ABC chart

Our downloadable ABC chart provides you with an information sheet about how to use it, a sample sheet showing examples of how to complete it, and a chart for you to use at home or at school. 

Use the ABC chart for behaviour tracking and to note the causes of the behaviours. If recording triggers and behaviours in the home, you can share the completed chart with teachers or nursery staff so that they can best support your child.

The chart is separated into various columns:

Day and time

Note the day and time of the incident- this helps you notice patterns- e.g. bedtime behaviour.

Setting/ events

Be specific with who was present, where it took place and when.

Antecedent (the action)

Note here what happened just prior to the behaviour- e.g. James was late for school/ a fire alarm went off. 

Behaviour

Again, be specific here with what behaviour you noticed, so rather than saying 'Katy was upset', write 'Katy began crying and covered her ears, then threw her cup on the floor.'

Consequence

Note in this column the consequences that followed not only for your child but also for those involved- e.g. Ben went to calm down in his room or Daisy was taken to see the headteacher. 

Consider whether the consequence benefitted your child or made things worse- write down how it escalated their distress or gave them the space to regulate themselves again. 

Likely function

What was gained/ lost by what happened? Was there a positive outcome? Were their needs met? Reflect on these aspects and note your thoughts here. 

Possible solutions

This column is for you to write down how this type of situation could be handled better in the future. Try to think of alternative solutions so that your child can cope better and either find ways to meet their own needs (e.g. self-soothing) or be better supported at school/ at home. 

An ABC chart can be used by parents, teachers and other caregivers to monitor a child's behaviour. It also keeps track of what triggers those behaviour incidents and helps caregivers find different ways through future situations to best support the child.