What are Antecedent Interventions?

Antecedent interventions refer to strategies that parents, educators, and others can use to prevent incidents of problem behaviors before they happen. Examples of behaviors that may be addressed with antecedent interventions include aggression, self-injury, being off-task during class, disruptive behaviors, and more.

Some benefits of using these strategies include:

• Less teacher or parent time used for discipline after behaviors have taken place,
• Reduced need for punishment, making the classroom or home a more relaxed and pleasant place,
• Appropriate behaviors are improved, not just negative behaviors being reduced,
• Students feel more comfortable because their needs and preferences are taken into account.