BLEPP case studies
BLEPP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential is a professional certification for practitioners who design, oversee, and evaluate behavior-analytic services, most often in autism and developmental-disability settings but also in education, organizational behavior management, and clinical practice. Certification signals that the holder has met the BACB's graduate-level coursework, supervised fieldwork, and examination requirements. The BLEPP case studies are 5 cases and about 2,891 words.
1Aggression in a Group Home: Choosing a Functional Assessment Under Safety Constraints
Marcus is a 34-year-old man with moderate intellectual disability and limited vocal communication who lives in a six-bed group home. In the past 30 days, staff recorded 14 aggression episodes (hitting, scratching, biting), lasting 3–10 minutes; two required first aid and one led to an emergency department visit.
654 words, about 3 min2Escape Extinction Burst or Treatment Failure in Early Intervention
Lena is a 5-year-old autistic child receiving 2 hours per day of early intervention in a clinic. Baseline tantrums averaged 8 per day (range 6–11), typically 4–12 minutes, occurring mostly during table-top instruction and transitions.
595 words, about 3 min3Supervision Under Pressure: Seclusion Request, Untrained RBT, and a Gift
Patel is a BCBA-D supervising six RBTs in a private agency. An RBT texts her at 9 p.m.: the parent of a 10-year-old client has asked the RBT to use a “calm-down room” with a locked door for up to 30 minutes when the child refuses homework; the parent says the agency’s new plan authorizes it, but the plan only lists a voluntary break area.
584 words, about 3 min4Alternating Treatments in One Classroom: Confounded Comparison of Token Economy and Response Cost
A school-based BCBA is asked to compare a token economy with a response-cost system for 8-year-old Devon, whose disruptive comments occur 10–14 times per 45-minute class. The principal wants an answer in four weeks.
559 words, about 3 min5Fieldwork Supervision, Productivity Pressure, and Independent Plan Changes
Rosa is a BCBA supervising four candidates accruing fieldwork hours at a community agency. One candidate, Jamal, works 30 billable hours per week across nine clients, many with high-intensity aggression.
499 words, about 2 min