Towards a Competency-Based, Ethical, and Socially Valid Approach to the Supervision of Applied Behavior Analytic Trainees
Run a four-step competency loop and track it on one page to keep trainees and supervisors on point.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Turner and colleagues wrote a how-to paper. They drew a circle with four parts: plan, teach, give feedback, check results.
The circle is for BCBA supervisors. It lines up with BACB task list items. The authors also give a one-page form to score trainee skills.
What they found
This is a position paper. No new data are shown. The team says a clear loop keeps supervision ethical and useful.
How this fits with other research
Carroll et al. (2022) tested a five-minute video that shows supervisors how to give feedback. The video worked. Their study gives Turner’s loop its first real wheel.
Al-Nasser et al. (2019) gave rookies a picture packet. The rookies ran DTT and preference checks with almost perfect form. Their packet is a ready-made tool for the “teach” part of Turner’s loop.
Shook (2005) warned that BACB rules might shift. Turner answers by tying every loop step to today’s BACB tasks. The new loop updates the old warning.
Why it matters
You can start using the loop Monday. Pick one trainee goal. Fill in the blank form while you watch a session. Circle “met” or “not met.” Share the sheet before you both leave the room. One page, five minutes, tighter supervision.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Competency-based supervision of trainees has recently come to the forefront of behavior analytic practice; however, there are minimal data to support the effectiveness of various supervision practices on trainee outcomes. Accordingly, this paper is intended to spark further discussion and research activity regarding the supervision of those seeking to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). We present a practice model and considerations for supervising applied behavior analytic trainees consistent with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2012b), the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2014), and extant literature from behavior analysis and related fields. Inherent to the current model is a focus on bi-directional feedback and collaboration between the supervisor and trainee to frequently evaluate the acceptability of the procedures, process, outcomes, and effectiveness of supervision. We present a Supervision Monitoring and Evaluation Form consistent with the current model and discuss the assumed importance of objective and subjective self-assessment of supervisor competence to the ultimate advancement of the practice of applied behavior analysis. The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0121-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0121-4