Unit 3 Study Guide

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AB565 Professional Ethics Unit 3: Study Guide 1. Comment on Leaf et al.’s (2021) critique of the RBT® certification. To what extent do you agree with their critiques? You need not agree or disagree with all of their critiques; you may select one or two and comment on those specific critiques. Leaf et al. critiques the RBT certification for it’s shortcomings in a few areas such as training proficiency, training length, missing skills on the task list, and the task list missing operational definitions. While the RBT certificate can be held by those without any degree, only a high school diploma, it grants them the ability to practice ABA therapy with clients of all ages. An RBT may not have any other type of schooling or training other than their 40 hours, which I can agree with Leaf et al.’s concern. I have been studying behavior and psychology since my time in my undergraduate studies. While I may not have studied directly applied behavior analysis, I still studied the psychology of people and their reasoning for behavior. With my 40-hour training, I feel like I was able to solidify many things I have previously learned and understand how they are implemented in this field. This is not the case for everyone, however. I do not think only 40-hours of coursework is enough to be able to perform this therapy. Trainings, and more applicable supervision should be implemeneted, to ensure the teacher is fully prepared for their role. In addition, I can understand the writer’s worry about the missing skills on the task list. It is stated that a skill like stimulus fading was removed due to it being too advanced for an entry-level RBT, but this is a key skill in teaching and it should be required. Though this job might not require a great deal of education, it is not necessarily considered entry level. ABA therapists teach the most important skill- functional communication. RBT’s should be heald to a higher standard due to the honor they have of teaching such important daily living essentials. If something is ‘too difficult’ the RBT candidate should not pass the exam.

AB565 Professional Ethics They should be required to learn such important skills that they will use daily in the field, even if they require more practice than others. 2. How would implementing Leaf et al.’s solutions resolve the issues they addressed? If you work in an RBT role, do you think implementing their solutions would resolve any issues in your own organization? Leaf et al. believes that training hours should increase to align with the research. This would not be harmful to anyone in the field. Although it is more time consuming, learning more is never a bad thing. For those who have no skill other than a high school diploma, they may need to spend more time going over basic concepts. Someone who has been in an adjacent field might know some things, but might need to spend more time learning how it applies to ABA. I think that a longer training would make everyone feel more confident in their skill set, increase the passing rate of the RBT exam on the first try, and make for solid therapists who can lend a hand to other para-professionals working in their classroom. Including all necessary procedures on the task list is very important as well to have a fully operational therapy session. Including something like shaping on the task list is a necessity. Just because this process might be considered difficult by some, does not mean it should be removed. The RBT must be ready to learn the things that they find challenging in order to become the most successful therapist for their clients. Defining the skills clearly, like the writers explained, would be helpful in the successful implementation of the various practices like shaping that were removed from the task list due to difficulty. 3. Pick one of the three primary approaches to ethics about which you have learned thus far: virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism. Using Rosenberg and Schwartz (2019) as a guide, make a case for why behavior analysts’ professional ethics should be based on that approach. What is an issue with this approach?

AB565 Professional Ethics Consequentialism is a behavior approach that determines whether behavior is “right or wrong” based on the consequences of that behavior (Broadhead et al., 2018). A behavior is deemed right if it “maximizes the good” and wrong if it does more harm than good. As a BCBA, it is always a practioners aim to do no harm. Practitioners need to find the best fit of services for their client, and there is not one right answer. Two clients can have the same struggle, but need two very different approaches. It would be unethical to use the same teaching tools for each client and expect it to work, because everyone learns differently. It is key to “evaluate” each “ethical dilemma” and consider all extenuating circumstances before landing on an intervention for a particular client ( Rosenberg and Schwartz, 2019). If a BCBA knows a particular approach to teaching color mastery is to use a rainbow and have the students match the colors is helpful, they might use that as their go- to lesson for colors. If there is a student that is so low functioning that they are not able ot identify a match in such a large color field, then this would not be useful. It is the ethical duty of the practioner to make applicable lessons for all students, rather than just using one teaching method. Behavior Analysts should use this method for ethics because it is puts the client first. This method allows the individual to have their needs met in a way that is tailored to them, rather than the practitioner being rigid in their teaching ways. The only issue to the consequentialism approach is that a consequence is not always ‘good’ or ‘beneficial’. Sometimes behavior can be learned through natural consequences, which are not always enjoyable. It is the job of the BCBA to know when a potential consequence could be more dangerous than useful. For example, teaching a child that it is dangerous to jump off the top of the slide at the playground holds far too dangerous of a consequence to allow for consequentialism to be the primary tool in this scenario. It is the duty of the BCBA to do no

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AB565 Professional Ethics harm and provide a different teaching method for safety, than just allowing the client to learn for themselves through natural consequences. 4. Compare Rosenberg and Schwartz’s (2019) ethical decision-making model to that proposed by Brodhead, Cox, and Quigley (2018). As an aid, pick an ethical scenario you have discussed so far in class. If you apply both models to this scenario, how do they differ and how are they similar? Do they suggest different courses of action? Rosenberg and Schwartz believe that there cannot be a set of rules to define ethical behavior because every circumstance is so different with the client and the variables of the particular case. They have developed a model that involves deep thinking, with critical points for discussion. The bullet points in the task analysis of the decision making process they identified help the practitioner to invoke intense analyzation practices, as a part of the ‘process’ (2019). The model looks at the factors that might “influence” the profession’s “ethical guidelines” and the other factors that could “influence” an “ethical decision” (2019). Brodhead et al. believes there is a clinical ethical dilemma model with eight steps. Collecting data that is relevant, identifying all basic principles involved, considering which principles conflict with the details of the situation, creating a question about the conflict, choosing the most important principles, noting uncertainty, thinking what other professionals would do, and planning all the practical steps (2018). Within this system, the practitioner is able to identify any deficits, and cross-reference the client’s goals with the set steps. There is a clear image of what the problem is, what the goals are, any questions that might be impacting the decision, and ethical code violations. While both systems call for close analyzation of the decision at hand, they are also different. Rosenberg and Schwartz identified many sub-categories of questions. Within their steps, there are many secondary points to consider, which can be useful when making a

AB565 Professional Ethics tough decision. In the moment, we might not be able to consider all the implications a decision can have on ourself, the client, and the desired behavior, so having the guidelines is helpful. Both models include similar steps- identifying the problem, listing the needed change, and listing the interventions. These models are different as Rosenbery and Schwartz’s model includes questions about ethical dilemms, safety, and family preferences. This model seems more encompassing and detailed than Brodhead et al’s. I can apply both models to my descision about working with a student who was not in a proper public school placement, when I was asked to go to a new school with him. Both models would land me at the same decision as they both call for me to analyze the client’s preferences and safety, any ethical dilemmas, and implementing a solution with fidelity. I would prefer to use Rosenberg and Schwartz’s model as it would be a clearer picture of why I made the right decision not to follow my client. This model asks for evaluation of client dignity and family preferences, impact on my relationship with other parties (current school), and ethical codes of the BACB. When I look at the responses to those items, I know the decision was clear that I made the right choice. 5. Describe one dual relationship you have had. Did this relationship pose an ethical dilemma? Was it unavoidable? How did you navigate this relationship? Apply Brodhead et al.’s (2018) decision-making model to your situation. Looking back on it, should you have handled it differently? I had unintentionally entered a dual relationship with a client’s parent when they were in need of someone to confide in. I visited the client’s home for services and when I was there, the mother always wanted to talk. She would invite me to stay for dinner and always wanted to vent about the other children in the home and the children’s father. While I understood that this woman meant well and was not trying to break any boundaries, I had

AB565 Professional Ethics to remind her on multiple occasions that I was in her home to provide services for her child, and it was not proper to talk about other kids or her relationship with their father. This was unavoidable because it wasn’t possible to hold the session in another location and I wanted to build a good repoire with the mother, but in the end I did end up telling her it was not practical to have these conversations. In looking at Brodhead et al.’s decision making model, my decision was still correct. Analyzing the potential behaviors, specifying the objective, designing correct evaluations, “implementing interventions and overcoming barriers” of the implementation process, and lastly, revising any errors shows that it was proper to discontinue services (2018). When you compile all the relevant information and identifying the basic principles and the role they play in the inhibition of services, it was obvious that a change was necessary. It was not practical to remain in an envioronment where I was not able to provide the necessary services for her daughter because of the distraction the talking placed on my work. It goes against the BACB code to be involved in dual-relationship with any client, and I could not faithfully go into my client’s home and bill for complete services since there were so many interruptions. I do believe I handled this situation to the best of my ability. Though I had empathy for the mother and enjoyed working with her daughter, it is my duty as an aspiring clinician to uphold all ethical standards. I cannot let someone distract me from the important services I was set to provide, and I believe I acted appropriately in removing myself from the case.

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AB565 Professional Ethics Reference Brodhead, M. T., Cox, D. J., & Quigley, S. P. (2018). Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Elsevier S & T. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780128140994 Rosenberg, N.E., Schwartz, I.S. (2019). Guidance or Compliance: What Makes an Ethical Behavior Analyst?. Behav Analysis Practice 12 , 473–482 (2019). https://doi-org.tcsedsystem.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00287-5

Unit 3 Study Guide

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