Shawn P. Quigley

Developing the Cultural Awareness Skills of Behavior Analysts

All individuals are a part of at least one culture. These cultural contingencies shape behavior, behavior that may or may not be acceptable or familiar to behavior analysts from another culture. To better serve individuals, assessments and interventions should be selected with a consideration of cultural factors, including cultural preferences and norms. The purpose of this paper is to provide suggestions to serve as a starting point for developing behavior analysts’ cultural awareness skills. We present strategies for understanding behavior analysts’ personal cultural values and contingencies and those of their clients, integrating cultural awareness practices into service delivery, supervision, and professional development, and becoming culturally aware in everyday practice.

How to Identify Ethical Practices in Organizations Prior to Employment

Behavior analysts likely can evaluate multiple organizations prior to accepting a job due to recent increases in the number of organizations providing ABA services. We argue that evaluating the ethical values of an organization is paramount during the job search process. We provide strategies for evaluating the ethical values of an organization prior to employment and describe considerations from the pre-application process through contract negotiations. Ultimately, we add to the growing body of literature that provides guidance for common problems behavior analysts may face over the course of their careers.

An Evaluation of Explicit Ethical Statements in Telehealth Research With Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Principles and procedures derived from the science of behavior analysis have been utilized to improve the quality of life for individuals across many domains (e.g., health and education) and within many settings (e.g., business and home). Recently, greater attention has been paid to behavior analytic treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, where it is considered to be the most effective treatment (e.g., Reichow, 2012). Similar to other health professions, the supply of competent practitioners is less than the demand in many geographical locations. A potential solution to this dilemma is the delivery of behavior analytic services via telehealth. A previous review of telehealth services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder indicated that research for this type of service delivery model is limited (Boisvert, Lang, Andrianopoulos, & Boscardin, 2010). An additional limitation of the research to date is an absence of behavior-analytic specific ethical considerations when practitioners utilize a telehealth service delivery model. The purpose of this paper is to review whether special risk reduction strategies related to the use of telehealth with autism spectrum disorder have been documented or reported in the literature. Results suggest that explicit step-by-step documentation of practices is sparse.

Identifying Your Scope of Competence in Autism Treatment

Abstract Scope of practice and scope of competence may seem like interchangeable terms, but in fact they are very different. Scope of practice defines the activities you may engage in by virtue of holding a credential or license. Scope of competence refers to the activities within an individual’s scope of practice that he or she is uniquely competent to perform. In this chapter, we describe how your coursework, setting, and supervision affect your scope of competence. We emphasize that scope of competence may not be realized unless you are able to independently demonstrate successful behavior change in that area. Finally, we discuss how to broaden your scope of competence, and we outline analyses you may undertake to decide whether or not to refer a client to a potentially more qualified provider.

A Call for Discussion About Scope of Competence in Behavior Analysis

The field of behavior analysis has defined its scope of practice through credentialing and licensure efforts. However, scope of competence in behavior analysis has received little discussion. Scope of competence refers to activities that the individual practitioner can perform at a certain criterion level (e.g., the functional analysis is conducted accurately and safely, a skill acquisition program includes critical program components and establishes accurate stimulus control). Given the successful efforts of behavior analysts in growth and recognition of the field, it is time for a robust conversation about scope of competence for the field of behavior analysis. This discussion can clarify how behavior analysts self-evaluate their own scope of competence and how they might expand their scope of competence if the needs of consumers require practitioners to expand into new areas.