SUGGESTED RESPONSES
| Problem-solving prompt | Your response | Response example |
|---|---|---|
| Problem or risk |
At a place of employment, escape extinction could lead to client presenting problem behavior resulting in losing employment. Also, taking occasional breaks at work, including bathroom breaks, is allowed if done within appropriate parameters. |
If the client’s behavior is escape-maintained, denying the bathroom breaks could lead to an extinction burst, extinction-induced aggression, and emotional behavior. |
| Relevant ethical codes |
2.13 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Assessments Before selecting or designing behavior-change interventions behavior analysts select and design assessments that are conceptually consistent with behavioral principles; that are based on scientific evidence; and that best meet the diverse needs, context, and resources of the client and stakeholders. They select, design, and implement assessments with a focus on maximizing benefits and minimizing risk of harm to the client and stakeholders. They summarize the procedures and results in writing. |
2.13 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Assessments – Some variation of a functional analysis should be conducted at the job site prior to making treatment recommendations 2.14 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Behavior-Change Interventions – An escape extinction procedure is not part of the current plan 2.15 Minimizing Risk of Behavior-Change Interventions – Escape extinction is a highly restrictive procedure for an environment such as a job placement, which is low-restrictiveness |
| Treatment considerations |
Determine if escape is the function; determine way for client to either have break non-contingently or to “earn: break using contingency-based progressive delay |
To stay ethical and effective, Carol will need to make some quick decisions and give the problem the attention it requires. Carol can visit and make a definitive determination regarding the function. If it is escape, she might consider ways in which the job tasks could be more engaging for the client, such as providing continuous arbitrary reinforcement (headphones), NCR for escape (scheduled breaks), and contingency-based progressive delay to create greater temporal distance between requests to use the bathroom. |