Firearms and Home-Based ABA Services: Considerations for Safe Practice

Chan et al. (2022) wrote a how-to paper about guns in homes where ABA happens. They did not run an experiment. They listed steps any BCBA can drop into a safety policy.

The paper covers what to do the moment you see an unsecured firearm during an in-home session.

The authors say: stop the session right away, leave the home, and do not return until the gun is locked and the caregiver can prove it. They also say you must train the family on firearm safety before you restart services.

Vladescu et al. (2022) tested the idea. They built an online training that taught three BCBAs to run firearm-safety caregiver lessons with near-perfect accuracy. Their data back up Chan’s call for training.

Colombo et al. (2020) give a wider crisis plan. Their triage matrix helps you decide when any hazard—not just guns—means you pause or keep in-person visits. Use Chan’s gun steps inside Colombo’s bigger stop-or-go frame.

Colombo et al. (2021) show the problem is bigger than guns. In their survey, almost half of BCBAs got zero prep before their first severe-behavior in-home case. Chan’s policy fills one glaring hole in that prep gap.

You now have a ready-made firearm policy. Print it, add it to your intake packet, and review it with families on day one. Pair it with the free ICT module from Vladescu et al. (2022) so your staff can train caregivers like pros. You will meet ethics code 2.09, protect your team, and keep clinical time where it belongs—on the client.