3: Look at Context

  • Goal: learn how to understand context
  • Gauge context by using ABC
    - Antecedent, behavior, and consequence
  • Practice ABC

Context

Context is everything when it comes to behavioral challenges in persons with dementia. There are always stimuli, people, events, etc. occurring before the behavior in question. The behavior never arises in a vacuum. Sometimes those stimuli, people, events, etc. occur regularly before the behavior emerges. Those things might increase the likelihood that challenging behavior will emerge.

Context = Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence

Antecedent: When something in the environment increases the chances that a particular behavior emerges, we call this an antecedent.

Antecedents come before the behavior of interest and increase the likelihood of behavior.

A consequence (outcome) usually follows a behavior. Consequence could be either pleasant or unpleasant.

ABC Record Form

Antecedent: What happened immediately before the behavior? Behavior: Describe the behavior in observable terms (e.g., kicked a peer) Consequence: What happened immediately after the behavior? Possible Function: What is the "payoff"? Why is the behavior happening?
















Exercise

Please listen to the audio and use ABC forms to practice figuring out the context Show Transcript

Display Examples of ABC Transcript
Show Full Module Text