Evaluation of Assent Withdrawal Training for Board Certified Behavior Analysts: Impact on Competency and Clinical Practices
A 20-minute BST bundle teaches BCBAs to spot and honor assent withdrawal with lasting accuracy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Shpall et al. (2026) built a short BST package for BCBAs. It had three parts: brief lecture, video model, and live feedback.
The team taught BCBAs to spot when a child pulls back or says no. They also taught how to pause or change the program right away.
All BCBAs learned the skill and kept it weeks later.
What they found
Every BCBA who took the training could see assent withdrawal and act on it. The skill stuck without extra booster sessions.
The result fits a clear rule: short BST plus feedback equals fast, lasting staff skill.
How this fits with other research
Slane et al. (2021) looked at 20 studies where BST trained teachers and aides. Every study gained high fidelity, backing the same model Shpall used.
Neely et al. (2022) showed four BST sessions got BCBAs to 100% fidelity in telehealth parent training. Shpall adds a new target skill—assent withdrawal—using the same brief format.
Braren et al. (2026) ran one 30-minute BST session that gave direct-care staff master-level self-advocacy. Shpall mirrors that speed, but shifts the focus from staff speaking up to clients saying no.
Gatzunis et al. (2023) packed empathy, culture, and interview skills into one telehealth BST bundle. Shpall keeps the bundle idea but swaps the content for ethical stop signals.
Why it matters
You can copy this package on a lunch break. Show a two-minute clip of a child turning away, practice with a colleague, give feedback, done. Your next session becomes safer and more client-centered with almost zero prep time.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT Assent is generally defined as an agreement to participate voluntarily and without coercion (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2020; Morris et al., 2024). Contemporary perspectives highlight its role in promoting client dignity, self‐determination, and ethical practice within behavior analysis (Gover et al., 2023; Morris et al., 2021). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a training protocol designed to build Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) competencies in recognizing and responding to assent withdrawal when working with autistic individuals in a clinical environment. Participants' baseline competencies in identifying assent withdrawal were initially assessed, then delivered targeted training using instruction, modeling, and performance feedback to address skill gaps. Results indicated that all participants acquired and maintained competencies in identifying assent withdrawal, modifying interventions accordingly, and embedding assent checks. The findings suggest the integration of structured training steps such as operationally defining assent withdrawal behaviors, embedding ongoing assent checks, and using systematic data decision‐making flowcharts into BCBA supervision was successful in ensuring assent‐based competencies were utilized.
Behavioral Interventions, 2026 · doi:10.1002/bin.70080