Free Printable ABC Behavior Chart (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence)

About these abc chart handouts

An ABC chart is a way to collect information about a behavior. A stands for the antecedent, what happened right before. B stands for the behavior, what you saw and heard. C stands for the consequence, what happened right after. Over several entries, patterns often show up that a single event hides. This kind of data collection often supports a functional behavior assessment run by a school team.

The single incident chart gives you three large boxes, one for each letter, plus the time, setting and staff present. It works for one event you want to describe in detail. The multi-row log is a landscape table with nine rows, so you can record many events on one page and look across them. The third version adds a setting column and a possible-function check, for attention, an item, avoiding a task, avoiding people or sensory input.

These charts are meant to support, not replace, your school or district procedures. A function check is the team's best guess, not a diagnosis, and one entry is a clue while a pattern across entries is better evidence. Keep the language neutral and describe only what you can observe.

Add the student's name, your name and the dates in the fill-in boxes before you print.

How to use them

1. Fill in the student, observer and dates.
2. Pick the chart that fits how many events you want to record.
3. Write what happened before, during and after, in observable words.
4. Collect several entries over days or weeks.
5. Share the pattern with the team that supports the student.

Classroom tips

• Write behaviors so a stranger could picture them, such as 'left seat and walked to the door'.
• Record the antecedent even when it seems small, like a change in schedule.
• Collect at least five or six entries before drawing conclusions.
• Ask a colleague to record a few entries too, so you can compare.

Notes on this page

• Data collection to support, not replace, your school or district behavior procedures.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Handout Hero designs are original and made for this site. They are general reference material; check your own school, district or tradition where it matters.