event for interfering behaviors
If there is a setting event, understanding it may take some of the ‘mystery’ out of erratic behaviors. Imagine the following scenarios:
Jack’s mom had bought a brand of waffles that he did not normally accept. On top of that, his favorite blue pair of sweatpants were in the laundry and he was forced to wear jeans. Jack hates to wear jeans. Later in the day, Jack became very upset over the math assignment on fractions and threw his chair in frustration. Now, all of those ‘little things’ that set up a stormy atmosphere for Jack’s day were not insignificant and these were not things Jack could just ignore or get over due to the core deficits of ASD. These are very significant hurdles for Jack to deal with and must be considered as we plan any type of behavioral intervention.
In another situation, Hayley’s morning routine at home seemed to go just fine. She slept well, ate her normal breakfast and was able to get on the bus with no problems. But during the 15 minute bus ride to school, Hayley was teased by a group of students. An hour later, Hayley became very agitated when asked to read several paragraphs from the science textbook and slammed her book on the floor, refusing to participate.
In both of these scenarios, it is necessary to try and gauge the conditions of your student’s day in order to help you know how and when to effectively intervene and possibly even prevent interfering behavior from occurring. In the case of such slow triggers, you can help to reduce the impact of the setting event by doing several things. First, try to eliminate the setting event if you can. For example, if the student gets in a fight every morning prior to the start of school, work to eliminate the fight and help the student to start his day on a more positive note. 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 problem 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.
Slide: What is an antecedent?
· Fast trigger
The next item in the behavior chain is the antecedent. These events happen right before the behavior occurs and set off the behavior. It is considered to be a fast trigger. That is, interfering behaviors follow them immediately. When Becca is presented with a grammar worksheet in English class she crumples the paper and throws it to the floor. The antecedent or fast trigger in this situation is the presentation of the worksheet. The behavior of crumpling the worksheet happened immediately after its presentation.
Slide: Why are antecedents important to understand?
· Antecedents are powerful and directly influence behavior
· When the antecedent is not apparent it will require observation and assessment to determine the fast trigger
Antecedents are powerful and directly influence behavior. Antecedents should be addressed whenever problem behavior is occurring with a student with ASD. 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.
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 his second period Algebra class, the teacher announced a pop quiz on polynomial equations. Logan immediately cried out that he had to use 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!
Slide: Examples of antecedents
Antecedent / BehaviorClay walks into PE class where children are cheering loudly / Clay begins crying and runs out of the gym
Antoine is asked a question by the teacher about the history lesson / Antoine begins playing with the lace on his shoe
Patty’s classmate starts talking to her / Patty walks away from her classmate
The principal tells the students to be quiet / Ebony begins to cry
Here are examples of antecedents.
Antecedent / BehaviorClay walks into PE class / Clay begins crying and runs out of the gym
Antoine is asked a question / Antoine begins playing with the lace on his shoe
Patty’s classmate starts talking to her / Patty walks away from her classmate
The principal tells the students to be quiet in the hallway / Ebony begins to cry
As you can see from these examples, the antecedent happened immediately before the interfering behavior.
Slide: What is a consequence?
· Occurs after the behavior