See the pattern behind tantrums, defiance, and meltdowns.
Know what happens before the behavior, after it, or both.
Track your family's patterns with a fillable 7-day ABC Log.
Every behavior has a before and an after
Behavior rarely comes out of nowhere. It happens in a sequence: an Antecedent (what happens right before), the Behavior itself, and a Consequence (what happens right after). Once you can see the sequence, you can change it. Every strategy I use with families changes the A, the C, or both. That's why the ABCs are always Step 1. Parenting approaches for child behavioral challenges often fall apart because families use strategies randomly. We are purposeful and start at Step 1: Noticing the behavioral sequences so we know what to change in Steps 2-6.
What's inside the 11-page toolkit
• The ABCs in plain language, with real examples • Where every Parent Step fits: which strategies change the Antecedent (A) and which change the Consequence (C) • Observe without judging: what to look for, and what not to change yet • Spot the ABCs: three practice scenarios with an answer key • Five thinking traps parents fall into that make improving their child's behavior difficult, and what to think instead • A fillable 7-day ABC Log and Catch the Thought worksheet • Two fridge cards to keep the ABCs in front of you and avoid out of sight out of mind phenomenon.
Meet Dr. Emily Gault, PhD
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist. My training took me through Georgetown University, LSU, the University of Miami, and Florida International University, including an NIH-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship, before I joined the faculty at FIU as a Research Assistant Professor. In 2023, I left academic research to open the Center for Child Behavior, my private practice focused on bringing families the research-supported tools that help children with significant behavioral difficulties. I have 10 years of experience providing comprehensive assessment and therapy for children with behavior challenges, and I've authored ~40 scientific publications on oppositional behavior, conduct problems, aggression, ADHD, and related topics. Today, I provide telehealth behavioral parent training for families across Florida. The Parent Steps is the six-step program I use with the families I work with, now available for any parent to use at home.
Common questions
What ages is this for? Kids ages 4 to 10. The same science applies to toddlers and teens, but are tailored differently for those ages. Will this help if my child has ADHD? Yes. ADHD makes listening, waiting, and staying calm harder, but the ABCs still shape behavior in children with ADHD, and these strategies are built for them. The ABC's or observing and assessment behavioral patterns are key research backed tools for the treatment of ADHD, defiance, conduct problems, and related challenges. Is this a physical product? No. It's a digital PDF you can download right after purchase. The worksheets are fillable on a computer or tablet, or you can print them. Is this therapy? No. This toolkit is educational and isn't a substitute for therapy or medical advice, and purchase does not create a therapist-client relationship. If your child has significant behavioral concerns, please reach out to a licensed provider. What comes after Step 1? Step 2 and this is the first change we make to the behavioral patterns we observed in Step 1. The rest of the steps are on the way.
See the pattern so you can change it.
Start with the step every family I work with starts with. Instant download, fillable on a computer or tablet, or print at home.
$7.00