Transition Assessments an A-B-C Analysis

Transition Assessments

An A-B-C analysis is a functional behavior analysis (FBA) conducted to help ascertain the function or functions of the problem behavior. The evaluator uses a form (available from the IRIS Center at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/activities/independent/iin005.pdf) to note occurrences of the behavior (B). The evaluator also makes notes about antecedents before the behavior was observed (A) and the consequences that immediately followed (C). For practice using the form, an evaluator can view the suggested YouTube video of a child's tantrum (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpSfThUv_pc).

The video, to humorous effect, shows a toddler throwing a tantrum. It is not known what preceded the tantrum or what caused the child to begin to behave in this way. In "tantrum mode," the child throws himself on the floor and cries loudly. As a consequence, the parents (and even the dog) move to another room without responding. As soon as they are out of his sight, the child walks to a place where they can see him and again throws himself on the floor. This is repeated several times and the video ends before we see the child give up, although one presumes that is eventually what happens.

Special educators may have to deal with tantrums in students of any age; they may manifest differently with older students, who may scream, shout obscenities, throw objects or become physically aggressive. Young children, such as the one in the video, may also hit, kick or bite in addition to throwing themselves on the floor and crying. The goal, as the parents demonstrate in the video, is to diffuse the tantrum while ensuring the child is safe and does not harm himself or others.

The value of the A-B-C assessment is that it can help identify patterns in behavior. The educator can see what sort of stimuli or circumstances trigger a tantrum and how the tantrum is manifest. The educator can see what happens after the tantrum and how, if at all, the tantrum was managed. The educator can learn how to deal more effectively with the child him how to deal with his emotions and frustrations before a tantrum occurs. Depending on the child's abilities and self-awareness, these could include avoidance of triggers, self-soothing strategies, and learning to process the feelings and choose more healthy alternative responses. Results of the A-B-C assessment can be shared with other educators and parents and can assist in the planning of the next set of goals in the student's education plan.

A second assessment strategy is monitoring achievement in the classroom. As shown in the short video available through the IRIS Center (http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/gpm/challenge.htm), test scores alone do not give teachers enough information about why their students are struggling and what kind of interventions would be effective in helping them. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) on student progress can be used to inform instruction, estimate and then document student progress, and share information about student progress with parents and other educators.