What Makes ABA UNIQUE? Flashcards
What makes ABA Unique?
- Treatment primarily carried out by paraprofessionals under supervision.
- intervention done in the setting the behavior actually occurs.
- Employer is often a third party, whose own agenda and ethics impacts the profession.
- Treatment not only derived from single subject research, but also the efficacy of individual treatment is determined using single subject research design. (Evidence based research , as well as individual treatment. )
Evidence based Treatment
- Single Subject research (within subject designs)
- Individual serves as his own control to determine efficacy of treatment.
- Allows for informed treatment decisions, potentially resulting in highly customized treatments.
The Importance of evidence based Practice
Amy Cuddy’s Power poses :
Other treatments with little to no scientific support:
Gluten free diets Chelation Facilitated communication Sensory Integrative Therapy (SI) Rapid Prompting Method (RPM)
Treatment Primarily Carried Out By Paraprofessionals
-Individuals primarily responsible for behavior change are either parents, relatives,Paid care workers, teacher, etc
-Ethical consideration:
Being careful to respect the rights of the client. Can be easy to respond solely to the referring party.
- Be careful not to stigmatize the client.
-Be careful not to infringe on clients right in favor of referring party’s input.
Intervention Done in Settings The Behavior Occurs:
- Ethical considerations include:
- Does the setting warrant prior teaching to reduce risk and improve rate of learning?
- What other individuals or groups does your setting come into contact with? Law enforcement? General public?
- What other safety concerns need to be put into place in order to protect behavior change agents and clients.
Employer as a third party
Behavior analysts commonly work for organizations who are not familiar with our ethics code, and have different motivations.
Marketing
- Use of testimonials
- Over promising gains or effectiveness
Profit
- Increased billable hours
- Preference for funding streams
Networking
-Dual roles, Use of testimonials
- preference for certain clients according to "who knows who" in the community.Frequent ethical PROBLEMS according Bailey and Burch
Right to effective treatment (2.10B)
- limited Funding
- Improper data collection
- Non- evidence based treatment
- Competing lines of authority
Responsibility to recommend scientifically supported and most effective treatment:
- Choice
- Completing ProfessionMore Frequent Ethical Problems:
Behavior analysts assessments are insufficient to provide appropriate substantiation for their findings:
- Time Limitations - Making recommendations without proper assessment
More Frequent Ethical Problems …
Dual relationships and conflicts of interest:
- A dual relationship is one where the therapist interacts with clients or party outside of the capacity of a therapist. - Problems of quid pro quo due to accepting gifts. (You scratch my back I scratch yours.) - Conflicts of interest arise from well meaning professional relationships as well (board members influences, parents providing services to ABA company).
More Frequent Ethical Problems …..
Functional Assessment
- Practitioners said they lacked resources to complete an FBA or an FA. - Often skipped completing these in favor of using their professional judgement.
More Frequent Ethical Problems: Bailey & Burch
Other Concerns:
-Least restrictive procedures
- Responsible for appraisal of alternative treatment
- Responsibility to all parties affected by behavioral services
- reinforcement/punishment (reinforcement when possible)
Environmental conditions that hamper implementation.
ANALYZING COMPLEX ETHICS CASES Developed by Bailey and Burch
- Is it covered by the ethics Code?
- Who are the “players” stakeholders involved
- Contingency Plans for the Dilemma:Plan A,B,C
- The Skills and Clout each plan requires
- The Risk
- The Implementation
- The Evaluation
Common Ethical Challenges:
-Favors- Can lead to QUID PRO QUO in professional relationship.
-Gossip- Casual convos or info. About other people
-White Lies: harmless untruths, short excuses to avoid conflicts.
Appreciation: Creates dual relationship/ quid pro quo.
Advice:
Responsibility
Summary
Common Ethical Challenges
-Favors:
A cornerstone for friendship building, but can lead to quid pro quo in professional relationships, and can shape inappropriate or ineffective professional habits.
Ethical Challenges
Gossip:
Casual conversation or information about other people that may or may not be confirmed
Ethical Challenges
White Lies:
- Short excuses to avoid conflict
-harmless untruths
When someone implies you are aware of something in casual conversation, and you lightly agree to keep the conversation going.
Ethical Challenges: continuing
Appreciation:
- When clients or care givers of clients show appreciation.
- Gift giving
- Can lead to unintentional quid pro quo
- creates dual relationship
Ethical Challenges: Advice
Friends and family ask for advice on other friends and family problems.
As behavior analyst, must be careful about how and what is said to others.
What is the intent behind asking for advice?
Ethical Challenges: Responsibility
- Accepting responsibility (for successes and failures) and Prompting others taking responsibilities.
- Data collection can often make it easier to attribute success or failure, however it can also give professionals means to deceive non- professionals.
Everyday Ethical Challenges: SUMMARY
Summary:
-When it comes to Ethics, behavior analysts have to make the difficult but important transition from “civilian” to professional.
