Do you need to get an ABC data sheet running in your classroom but your not sure where to start? This blog post will walk you through all of the sections I like to include in my ABC data sheets. At the end of this blog post, you can download a sample data sheet.
I like to have staff put initials so I know who took the data. This allows me to see if the behavior is only happening with one person,. If that is happening, I can see why its happening.
A “time” column is an important part of the data sheet. It will help you pinpoint if there is a particular time the behavior is occurring. have a column for time. You can have open boxes or you can have time intervals, like the example above.
If the behavior happens occasionally, just write the time in an open box. if the behavior is happening 40 times a day, the time blocks might be more effective. This option is a great way to track a bunch of different demonstrations of behavior during a specific time block. It makes intense, frequent behaviors more manageable to track.
The next column I like to put is setting. I will list settings like classroom, cafeteria, playground, transition. I try and list every setting my student comes across. I will put initials and my staff members can just quickly circle the setting they were in when the behavior occurred.
Next to settings, I like to list activities. These can include whole group, small group, independent work, break time etc. Again, this makes it really easy for my staff to document the activity they were doing when the behavior occurred.
I also have all behaviors listed as well. This could include aggression towards adult, peers, self injurious behavior, property destruction. Again, all they have to do is circle what they saw.
I like to have the consequences listed. I will list all consequences not just the ones I want to see. I might want staff using planned ignoring, but if a staff member continues to verbally engage I need to have that listed so I can track it as well.
Levels of support can be another helpful option. Consider adding this if you sometimes need extra staff for safety. You can document how frequently the student needed the extra support.
If you have a school wide intervention team (Behavior Intention Team or other type of intervention team) this can help you document how often they had to help support the student.
It is important to spell everything out at the bottom. For example, what specifically is property destruction? If you have a key at the bottom of the sheet, it helps keeps everybody on the same page.
I hope this blog helped explain the different parts of an ABC data sheet. Please note, I am not a BCBA. There are many different ways to do an ABC sheet, this is just the way I used them in my classroom. If you need a data sheet template to base your sheets off of, click here to download a free data sheet!