Join Dave down at the beach as he discusses a way of reframing and understanding children’s behaviour using the ABC Iceberg Framework by The Ziggurat Group. This framework is a favourite of ours at MoveAbout because it really helps therapists, parents, and teachers reframe our thinking when we’re a bit confused about why a child might be doing something we don't completely understand.
The ABCs of Behaviour in this model are all the observable actions - these are what we can see; the ‘tip of the iceberg’. The ABCs of Behaviour are:
A - stands for Antecedent - what came before the behaviour.
B - stands for Behaviour - the action; what actually happened. Reframe this by stating what the behaviour is objectively. Try to remove judgement (hard we know!).
C - stands for Consequence - what typically happens after the behaviour. Consequence does not mean punishment.
We like to start with the B - Behaviour. Understanding behaviour is really important - and we adults can get it wrong sometimes! We first ask ourselves: What is the behaviour and what is it telling us? We like to start here, because when we don’t understand more about this, our approach for redirecting the behaviour might totally miss the mark and we could possibly fuel the fire for more of the same type of behaviour. When we understand it, we can more readily support the child to be more successful.
We can then look at the A - Antecedent. What is usually happening right before the behaviour? Where is this usually happening?
Then consider the C - Consequence. What usually happens after the behaviour? This doesn't mean what punishment the child received. Think about it like this: Behaviour always serves a purpose - What do you think the consequence helped the child achieve? Did the child get to avoid a task? Did the consequence result in peer attention? Did the consequence result in the child getting access to something they wanted? Today’s consequences can be tomorrow’s antecedents!
When you think of an iceberg, remember that much of the iceberg is underneath the surface. In this model, this is where the child’s underlying strengths and individual differences lie. These are not visible behaviours; rather they are characteristics of the child, such as their sensory processing differences, developmental level or verbal or regulatory capacities. These are important to keep in mind throughout our work with a child, as they will inform us on how to best approach and trial strategies with the child in order to best support them.
If you’re interested in learning more about this model, here are a few helpful links:
- Link to the ABC Iceberg model worksheet: [ Ссылка ]
- Link to the Ziggurat Group’s website: [ Ссылка ]
We hope this was helpful. Drop us a comment or question down below - we'd love to hear what you think!
#childdevelopment #behaviors #pediatricoccupationaltherapy #paediatricoccupationaltherapy
