ABC report field reference

Every field on the ABC report, what it captures, and whether it is required.

Every field on the ABC report, what it captures, and whether it is required. For how to work through the form, see Writing an ABC report.

Required fields are marked. Everything else is optional, and blank fields do not print on the exported PDF.


Step 1: Student and time

FieldRequiredNotes
StudentYesSelecting a student creates the draft and captures the incident's real start time
Start timeYesDefaults to when you started the report
End timeYesTracks itself until you submit or override it. Tap to set manually, tap again to return it to the clock
LocationNoWhere the incident happened
Campus staffNoWho else was present

Validation: the end time must be after the start time, and the report cannot cover more than 12 hours. Anything over 2 hours prompts a confirmation at submit.


Step 2: Antecedent

FieldRequiredNotes
AntecedentYesOne of four options, below
Antecedent settingNoWhole group, Small group, or Independent Work
NotesNoAnything the four options do not capture

The four antecedents:

OptionFunction it points at
Trying to get away from something (environment, peers, academic or non academic)Escape
Trying to get something (item, person, place, other)Access or attention
Trying to engage in self stimulatory behaviorsAutomatic or sensory
Trying to escape painMedical or physical

Two of these bring up an on screen prompt when selected. Self stimulatory suggests consulting the campus LSSP, behavior interventionist, or OT. Escape pain suggests consulting the campus nurse and parents. These are reminders only. They do not block submission and are not recorded on the report.

Historical reports from before December 2023 use an older seven option antecedent set. Both are supported in charts and summaries, and the data summary tells you how many reports came from each version.


Step 3: Behaviors

At least one behavior is required.

Noncompliance

FieldNotes
NoncomplianceCheckbox
DescriptionFree text, appears once checked

Elopement

FieldNotes
Running awayWithin the setting
Left the buildingElopement out

Maladaptive verbals

Crying, screaming, profanity, teasing, arguing, threats. Plus:

FieldNotes
OtherFree text
NotesFree text

Property destruction

FieldNotes
Property destructionCheckbox
DescriptionFree text

Self injurious behavior

FieldNotes
SIBCheckbox
Intensity level1 to 4, see the scale below
NotesFree text

SIB intensity scale:

LevelDefinition
11 to 5 acts with no injuries
26 to 10 acts with no injuries
311 to 15 acts, or minor injuries
416 or more acts, or major injury, or restraint

Use the scale as written. It is what makes intensity averages meaningful across a student's history and across teachers.

Physical aggression

Hitting, kicking, throwing, biting, pinching, spitting, property destruction. Plus:

FieldNotes
OtherFree text
DescribeFree text
Intensity levelSame 1 to 4 scale
NotesFree text

Checking any physical aggression box for the first time on a report opens the admin support sheet automatically. Send it if you need help, close it if you do not. It appears once per report.

Other behavior

Free text, for anything the categories above do not cover. Text here satisfies the "at least one behavior" requirement.


Step 4: Consequences

At least one consequence is required. Free text in Other notes counts.

Staff responses

Checkboxes, all optional individually:

Prompt calming, interruption, limited attention, removal of item, reinforce to stop, redirect to activity, work demand, peer attention, teacher attention, gave desired item, gave choices, removal of expectation, removal of work task, cool down, offered space, follow through.

FieldNotes
Set limitsIf/then or When/then
Other notesFree text

Room clear

FieldRequiredNotes
Room clearNoCheckbox
Start timeIf room clear is checked
End timeIf room clear is checkedMust be after the start time

Removed from room

FieldNotes
Removed from roomCheckbox
Start time
End time
ReasonFree text
Removed toHall (private conversation), BASE, or Office

Step 5: CPI and restraint

Nothing on this step is required. If none of it applies, move on.

FieldNotes
CPI disengagementCheckbox
CPI blockCheckbox
CPI holdCheckbox
CPI restraintCheckbox. Checking this escalates the report

Checking restraint reveals:

FieldNotes
Restraint typeChild, Standing, or Team Control
Start time
End time
NotesFree text
Staff involvedNames of staff who participated
Training datesWhen those staff were last trained

Any report recording restraint is flagged for administrator review automatically at submission. It carries an Escalated badge everywhere it appears and counts toward the Escalated Reports card on administrator dashboards. There is no way to file a restraint without escalating it.


Step 6: Review

FieldNotes
Additional notesFree text. The narrative the checkboxes cannot hold

The rest of this step is a read only summary of everything you entered. Tap back into any step to change something.

Write the additional notes properly. Six months from now, the checkboxes will tell someone what happened and this field will tell them what it meant.


What happens after you submit

  • The report is attributed to you and to the school you are currently in
  • It appears in your school's report history and on the student's profile
  • If restraint was recorded, it is flagged for administrator review
  • It counts toward dashboard metrics from that point on
  • Drafts do not count toward anything until they are submitted

You can edit or delete your own reports afterward. Administrators can edit any report at their school.

Something here wrong or missing? Email support@spedupeducation.com.