A seven-year-old with autism who has been engaging in escalating self-injurious behavior for the past three weeks is referred for a functional behavior assessment. The behavior analyst conducts the assessment and identifies automatic reinforcement as the maintaining function.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Research estimates that as many as 1 of 5 adults seeking mental health services have an undiagnosed underlying medical condition directly causing the mental health concern, and 3 of 4 adults have an underlying condition exacerbating the mental health concern – all leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment. While the prevalence of such medical masquerade is likely higher for children, it is likely even higher for those with autism spectrum disorder. Those remaining nonverbal – up to half of all children on the spectrum – are at highest risk, as they are the least capable of effectively communicating what's wrong. Behavior analysts have an ethical obligation under the Code to consider medical needs and to consult and collaborate with interdisciplinary providers to ultimately provide effective treatment. This presentation provides guidance for unmasking hidden medical issues - including side effects of medications and challenges stemming from lifestyle variables like sleep and diet - leading to optimized outcomes for clients and their families.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 0 | — |
J. Chris McGinnis, PhD, BCBA-D, is a clinical behavior analyst and licensed psychologist, Director of the Institute for Behavioral Pediatrics, and CEO of McGinnis Behavioral, an outpatient behavioral health practice serving children and families. He also serves as an ethicist with the ABA Ethics Hotline. His book, Introduction to Primary Care Behavioral Pediatrics: A Guide for Behavior Analysts, was published by Routledge in 2024.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
244 research articles with practitioner takeaways
236 research articles with practitioner takeaways
You earn CEUs from a dozen different places. Upload any certificate — from here, your employer, conferences, wherever — and always know exactly where you stand. Learning, Ethics, Supervision, all handled.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
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.