Assignment Task:
Read and analyze each scenario below; Explain what an appropriate response should be per the ethical code and why.
Scenario 1:
While consulting in a second-grade classroom for "Billy," the behavior analyst is asked by the teacher what she should do about "Sarah," who sits near Billy and has a similar behavior problem. The behavior analyst says to herself: "I don't want to offend the teacher, we are good friends, and we've gone out for coffee a few times and had drinks after work on my birthday. She's going through a rough spot with her boyfriend right now; I could just give her a few tips to help her out." The BCBA agrees. Want Online Help?
Scenario 2
"During a recent intake session, the child's mother mentioned she is giving her child 'chlorine dioxide' as a daily supplement. I did not think much of it and thought it was like any other normal vitamin. She said it was to 'clean her son's gut,' as she believes that this is imperative to reducing autism symptoms.
"I did more research on this after the intake and discovered that this is a popular but very dangerous non-evidence-based treatment that some parents of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children are adopting. The chemical is often marketed as a 'Miracle Mineral Supplement.' Considering this new information, as a BCBA, I really don't know how to move forward or what I should do. Do we tell the mom about this? What would we tell her? Would we have to tell her to stop giving her child the solution before starting intervention? I just don't know. I am looking forward to your response.