Analyzing Risks and Benefits

For this week’s assignment, you will play the role of an experienced Board-Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) who is working for a new company.

As an experienced BCaBA, you are asked to evaluate a case scenario and the possible ethical considerations. You need to weigh the risks and benefits of an intervention given the severity of the client’s behaviors.

Scenario

Ali is a 5-year-old child diagnosed with autism that engages in several problem behaviors in the classroom setting. The current classroom includes one teacher, a teacher’s assistant, and a paraprofessional with 12 students in the class. This is a self-contained classroom, and all of the students in the classroom have various needs. Ali’s most severe problem behavior includes self-injurious behavior of hitting herself in the forehead. This behavior is often mild in magnitude but sometimes more forceful to the point that it leaves a mark. Currently, the behavior occurs about 15 times per day. Ali’s parents are concerned that this behavior may be causing headaches and other pain. You want to get together the team of stakeholders to involve them in the decision making. You also want to rule out any medical issues so you consult the parent about asking the doctor about the headaches. You ask for consent to speak with the other individuals on the team.

After observing the behavior, you notice that the behavior mostly occurs during group lessons or when the teacher is not attending to Ali. Parents also notice that when they are talking or on the phone, the behavior occurs. The function of the self-injurious behavior is hypothesized to be attention.

The current recommendation for a behavior intervention is that a Differential Reinforcement of Other behaviors (DRO) procedure be implemented for the absence of head hitting. First, interresponse time data will need to be collected to determine the interval schedule. Before proceeding, you want to weigh the risks and benefits of implementing this procedure since Ali’s behavior is self-injurious. Since the function is hypothesized to be attention-seeking, you wonder if extinction combined with reinforcement (DRO) is the best procure. Discuss the risks and benefits of implementing a DRO procedure for the absence of head hitting.

Assignment Directions

Once you have read the case scenario above, use the Unit 7 Assignment Template to complete this assignment. You will be asked to do the following:

Summarize the case scenario.

What is the target behavior? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
Is it dangerous to the client or others? Respond in 2 – 3 words.

Summarize the relevant codes and explain the relevance of these codes to the given case.
⦁ 2.14 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Behavior-Change Interventions
⦁ 2.15 Minimizing Risk of Behavior-Change Interventions.

Summarize how you have weighed the risks and benefits of this case. Be sure to include all of the following:

⦁ How will the client directly benefit from this intervention? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
⦁ How will the stakeholders benefit from the client’s success with this intervention? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
⦁ Describe how your intervention is conceptually consistent with behavioral principles, based on scientific evidence, and based on assessment results. Respond in 2 – 3 words.
⦁ Explain how you have prioritized positive reinforcement procedures. Respond in 2 – 3 words.
⦁ Summarize the steps you have taken to best meet the diverse needs, context, and resources of the client and stakeholders. Respond in 2 – 3 words.
– What is the risk to the client? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
-Is there any risk to others in the setting? (Consider parents, classmates, the behavior analyst (BA), and any other stakeholders) Respond in 2 – 3 words.
-Are there sufficient personnel or mediators to implement the intervention? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
-Have they been or will they be trained? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
-Is the setting appropriate for the treatment? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
-Is the behavior analyst (BA) experienced in the treatment of this type of case? Respond in 2 – 3 words.

⦁ Summarize the steps you have taken to consider the design and implementation of behavior-change interventions to produce outcomes likely to maintain under naturalistic conditions.
* How will the client come into contact with new reinforcers? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
* Will the client have sufficient opportunities to practice this new skill? Respond in 2 – 3 words.
* Provide a brief statement of how you will evaluate and document the effectiveness of your intervention. Respond in 2 – 3 words.
* Provide a brief statement of your conditions for modification or discontinuing ineffective intervention. Respond in 2 – 3 words.

– Provide a one paragraph summary that includes:
⦁ The potential risks
⦁ The potential benefits
⦁ An explanation of how the benefits outweigh risks