Antecedent—Behavior—Consequence



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

[pic]

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 |Behavior |

|Physical – |After lunch he goes to history class. During class, Owen fidgets with a string |

|Owen is over stimulated by the cafeteria |and walks around the room |

|Social – |During science he was really angry and was unable to focus and do his work |

|Jaquan got in a fight on the playground | |

|Biological- |Throughout the entire day, Katherine is observed putting head on desk and began |

|Katherine has a head cold |crying during reading |

Setting events can be physical, social, or biological. Here are some examples.

|Setting event |Behavior |

|Physical – |After lunch he goes to history class. During the first 20 minutes of class, Owen |

|Owen is over stimulated by the cafeteria |fidgets with a string he has in his pocket and walks around the room. |

|Social – |During science he was really angry and was unable to focus and do his work. |

|Jaquan got in a fight on the playground | |

|Biological- |Throughout the entire day, Katherine is frequently observed putting her head on |

|Katherine has a head cold |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

[pic]

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 |Behavior |

|Clay 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|Antoine begins playing with the lace on his shoe |

|lesson | |

|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 |Behavior |

|Clay 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

The last part of the behavior chain is the consequence which occurs after the behavior and they maintain the behavior. Consequences act as reinforcers or punishers to the behavior. Remember that reinforcers increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future. Behavior that is reinforced is made stronger. Consequences maintain the behavior and make the behavior “work” for the student with ASD. When Emmaline is given a matching activity and throws her learning materials, if she is allowed a five minute break while the supplies are cleaned up she is more likely to do the same behavior the next time work is given to her. The consequence, which was a 5 minute break, “worked” for her. It gave her something she desired.

Slide: Consequences compete!

• Consequences act as reinforcers to behavior and increase the chance that the behavior will occur again and again

• Consequences compete

• Which consequence did you like and what behavior would you more likely exhibit next time?

Think about our example with Logan. What do you think the pay-off is for Logan? His escape to the bathroom is getting him out of Algebra. The consequence for Logan is escape! Remember, consequences also act as reinforcers to behavior and increase the chance that the behavior will occur again and again.

When supporting a person with ASD, we must understand what happens after the behavior and what is reinforcing the behavior because consequences compete! What does this mean? Have you ever had a situation when you were torn about what to do and you had to consider the consequences of your actions? Think about when you were in school. Was there ever a time when you had a test to take and the night before the test you had to decide whether to stay home and study or whether to go out with your friends? If you chose to stay home and study the consequence was likely a good grade. If you decided to go out with your friends, then perhaps you received a poor grade or failed the test all together. These consequences compete! If studying was the choice you gained access to good grades. If going out with friends was the choice, you escaped work. – Which consequence did you like and what behavior would you more likely exhibit next time?

Slide: Examples of consequences

|Behavior |Consequence |

|Aiden poked his classmate in the shoulder over and over |The classmate walked away |

|Jenna got into a physical fight with another student |Jenna was suspended |

|Peter didn’t do his homework |Peter had to do his homework during recess |

|Dana ran out of the cafeteria |Dana’s teacher took her to the class so she could eat lunch alone |

|Raoul hit another student |Raoul was sent to the office |

Here are examples of consequences.

|Behavior |Consequence |

|Aiden poked his classmate in the shoulder over and over |The classmate walked away |

|Jenna got into a physical fight with another student |Jenna was suspended |

|Peter didn’t do his homework |Peter had to do his homework during recess |

|Dana ran out of the loud cafeteria |Dana’s teacher took her to the class so she could eat lunch alone |

|Raoul hit another student |Raoul was sent to the office |

As you can see, the consequences happened after the behavior. Consequences are a crucial piece to the behavior chain and provide a great deal of information about the context in which interfering behavior occurs in the classroom.

Slide: Example of a positive consequence

• Jamal is a student with autism

• Jamal enjoys listening to books on the computer

• He has difficulty getting his work done in a timely manner

• The consequence of gaining access to the computer increases the likelihood that Jamal will complete his work in a timely manner

Consequences don’t just reinforce or maintain interfering behavior, but consequences maintain positive and good behaviors too. Let’s look at an example.

Jamal is a fifth grade student with autism. He thoroughly enjoys listening to books on the computer in the classroom. Jamal has had difficulty in getting his work done in a timely manner. His teacher decides to work on this problem behavior. On the occasion that Jamal finishes his work on time, the teacher allows him access to the computer to listen to a book before moving to the next task. Jamal is learning that when he completes his work in a timely fashion that he has time to listen to the book on the computer. The consequence of gaining access to the computer increases the likelihood that Jamal will complete his work in a timely manner the next time. It is our job to look at consequences for all behaviors!

Slide: Think About It!

• Go to the question titled Leo and the Behavior Chain

1. What is the interfering behavior?

2. What is the setting event?

3. What is the antecedent?

4. What is the consequence?

5. Is it likely this behavior will occur again in the future?

It’s time for your next Think About It! activity. Please find your Participant Handbook for Module 1 and go to the question titled Leo and the Behavior Chain.

For this activity, read the case study provided, and answer the following questions:

1. What is the interfering behavior?

2. What is the setting event?

3. What is the antecedent?

4. What is the consequence?

5. Is it likely this behavior will occur again in the future?

Remember Leo? Leo is our 4th grader with ASD. Recently, Leo moved to a new school from out of state and is getting used to a new school, with new staff, new routines and new types of curriculum demands.

Leo is working on word problems in math class. Leo finds this really hard and gets upset during math. The teacher scolds him several times when he doesn’t write down an answer to a problem the class is working on together. When it is time for recess, Leo is thrilled and can’t wait to play with the new kickball the class just received. When the class gets to the playground Jackson, a classmate grabs the kickball and runs to the playground. Leo chases him and bites him on the arm. Jackson screams and drops the ball. Leo grabs the ball and runs far away to the end of the playground where he plays for 5 minutes before a teacher finds him and takes the ball away.

Slide: Thoughts!

• The interfering behavior is Leo biting another student

• The setting event is Leo struggling in math

• The antecedent is the student (Jackson) taking the kickball

• The consequence is Leo being provided 5 minutes to play with the kickball

• The behavior is likely to happen

Here are the answers to the questions about Leo

1. What is the interfering behavior? The interfering behavior is Leo biting another student

2. What is the setting event? There is a setting event or what is also considered a slow trigger in this scenario. The setting event is Leo struggling in math and being scolded by his teacher several times.

3. What is the antecedent? The antecedent or the fast trigger in this situation is the student (Jackson) taking the kickball.

4. What is the consequence? The consequence is Leo being provided 5 minutes to play with the kickball by himself.

5. Is it likely this behavior will occur again in the future? I think the behavior is likely to happen again. Leo received a positive consequence where he was allowed access to the kickball he wanted. Since biting the student “worked for him” then he may do it again in the future.

Slide: Summary

• Help provide the bigger picture of why the behavior is happening

• The setting event sets up the behavior

• The antecedent sets off the behavior

• The consequence maintains the behavior

Gathering information about the behavior chain will help provide you with the bigger picture of why the behavior is happening. The first part of the behavior chain is the setting event which sets up the behavior. The next component is the antecedent which sets off the behavior, and finally the last piece is the consequence which maintains the behavior. Now that you’ve learned about the behavior chain, you’re ready to tackle the practical application of investigating the where and when of interfering behavior. We will do this by Asking about behavior through the use of an interview process. This is the next step in the D.A.S.H. process.

Slide: Reference

Information for this presentation was taken from Practical Functional Behavioral Assessment Training Manual for School Based Personnel written by Sheldon Loman, Ph.D. and Christopher Borgneier, Ph.D. at Portland State University.

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Behavior

Laid head on desk

Antecedent

Math assignment

Setting event

Woke up late, missed the bus

Behavior

Crumpled paper

Antecedent

Grammar assignment

Setting event

Consequence

5 minute break

Behavior

Threw learning materials

Antecedent

Given matching activity

Setting event

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