Reflection On Behavior Analysis

Reflection I found it extremely helpful to be able to sit down with an experienced and knowledgeable BCBA and find out more exactly of what the job entails, and its day to day duties. It was important to gain this insight, as we can only learn so much in our academic studies. At the end of the day being a behavior analyst is to be part of a group of individuals committed to the higher purpose of bringing benefits to others, and they are the only ones who have been through what myself and my peers are going through now. The first thing that stood out to me during my conversation with Ms. Velarde, was how experienced she was in the industry. She has committed over 19 years of her life to individuals with developmental delays and it is truly …show more content…
As Ms. Velarde alluded to, the prevalence of behavior analysis brings with it various pros and cons. The primary concern is that as behavior analysts, we have a responsibility to operate in the best interest of our clients as stated in section 2.0 of the BACB ethical compliance code. (BACB,2015) The agency owner on the other hand, may have a greater interest in generating profits and increasing their bottom line rather than focusing on generating the highest quality of care for the clients. As the number of patients seeking ABA services rises, a market inefficiency is created, and the demand for services exceeds the number of providers able to render services. Soon after the public realizes the opportunity, new businesses of all sizes begin to bloom, and the mixture of behavior analysis and entrepreneurialism begins to take course. When business and science combine, two fields that are polar opposites in theory a slow-burning reaction occurs, and the stronger of the two will prevail leaving the other diluted. (Bailey & Burch, 2016) To protect the ultimate consumer from potential greed and malpractice, COEBO(Code of ethics for behavioral organizations) was created. COEBO seeks to hold ABA providers to a unilateral code of ethics, where all providers are held to the same standard and ensure all are acting in the best interest of the client. I believe this is a …show more content…
If the goal of a behavior analyst is to create positive behavior change and bring a benefit to our clients lives, then we have not achieved this goal by simply implementing an ABA plan. As behavior analysts, we must be certain that our work is creating positive change in the areas of socially significant behaviors we strive to improve. (Pratt, 2011) When I asked the interviewee about an ethical dilemma she encountered, she brought up a scenario where an agency compromised her effectiveness by forcing a caseload on her which was not commensurate with her ability to erect effective change. There are some behavior analysts which would have accommodated the cases by dedicating less time to each case, but Ms. Velarde saw an issue and acted to correct it in the best interest of the client in accordance with 2.04(d) of the ethical code. (BACB, 2015) The agency in this scenario, put their profits first and was not concerned with the actual effectiveness of the analyst. Many owners want to maximize the amount of cases an analyst can handle to avoid adding another analyst. However, in 2.09(a) of our code of ethics, it states that clients have a right to effective treatment and the practice of giving a BCBA a caseload that is not commensurate with their ability to be effective is violating that statute. (BACB, 2015) Our clients have the right to