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Ethical Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts

It’s not enough just to know concepts, principles, and techniques!. Ethical Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts. Last But Not Least!. Ethics : behaviors, practices, and decisions that address the following questions: What is worth doing?

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Ethical Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts

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  1. It’s not enough just to know concepts, principles, and techniques! Ethical Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts

  2. Last But Not Least! • Ethics: behaviors, practices, and decisions that address the following questions: • What is worth doing? • What does it mean to be a good behavior analyst? • What is the right thing to do?

  3. What is the Right Thing to Do? • Personal history of what is right and wrong • Personal background • Cultural or religious background • Professional training and experiences • The context practice • What are the rules of your setting? • Legal, but unethical • Ethical codes of behavior • ABA codes and statements • BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct

  4. What is Worth Doing? • Social Validity • Wolf (1978) - Social Validity: The Case for Subjective Measurement or How Behavior Analysis is Finding Its Heart • Are the goals of the intervention acceptable? • Are the procedures acceptable? • Are the outcomes meaningful and sustainable? • Cost-Benefit Ratio • Balancing the resources needed to plan, implement, and evaluate an intervention… • With the potential future gain for the learner • Existing Exigencies • What behaviors should be treated first? • Is there time for assessment? • Are more intrusive interventions acceptable for more serious behavior problems?

  5. What Does It Mean to Be a Good Behavior Analyst? • It’s not enough to… • Follow codes of conduct • Keep the learner’s welfare at the forefront of decision-making • Follow the “Golden Rule” • A good behavior analyst is… • Self-regulating • Adjust decision-making over time to integrate • Values • Contingencies • Rights • Responsibilities

  6. Why is Ethics Important? • In order to… • Produce meaningful, socially significant behavior change • Reduce or eliminate harm • Conform to ethical standards of society and professional organizations • Without an ethical compass… • It may be difficult to decide when something is right or wrong • Especially in the “gray” areas

  7. Standards of Professional Practice for ABA • Professional Standards: Written guidelines of practice that provide direction for conducting the practices associated with an organization • 5 documents describe standards for professional conduct and ethical practice for applied behavior analysts…

  8. Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct • American Psychological Association (APA) • Latest revision in 2002 • Adopted by ABA in 1988 • 5 General Principles • 10 Ethical Standards • Found at http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html

  9. The Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment • Position paper written by an ABA task force • Describes 6 basic client rights as the basis for directing the ethical and appropriate application of behavioral treatment • Published in The Behavior Analyst in 1988 • Found at http://www.abainternational.org/ABA/statements/treatment.asp

  10. The Right to Effective Education • Position paper written by an ABA task force • Describes 6 guidelines for educational assessment and intervention • Published in The Behavior Analyst in 1991 • Found at http://www.abainternational.org/ABA/statements/education.asp

  11. BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts • Developed in 2004 • Describes 10 areas for professional practice and ethical conduct • Found at http://www.bacb.com/consum_frame.html

  12. BCBA and BCABA Task List • Describes knowledge, skills, and attributes expected of a certified behavior analyst • Now in its 3rd edition (2005) • 111 tasks across 10 content areas • Content Area 1 is Ethical Considerations and consists of 12 tasks • Found at http://www.bacb.com/consum_frame.html

  13. Ensuring Professional Competence • Obtaining certification • BACB began credentialing behavior analysts in 1999 based on practices in FL • Practicing Within One’s Areas of Competence • Maintaining and Expanding Professional Competence • Continuing Education Units (CEUs) • Attending and presenting at conferences • Professional reading • Oversight and peer review opportunities • Making and Substantiating Professional Claims

  14. Conferences • COSAC: 2nd or 3rd week in May • www.NJCOSAC.org • Queens College Behavior Analysis in Developmental Disabilities (BADD): April • ABAI: Memorial Day Weekend • www.abainternational.org • NJABA: August • www.njaba.org • Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis 7 Therapy (BABAT): 2nd week in October • NYSABA: November • www.NYSABA.org

  15. Ethical Issues in Client Services • Informed Consent: before ax or tx is provided, recipient of services or participant in research gives permission (after full information is provided). 3 tests for consent to be valid: • Capacity to Decide • Surrogate Consent • Guardian Consent • Voluntary Decision – not coerced and given with understanding that consent can be withdrawn • Knowledge of Treatment – language must be clear and nontechnical • Note: Treatment may be given without consent in cases of emergency

  16. Ethical Issues in Client Services • Confidentiality • Limits to confidentiality • Breaches of confidentiality • Protecting the Client’s Dignity, Health, and Safety • Do I honor the person’s choices? • Do I provide adequate space for privacy? • Do I treat the person with respect? • Helping the Client Select Outcomes and Behavior Change Targets • Maintaining Records • Data, descriptions of tx, progress notes

  17. Providing Necessary and Needed Services • Is the problem amenable to behavior treatment? • Medical causes/evaluation • Problem with someone else? • Other txs been tried? • Is there really a problem? • Can it be solved simply/informally? • Better addressed by someone else? • Is it an emergency? • Is the proposed intervention likely to be successful? • Client and caregivers willing to participate? • Similar behavior treated in research? • Do you have the necessary experience? • Abilities of implementers

  18. Embracing the Scientific Method • Base your practices on • The scientific literature • Direct and frequent measurement of behaviors • Consultation with other professionals when necessary • Least Restrictive Alternative (LRA): Use the most powerful but least intrusive methods first • Program and assess for generalization

  19. A Model of Declaration of Practices http://www.baileyburch.com/workshops.asp

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