• Home
  • Shop
    • Shop Now
    • Gift Cards
    • Cart
    • Purchase Orders
    • School Licenses
    • My Account
  • Blog
    • Academics
      • Adapted Books
      • Comprehension
      • Cooking
      • Crafts
      • ELA
      • Fine Motor
      • Life Skills
      • Math
      • Occupational Therapy
      • Science
      • Sensory Bins
      • Social Emotional Learning
      • Social Skills
      • Social Studies
      • Speech Therapy
      • Task Boxes
      • Vocabulary
      • Writing
    • At Home Learning
      • Digital
      • Remote Learning
    • Behavior
      • ABA
      • Communication
        • AAC
      • Data
      • Schedules
      • Visuals
    • Simple Classroom
      • Back to School
      • Book Recommendations
      • Classroom Setup
      • Freebies
      • IEP
      • Inclusion
      • Inspiration
      • Organization
      • Paraprofessional
      • Remote Learning
      • Seasonal
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Spring
        • Summer
    • Tot School
  • Classroom Tours
    • Self-Contained
    • Speech
    • Preschool
    • Elementary Autistic Support
    • K-2
    • K-2 (Socially Distanced)
    • K-4 (Tiny Room)
    • 1-4 (Life Skills)
    • 2-3 (ABA)
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • High School (Life Skills)
    • Multiple Disabilities
  • New Teachers
    • Join My Online Course
    • First Year
    • Interviews
    • Job Search
  • Grade Level
    • Preschool
    • Primary
    • Elementary
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Simple Self-Contained Setup 101®
    • Join Now!
    • Success Stories
    • Log In
  • Free Resources
    • Log In
  • More…
    • Meet Alyssa
    • Meet Our Bloggers
    • Collaborate
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosures
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Simply Special Ed

Resource Downloads & Teaching Advice

Behavior Blog Data Freebies

How to Use ABC Data Sheets

We take data all day long as special education teachers. When a new behavior arises, we have to determine the function of the behavior. We use ABC data to determine that function and in turn make decisions about how to address it. I’ll show you how to use ABC data sheets! Plus, there is a FREE download!

digital ABC data sheet
ABC data helps determine the function of a behavior.

What is ABC Data?

First, let’s look at what ABC data is. ABC stands for:

  • A: Antecedent- what happens immediately before the behavior occurs?
  • B: Behavior- what is the behavior? What does it look like? What exactly is happening?
  • C: Consequence- what happens immediately after the behavior occurs?

We look at these 3 things to determine what the function of the behavior is.

data sheet clipboards
Have data sheets readily accessible for any time they are needed!

When Should I Take ABC Data?

When should you take ABC data? Whenever a behavior arises you don’t know the function of. ABC data serves a specific purpose and can be used to make decisions regarding behavior. We have to use data to make all decisions. Data driven decisions will result in the best behavior change. I like to keep a copy of the digital version in my Google Drive and some printed copies on my personal clipboard to have on hand. Grab the free download here!

abc data
Fill in your ABC data sheet with lots of notes to analyze!

How Do I Take ABC Data?

Observation, observation, observation! Observe the student! Observe to note the antecedent, behavior, and consequence. Note everything you see and hear at each step. It may seem silly to make so many notes, but when you look at everything in the big picture of the behavior, something small may be the key to determining the function. Make sure to note the start and end times of each behavior. That can also play a role in the function of the behavior.

goal data sheet
When you determine the function of a behavior, you can start working on it!

What Do I Do with the ABC Data?

Analyze it and make some data driven decisions! Once you determine the function of the behavior, you can start working on it. You can create a goal and objectives and begin teaching replacement behaviors. That is the beauty of ABC data. It shows you exactly what you need to work on with your students. You can find my data sheets here!

ABC data takes the guess work out of behavior change. Determining the function of a behavior is the key to creating positive behavior change and finding appropriate replacement behaviors for our students. For more data tips, check out The Special Educator’s Guide to Data Collection! Don’t forget to grab the FREE ABC Data Sheets!

Related Posts:

  • Data Collection: ABC Data
    Data Collection: ABC Data
  • How to Use Fine Motor Sheets in the Classroom
    How to Use Fine Motor Sheets in the Classroom
  • How to Analyze Your Data
    How to Analyze Your Data
Share
Pin


« Parent Teacher Conferences as a Related Service Provider
Working on Fine Motor Skills with Visual Crafts »
Hi amazing teachers!
I'm Alyssa Shanahan -- a former Elementary Special Ed & Life Skills teacher. My classroom focus was always to keep things simple, increase communication, and build independence. Simply Special Ed's goal is to help teachers and students reach their full potential in and out of the classroom!

Sign up to receive exclusive tips,
free resources, and more!

Recent Posts

4 Tips for a Special Needs Class FIeld Trip

The Best 10 Cause and Effect Toys

End of Year Checklist for Your Classroom

Creating an ESY Schedule

10 Almost Free OT Materials

New to Special Ed? Start here!

Copyright © Simply Special Ed 2023 · Design by Fancy Girl Design Studio

Copyright © 2023 · Simply Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in