BCBA Ethical Dilemmas
Carrying out research working with preschool-aged children with autism can pose various ethical dilemmas for a behavior analyst. The major ethical dilemma Freya will most likely face when working with preschool-aged children with autism is the inability to obtain informed consent from the children. Obtaining such consent, which is an ethical requirement for any research while working with preschool-aged children with autism, will be a challenge for Freya. She has a responsibility to obtain such consent from each of the child’s parents or legal guardians. She will be required to inform them in person about her research working with children, the purpose of the research, the kind of data and information she will collect, how she will use the data and who will have access to such data. As a BCBA, she must inform them of any risks the children with autism may be exposed to during the research as per the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (2020) Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. Freya should also explain the benefits of the research she will conduct for the children in order to get fully informed consent from the parents or legal guardians.
Other ethical dilemmas in Freya’s case include respecting the autonomy of the children as well as the increased risk of harm as she may have to, at some point, push the children a bit to fit in with the research agenda. Additionally, evidence shows that the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in children with autism is likely to violate the ethical principles of justice and nonmaleficence (Wilkenfeld & McCarthy, 2020). As a BCBA, Freya will have to comply with the codes of ethics and guidelines provided by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), and The American Psychological Association (APA).
References
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. BACB. https://bacb.com/wp-content/ethics-code-for-behavior-analysts/
Wilkenfeld, D. A., & McCarthy, A. M. (2020). Ethical Concerns with Applied Behavior Analysis for Autism Spectrum “Disorder.” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 30(1), 31–69. https://doi.org/10.1353/KEN.2020.0000
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Question 
D 224 7
Scenario
Freya is a BCBA who is interested in studying functional communication training in preschool-aged children. She wants to work with a group of individuals diagnosed with autism between the ages of 3 and 5. She lives near a clinic where her nephew goes with an early intervention program and is eager to see if this clinic will allow her to work with these kids. She starts by meeting with the director and asking if she can have permission to come in and observe. The director says yes as long as she signs a non-disclosure agreement that is HIPPA compliant, protecting the client’s privacy. She is thrilled about this opportunity.
BCBA Ethical Dilemmas
She begins interacting with the children and gathering information about how they are communicating. This information will serve as a baseline for her study. She figures that if she gets a head start, this will increase her timeline.
Discussion
Discuss the ethical dilemma here in regard to a behavior analyst’s responsibility in research. What should Freya do before she works with these clients? What other ethical dilemmas is she faced with? Describe the Code(s) to consider regarding this situation.
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