The study of behavior teaches us that behavior is a form of communication. A young child’s behavior is often to communicate and achieve one or more of the following purposes:
Gain access to desired objects, items, activities, people, etc. Example: Pushing another child to gain access to the toy they were using.
Avoid, delay, or escape from nonpreferred tasks, activities, routines, transitions, etc. Example: Falling to the ground and kicking feet when it is time to transition to the bathroom.
Gain positive or negative attention from peers or adults. Positive attention example: Blowing a raspberry to make a peer laugh. Negative attention example: Standing up at circle time and getting verbally redirected by the teacher.
Gain sensations or experiences that feel good, calming, or help the body feel balanced and regulated. Example: Jumping up and down to create a soothing feeling.
In the study of Applied Behavior Analysis , these are called the “functions of behavior” (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2019).
To find the function of a particular behavior, behavior analysts may conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). An FBA is a systematic way to discover which situations make a behavior more likely to continue to occur. FBAs often include a narrative report and behavior plan. FBAs are based on a combination of direct observation, data, and interviews with parents, caregivers, and teachers.
After an FBA is completed, behavior analysts may consult and coach teachers on how to implement positive behavior support strategies in the classroom.
Source: Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2019). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.
If the child is receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or Behavioral Health services, you could ask the parent if they’ve had an FBA completed. If the child is not currently receiving ABA services, reach out to the Allegheny County Rapid Response Team at rapidresponse@tryingtogether.org to learn about additional resources.
After identifying a concerning behavior, a reliable next step is tracking the antecedent, behavior, and consequence (or immediate reaction or outcome following the behavior). Commonly called ABC data, the antecedent, behavior, and consequence can help teachers begin to see patterns of a behavior.
When we understand the circumstances that are more likely to make the behavior occur, we can start focusing on the classroom environment, interactions, and teaching new skills to help replace the concerning behavior.
An antecedent is what happens directly before the behavior. This can be external or internal. Example of antecedent: Children are sitting next to each other at morning snack and “Child A” finishes their snack.
Behavior is anything observable that the child does. Example of behavior: “Child A” hits the child sitting next to them.
A consequence is whatever happens immediately after the behavior. Consequences can increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again in the future. Example of consequence: The teacher tells “Child A” to get up from the table and go sit in the book corner while the other children finish snacks at the table.
To know if a consequence is helping decrease, maintain, or increase a concerning behavior, teachers can keep multiple days of ABC data to help see patterns. If the concerning behavior is increasing or staying the same, then the consequence is reinforcing or maintaining the behavior.
In the example above, the teacher telling “Child A” to get up from the table after they hit a peer might actually be reinforcing (or increasing/maintaining) the behavior of hitting. “Child A” might be learning, “If I hit my friend when I’m done with a snack, I can get up from the table early.”
By noting patterns of a concerning behavior, you can start to work with your classroom team and EI providers to address environment, interactions, developmentally appropriate practices, etc.
Remember: You can’t control someone’s behavior. What you can control are environmental antecedents and your reaction (the consequence).
