Behavioural understanding

A powerful and respectful framework for understanding behaviour is the ABC model.

A = Antecedent (the trigger)

What happened immediately before the behaviour? Look at the environment, the task, the person's physical state.

Examples: "I asked her to take a bath." "The room was very noisy." "He hadn't eaten in six hours." "It's 5:00 PM and he always gets restless."

B = Behaviour (the action)

What exactly did the person do? Be specific and descriptive, not judgmental.

Examples: "He started pacing from room to room." "She kept pulling at her clothing and crying." "He lashed out and hit me when I tried to help him stand."

C = Consequence (the result)

What was the response, and how did the person react to it? This isn't about punishment; it's about understanding the outcome.

Examples: "She calmed down after I stopped asking her to bathe." "He seemed relieved when I gave him a blanket and left him alone."

The key insight: It is rarely the person deciding to be difficult. The behaviour is usually a response to an overwhelming trigger. The person may be in pain, frightened, bored, overstimulated or unable to communicate a basic human need.