This comparison draws in part from “The Trouble With Inheritance: What to Prioritize and What to Compromise” by Ben Sarcia, MA, BCBA, LBA, BSL (BehaviorLive), and extends it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. The decision framework, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →The central decision in clinical inheritance is whether to work within and refine the existing programming or to conduct fresh assessments and redesign from the ground up. This decision carries significant consequences for the client's continuity of care, the inheriting BCBA's time investment, and the treatment team's cohesion. Neither approach is universally correct — the right choice depends on the specific clinical context, the quality of the existing data, and the degree of alignment between existing programming and current best practices.
| Factor | Evidence-Based Approach | Traditional Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriate Clinical Context | Retain and Modify: Client has extensive programming history, established skill repertoires, and a treatment team with significant investment in existing approaches | Discard and Rebuild: Client has minimal or disorganized programming history, is newly identified, or existing programming is demonstrably misaligned with current clinical needs |
| Data Quality | Retain and Modify: Existing data provide sufficient evidence to evaluate program effectiveness and support modification decisions | Discard and Rebuild: Data are missing, falsified, insufficient, or organized in formats that cannot support clinical decision-making |
| Client Impact | Retain and Modify: Lower risk of regression and disruption for clients with established learning histories; preserves effective components | Discard and Rebuild: Higher short-term disruption risk; appropriate when existing programming is causing harm or blocking progress |
| Time Investment | Retain and Modify: Lower initial time investment for the inheriting BCBA; higher ongoing time demand for systematic evaluation of inherited programs | Discard and Rebuild: Higher initial time investment for comprehensive reassessment; lower ongoing complexity once new programming is established |
| Team Dynamics | Retain and Modify: Easier to maintain collaborative relationships with existing team; signals respect for prior clinical work | Discard and Rebuild: Risk of creating adversarial team dynamics if perceived as critique of previous BCBA; requires careful communication with all team members |
| Evidence Base | Retain and Modify: Appropriate when existing programming reflects current evidence-based practices, even if delivered differently than the inheriting BCBA would design | Discard and Rebuild: Appropriate when existing programming is based on approaches unsupported by current behavior analytic research |
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Use this framework when approaching the trouble with inheritance: what to prioritize and what to compromise in your practice:
Does the data support a need for intervention? Is there a meaningful impact on the individual's quality of life, safety, or access to reinforcement?
YES → Proceed to assessment NO → Document reasoning, monitor
A functional assessment should guide intervention selection. Avoid defaulting to standard protocols without individual analysis. Consider environmental variables, setting events, and private events.
YES → Select evidence-based approach matched to function NO → Complete assessment first
Goals should be co-developed. Assent and informed consent are ethical requirements. The individual's preferences and values matter in selecting both goals and methods.
YES → Proceed with collaborative plan NO → Engage in shared decision-making
This course covers the clinical and ethical dimensions in detail with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
The Trouble With Inheritance: What to Prioritize and What to Compromise — Ben Sarcia · 1 BACB Supervision CEUs · $20
Take This Course →We extended this decision guide with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind each approach, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
256 research articles with practitioner takeaways
244 research articles with practitioner takeaways
1 BACB Supervision CEUs · $20 · BehaviorLive
Research-backed educational guide
Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.