Ethical practice in ABA does not live in policy manuals or certification requirements — it lives in the decisions that behavior technicians make every day while delivering services to clients and their families. The moment-to-moment choices that RBTs face in direct service are ethical decisions: how to respond when a caregiver uses a procedure differently than it was trained, what to do when a client discloses something concerning, how to handle a situation that feels uncomfortable but does not fit neatly into a rule they were taught.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Ethical practice in ABA-based services is not just for behavior analysts. Behavior technicians, critical to the success of services, also have obligations to behave in an ethical manner in their professional activities. Ethical practice lives in the moment-to-moment decisions that technicians make every day while supporting clients and families. Too often, ethics is presented as a list of black and white rules to memorize, or as a scary topic that only comes up in reaction to an ethical dilemma. This leaves little room for developing a positive relationship with ethics and the skills needed to take an intentional and proactive approach to ethics in daily practice. This workshop focuses on building a strong foundation for technicians to understand their professional ethical obligations based on the RBT® Ethics Code(2.0) (BACB, 2021). In this workshop, technicians will learn strategies to deepen their skills to notice and identify, talk about, and take action related to ethics topics and dilemmas. Using interactive scenarios and practice opportunities, participants will develop a comprehensive approach to ethics topics that includes linking ethics to values, describing risks and benefits, identifying red flags, exploring antecedent interventions, and collaborating with supervisors. This workshop provides the opportunity for technicians to openly discuss common ethical topics and dilemmas and proactively develop skills for navigating ethics topics and advocating for the support and resources they need to be successful. Yes - this workshop IS specifically crafted for technicians, and supervisors are encouraged to attend and learn alongside to identify strategies for best supporting their team. Reference Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2021). RBT ethics code (2.0). https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/rbt-ethics-code
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 0 | — |
| COA | 3 | — |
Emily Patrizi, M.S., BCBA, is the co-author of Daily Ethics in Practice and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Stride Autism Centers. She began her career in education, supporting community programs and group homes, and served in a variety of clinical and operational roles at Trumpet Behavioral Health, including the role as Chief Operating Officer. Emily has worked in ABA for over 20 years, and has been a BCBA for over 13 years. She has a passion for our science and the application of behavior analysis to operational systems to best serve our families, clients, and team members in the field.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 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.