Given the following example, what would be the most appropriate response. You are a BCBA that is well-trained and experienced with toilet-training and feeding disorders. Most of your clients are referred to you for these reasons. However, a client's mother has just contacted you to help with her son that has severe self-injurious behavior. She insists that they have tried all antecedent modifications and reinforcement procedures, and she insists that a punishment procedure be implemented. What would be the FIRST thing you would do.
1. Refer the client to another BCBA that specializes in self-injurious behavior.
2. Read books, do research, and speak to others in the field to educate yourself on self-injurious behaviors, but in the mean time start procedures based on your research and recommendations from others.
3. Put in a punishment procedure because a punishment procedure can be implemented once all alternatives have been tried.
4. Conduct your own FA's and determine the function of the problem behavior to determine which procedure would be most effective.
1. Refer the client to another BCBA that specializes in self-injurious behavior.
In this situation, with little experience in other areas besides toilet-training and feeding, it is unethical to begin treatment. However, you can refer the client to another BCBA for their SIB behavior, and in the mean time you can educate yourself on the client's SIB. You can read research, consult with other BCBA's that specialize in the field, and you can educate yourself on the the SIB. Once you are educated, you can begin working with the client, but in the mean time the client should be receiving services from another certified behavior analyst in the field.
