Ethics Principle 4

Sue refers to herself as an “original behaviorist” and favors more restrictive interventions such as punishment and escape extinction for their straightforward and efficient results. When Sue attends conferences she mostly sits in the back and rolls her eyes. She sees herself as more genuine and true to the practice of behavior analysis than any of her co-workers.

Christine attended graduate school about 15 years ago and all of her professors were much older, approaching retirement age. Though she learned a lot from her education and clinical experience, Christine never received practical instruction on how to best conduct functional analysis (FA) procedures. Now she is a clinical supervisor to many behavior analysts who competently use recently-developed FA techniques with their clients. Christine decides to attend two conference workshops on implementation of modern FA techniques. When she returns to work she asks a colleague with more experience in FA to read over her procedures and view some assessment sessions she conducted with clients.

Ty is a behavior analyst with a strong interest in communication modalities. He is proficient in sign language, studied at a verbal behavior clinic, is up to date on all the most popular voice output devices and software, and is also a certified PECS instructor. In addition, Ty has also read several studies and a book on facilitated communication (FC). While he does not support its use, his knowledge on the technique makes it possible for him to talk to parents who inquire about it. Ty also recognizes how FC may be important for some parents to try as a supplemental therapy outside of the ABA session, for the parent’s own peace of mind that they have tried everything. In these situations, Ty watches for signs that the FC might be interfering with the research-supported approaches but otherwise tries not to interfere.