Individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities face disproportionately high rates of abuse and maltreatment. Research across disciplines consistently documents that people with communication deficits, limited social networks, and dependence on caregivers for daily needs are at elevated risk for physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Council of Autism Service Providers
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →ABA practitioners work closely with individuals with ASD/IDD, and this work is often hands-on and personal. Individuals with ASD/IDD are at greater risk of abuse and maltreatment, and some features of ABA programs may inadvertently exacerbate this. Behavior analysts are bound by the Ethics Code to uphold trust and proactively promote client safety at all times during treatment. ABA practitioners are mandated reporters and receive training on recognizing signs of abuse and maltreatment; however, few are trained to proactively program skills and reinforce incompatible behaviors. This interactive presentation guides participants to identify their organization's existing operating procedures and examples of treatment goals that decrease the risk of abuse and maltreatment, whether or not this purpose is explicitly stated in their current practices. Participants will break out into small groups to draft operating procedures and clinical programming standards to strengthen existing practices and establish new practices that systematically and actively prevent abuse and maltreatment. Please contact Paula Pompa-Craven at Paula.Pompa-Craven@essc.org should you have any APA questions or concerns!
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| APA | 1 | — |
| COA | 1 | — |
Maria has been serving individuals with varying exceptionalities and their families since 2003. She is the founder and lead executive of the Sasaki Behavioral Group (formerly known as the Reilly Behavioral Group). As a small business owner, Maria is dedicated to maintaining a work-life balance and high quality of life for her team and the clients they serve. Maria is a board member of APBA and serves on several CASP committees, including as the moderator of the Ethics SIG. Maria previously served as the Bay Area Regional Leader for the CalABA Public Policy Committee. Maria has taught at the graduate level at the University of West Florida, Santa Clara University, and Endicott College. Maria holds a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude from Santa Clara University and a Master of Public Health degree from the Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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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.