By Matt Harrington, BCBA · Behaviorist Book Club · Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
The current code introduces several notable changes. Cultural responsiveness and diversity have been elevated to explicit requirements rather than implied expectations. The code is organized around six core principles that provide a values framework for interpreting specific provisions. Supervision requirements have been expanded to include evaluation of supervision effects and incorporation of diversity topics. Public statements and social media conduct are addressed more specifically. The treatment of dual relationships has been refined to emphasize assessment of potential impairment rather than categorical prohibition. The informed consent process is clarified as ongoing rather than a single event. These changes collectively move the code toward a more comprehensive, contextually sensitive framework for professional ethics.
The BACB Ethics Department offers multiple resources including ethics-related newsletters that address common questions and emerging issues, self-assessment tools that help practitioners evaluate their practice against code provisions, case examples that illustrate how code provisions apply to specific scenarios, guidance documents on topics such as cultural responsiveness and supervision, and direct consultation through the ethics hotline for practitioners facing ethical dilemmas. These resources are accessible through the BACB website and represent a substantial body of practical guidance that many practitioners underutilize.
Code 1.07 establishes that behavior analysts must actively engage in cultural responsiveness and diversity efforts, including gaining knowledge and skills in this area and assessing their own biases. This provision moves beyond the passive tolerance of previous codes toward an active engagement with diversity as a professional competency. In practice, this means developing understanding of how cultural factors influence behavior, treatment preferences, and the therapeutic relationship. It means evaluating assessment tools and treatment approaches for cultural appropriateness. It means recognizing that the behavior analyst's own cultural background influences their professional decisions. This is an ongoing obligation, not a box to be checked.
The code establishes informed consent as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Behavior analysts must ensure that clients and their legal guardians understand the nature and scope of services, the qualifications of the provider, the goals and methods of treatment, the right to ask questions and receive answers, the right to decline or withdraw from services at any time, and any potential risks or limitations of treatment. When treatment plans change, new procedures are introduced, or circumstances shift, the consent conversation must be revisited. Consent documents should be written in accessible language and should genuinely inform rather than merely protect the organization legally.
The six core principles at the beginning of the code provide the framework for resolving apparent conflicts between specific provisions. When two provisions seem to pull in different directions, evaluate each course of action against the core principles: benefiting others, compassion and dignity, integrity, competence, and compliance. Consider which interpretation best serves the client's interests, which aligns most closely with the values underlying the code, and which would be most defensible to a reasonable peer. Document your reasoning process and consult with colleagues or the BACB Ethics Department when the conflict is not readily resolved. The code anticipates that professional judgment will be needed to navigate these situations.
The supervision provisions require supervisors to maintain competence in supervision practices, to evaluate the effects of their supervision on supervisee performance and client outcomes, to actively incorporate diversity topics into supervision content, to provide timely and actionable feedback, to establish clear expectations and documentation requirements, and to monitor supervisee performance. The code also addresses the supervisory relationship, emphasizing that the power differential inherent in supervision requires the supervisor to manage boundaries responsibly. Supervisors must ensure that supervisees are not placed in situations where they are expected to practice beyond their competence and must provide adequate support during the supervisory period.
The code requires behavior analysts to ensure that their public statements, including social media posts, are truthful, accurate, and consistent with professional standards. This means not making exaggerated claims about treatment outcomes, not sharing client information even in de-identified form without appropriate consent, not presenting opinions as established facts, and not engaging in unprofessional conduct in online spaces. Practitioners should recognize that their online presence is part of their professional identity and that statements made on social media are subject to the same ethical standards that govern other professional communications.
Document the specific discrepancies between organizational policies and code requirements. Bring these discrepancies to the attention of your clinical director or organizational leadership with specific recommendations for alignment. Frame your concerns in terms of both ethical compliance and risk management, as code violations can result in complaints to the BACB and potential licensing board actions. If internal channels are unresponsive, consult with the BACB Ethics Department for guidance on your individual obligations when employed by an organization whose practices do not align with the code. You remain individually responsible for your own ethical compliance regardless of organizational policies.
The BACB recommends ongoing engagement with the ethics code rather than a single review at certification. Practical approaches include reading the code in its entirety at least annually, reviewing relevant provisions whenever you encounter an ethical question in practice, discussing code provisions regularly in supervision and team meetings, and staying current with BACB Ethics Department publications that provide updated guidance and case examples. The code should be a living reference document that you consult regularly, not a text you read once and file away. As your practice evolves and as you encounter new clinical situations, your understanding of the code should deepen correspondingly.
The code applies to all behavior analysts regardless of practice setting, but the specific implications of each provision may vary based on context. A behavior analyst working in a school setting faces different confidentiality considerations than one working in a private clinic. A behavior analyst working with adults has different informed consent dynamics than one working with young children. A behavior analyst working in a residential facility faces different boundary management challenges than one providing home-based services. The code provides the framework, but practitioners must apply that framework thoughtfully to their specific context. This contextual application is where professional judgment becomes essential.
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Ready to go deeper? This course covers this topic with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
The New Bacb Ethics Code — CASP CEU Center · 1 BACB Ethics CEUs · $
Take This Course →1 BACB Ethics CEUs · $ · CASP CEU Center
Research-backed educational guide with practice recommendations
Side-by-side comparison with clinical decision framework
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.