An antecedent is the event or situation that happens immediately before a behavior occurs. In ABA therapy, identifying antecedents helps clinicians understand what may be triggering a behavior and how environmental factors influence responses. Recognizing these patterns allows therapists to modify the environment, adjust instructions, or provide supports that prevent challenging behaviors from occurring. Parents can explore how antecedents fit into the larger behavior framework in Understanding the ABC ABA Model.
See Related: Consequence, Behavior Function, Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), ABC Model
