Compassion is not peripheral to behavior-analytic practice—it is a set of observable, trainable clinician behaviors that determines whether interventions are socially valid, whether clients provide and maintain assent, and whether families remain engaged with services over time. Lauren Schnell-Peskin's presentation focuses on two mechanisms through which compassion shapes clinical outcomes: social validity assessment and assent-based care.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via New York State Association for Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Compassion is a critical component of behavior analytic practice that ensures our goals and practices align with client priorities, needs, and preferences (Reinecke et al., 2023). As applied behavior analysis (ABA) became the evidence-based practice for helping individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) achieve their full potential (Foxx, 2008; Howard et al., 2005; National Autism Center Standards, 2015; Sallows & Graupner, 2005; Smith et al., 2000) and states initiated insurance mandates regarding the provision of ABA services for individuals with ASD (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2021), the demand for behavior analytic services quickly outgrew the opportunity for the field to fully develop plans and processes that would have allowed us to train clinicians in the interaction skills often taught to counselors and social workers (Ivey et al., 2013). Social validity is the social appropriateness and importance of treatment goals, procedures, and outcomes relating to the consumer and is an essential concept in applied behavior analysis (ABA; Wolf, 1978). This symposium will share two studies, both focused on how to train behavior clinicians in 1) recognizing assent and withdrawal of consent and 2) administering social validity assessments with compassion during all dimensions of treatment. The results of both studies demonstrate participants learned the skills to engage in these socially valid procedures.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| COA | 1 | — |
Dr. Lauren Schnell-Peskin PhDAssociate Professor at Hunter CollegeShe has nearly two decades of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She has provided consultation across the lifespan in a wide range of settings, including public schools, hospitals, clinics, and mental health programs. Dr. Schnell-Peskin earned her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University and currently serves as an Associate Professor in the ABA programs at Hunter College. In addition to her academic role, Dr. Schnell-Peskin maintains a private consultation practice serving the tri-state area. Through this work, she partners with families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and collaborates with public school teams to support students with disabilities. Her research centers around educator and caregiver training, increasing the efficiency of instruction, and broadening the mainstream applications of behavior analysis. Dr. Schnell-Peskin has published her work in books and peer-reviewed journals and presents regularly at local, national, and international conferences. She also contributes to the field as a reviewer and board member for several behavior-analytic journals.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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.