Ethical and Legal Considerations Flashcards

A BCAT is working with a client in their home. After a successful session, the client's mother asks the BCAT if they would be available to babysit the client over the weekend. What is the BCAT's most ethical response?

Answer: "Thank you for the offer, but my professional code of conduct does not allow me to have relationships with clients outside of my work."

The correct response is to politely decline while referencing professional ethics. Engaging in a secondary relationship, such as babysitting, creates a 'dual relationship,' which is a conflict of interest that can impair objectivity and is strictly prohibited by ethical codes for behavior technicians.

While grocery shopping on a day off, a BCAT sees a client and their family. The client excitedly runs up to the BCAT and says hello. Which of the following actions best protects the client's confidentiality?

Answer: Acknowledge the client with a simple, friendly greeting, but do not mention their therapy, your role, or any other private information.

The most ethical action is to respond to the client's greeting in a friendly but generic manner. This respects the client's privacy and dignity by not disclosing the therapeutic relationship or any protected health information (PHI) in a public setting.

A client's parent is frustrated with the slow progress on a communication goal and asks the BCAT to design a new teaching program. Which of the following is the BCAT's responsibility?

Answer: Politely explain that designing or modifying treatment plans is outside their scope of practice and refer the parent to the supervising BCBA.

A BCAT's role is to implement behavior plans as designed by the supervisor. Designing or making major modifications to a treatment plan is outside the BCAT's scope of practice and is the responsibility of the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or other qualified supervisor.

Which of the following actions is the BEST example of a BCAT maintaining a client's dignity during a session?

Answer: Ensuring a client is appropriately clothed and providing privacy during toilet training procedures.

Maintaining client dignity involves treating individuals with respect in all aspects of service delivery. Providing privacy for personal care routines like toileting is a fundamental way to show respect for the client as an individual.

A BCAT realizes at the end of a session that they forgot to collect frequency data on a target behavior for the last hour. What is the most honest and ethical course of action?

Answer: Leave the data for that hour blank and inform the supervisor about the oversight immediately.

Ethical guidelines require technicians to be honest and truthful in all professional activities, including data collection. Fabricating or estimating data is a serious ethical violation. The correct action is to accurately report the omission to the supervisor.

After a difficult session, a BCAT posts on their personal, private social media account: "My toughest client was out of control today, so draining! #autismlife #abatherapy". Why is this an ethical violation?

Answer: Even without using a name, the post is a breach of confidentiality and is disrespectful to the client.

Sharing any identifying information about clients on social media is a breach of confidentiality. Even if a name is not used, details about the session and the nature of the work could potentially identify the client to someone in the BCAT's social circle. Furthermore, the language used is disrespectful and fails to uphold the client's dignity.