Systematic Behavior Observations School Psychologists in Caveland Region (SPIC-R) 12/02/11

ABC Recording The observer attempts to record the events that occur around the behavior within an environment One way to organize a narrative observation Records specific environmental events categorized as: A = Antecedent B = Behavior C = Consequence

ABC Recording Helps to understand “what’s going on” Uninvolved observer may see things involved staff can not Often may give insight into function of the behavior

Basic Procedures for ABC Recording Write down as the behavior occurs Record the consequences Think back to antecedents and record Interpret the data only after gathering additional information. Make generalizations and find support from other sources (re: interviews, observations, etc.)

Advantages of ABC Recording Helps to pinpoint important events in a given situation More efficient recording method than anecdotal May yield information about behaviors that are present or absent from a student’s skill repertoire (skill vs. performance deficits)

Disadvantages of ABC Recording Same disadvantages as Narrative Recordings Observer may not always see or key into antecedents due to distractions or temporal distance Difficult to always categorize events into A-B-C format

Antecedent Behavior and Consequences (ABC) After anecdotal observations have been made, they can be analyzed to determine the behavior(s), antecedents and consequences. Antecedent Behavior Consequence

ABC Recording - Example Student: Sally Setting: Ms. Smith Language arts Observer: Myers Date: 9/02/11 Antecedent Behavior Consequences Completing journals Writing in journal Peer pulled away Banged pencil on table Grabbed object from peer Hit peer on arm Teacher told to stop Peer pulled away and teacher directed to task Teacher requested Sally to sit in chair away from others (TO)

Narrative Sample- Change to ABC (Primary Classroom cont.) Sally moved around on her chair attempting to look out the window. After 1-2 minutes, the teacher directed Sally back to her desk to finish her assignment and informed her that she lost 5 minutes of recess. Sally walked back to her desk, touching every peer on the top of the head as she went. Each peer reacted by yelling “stop that”. Sally returned to her desk and sat making loud noises and complaining about the assignment and the loss time at recess. The teacher then told her that if she did not finish she would miss the entire recess.

Conduct ABC observation on Tracy Activity 1 Conduct ABC observation on Tracy

Duration Recording The observer measures the total length of time that the behavior occurs during a predefined observation period Provides a record of how long the behavior occurs Can be a more accurate measure when frequency alone is unrepresentative

Advantages of Duration Recording Most appropriate for behaviors of low to moderate frequency Appropriate for behaviors of long duration Appropriate for behaviors of variable duration Appropriate for behaviors that involve latency (e.g. tardiness, time to start activity, etc)

Disadvantages of Duration Recording Targeted behavior must have clearly definable beginning and end Difficult to use with more than one student at a time Inappropriate for behaviors of high rates

Sample Duration Form

Duration Form-Example

Activity 2 Conduct duration observation Observe the amount of time Tina is out of seat

Frequency Count This means keeping track of the number of times a specific behavior occurs within a specific time period. Frequency counts are useful for recording behaviors: have a clear beginning and end and that last about the same amount of time each time they occur. Requires carefully predefined behavior.

Frequency Count You simply tally the number of times the target behavior occurred during the observation period. Some examples of a frequency count could be the number of math problems completed on a math worksheet within 15 minutes, the number of times a preschooler intentionally communicates in an hour, and the number of times a student raises his hand during a 10-minute class discussion.

Frequency Count Frequency counts can be used to determine rates of behavior For example, from a series of observations, it may be determined that a student’s average rate of “talking out” behavior may be twelve times per hour

Sample Frequency Recording Form

Frequency Recording Form- Example

Chart the number of times Raynetta talks out Activity 3 Chart the number of times Raynetta talks out

Scatter Plot A method of recording occurrence and nonoccurrence of behavior across activities, routines, and time periods, providing a visual display of patterns Identifies patterns of responding in natural settings Suggests possible sources of environmental control Example: Record occurrences of hitting and screaming and the specific times of the occurrences and the subject being taught when the behaviors occur.

Sample: Scatter Plot Data Sample Student: Jack Observer: Teacher Date: 1/8-1/19 Target Behaviors: H= Hitting S= Screaming Dates Time Activity 1/8 1/9 1/10 1/11 1/12 1/16 1/17 1/18 1/19 8:00 Morning Work 8:30 Journal 9:00 Reading Group HS H HS H H S HS S 10:00 Language Arts H HS S HS H H HS HS HS 11:00 Finish up morning S S Sx2 HS H H H H S Get ready for lunch

Interval Recording Although there are a number of reasons to consider interval recording, two important ones include: Sometimes behaviors occur too rapidly to reliably count. Sometimes behaviors do not have easily identifiable starting and end points (e.g. fussing).

General Procedures for Interval Recordings Select and define the target behavior that you will be observing Write down how long you will be observing every time: Total Observation Time Divide the total observation time into same length intervals and write down the length of each interval All intervals need to be the same length: Intervals can be from a few seconds long to a few minutes long Note: you will need a timing instrument such as a wall clock, wristwatch, or stopwatch in order to keep track of the time intervals.

Sample Interval Recording Form INTERVAL DATA RECORDING Participant: ______________________ Recorder: _________________ Environment: _____________________ Intervals method________________ Behavior: Date Start Time Intervals Occurred Total %

Partial Interval Recording You can look to see whether or not the behavior occurs at some point in each time interval (the behavior does not need to occur throughout the entire interval). Examples of behaviors that you can measure using Partial Interval include: Out of seat Off-task Self-stimulating

Partial Interval Recording Procedures After completing the General Procedures Keep an eye on your timing instrument to keep track of when intervals begin and end Look to see if the behavior occurs Once the target behavior occurs, place a (+) for that interval It does not matter how many times the behavior occurs. If it occurs once or many times during the interval, mark a (+). If, at the end of the interval the behavior did not occur, place an (o) for that interval At the end of your observation time, total the number of (+) Use this to calculate: Number of Intervals of Occurrence Percent of Intervals = ----------------------------------------------- X 100 Total Number of Intervals Observed

Chart using Partial Interval Recording. Activity 4 Chart using Partial Interval Recording.

References Alberto & Troutman (2009). Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers. Columbus, OH: Pearson. Alessi & Kaye (1983). Behavior Assessment for School Psychologists . Bethesda, MD: NASP. Big East Educational Cooperative. (2010). Direct Observation. (PowerPoint). Ashland, KY. Caveland Educational Support Center (2000). Systematic Behavioral Observations (PowerPoint). Bowling Green, KY Kentucky Administrative Regulations: Special Education Programs (2007) 707 KAR 1:270-707 KAR 1:380.

References Kentucky Department of Education (August 30,2010). Eligibility Policy Letter. Sattler (2002). Assessment of Children: Behavioral & Clinical Applications. LaMessa: CA: Sattler Publishing. University of Kentucky (1999). Functional Assessment of Behavior. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky. Van Houten & Hall (2001). The measurement of behavior: Behavior Modification. Austin, TX: ProEd. Wilderness Trail Special Education Cooperative. (2010). Conducting Behavior Observations. (PowerPoint). Richmond, KY.