Professional Conduct, Ethics, and Supervision
As a technician, your authority comes from the plan written by your supervising behavior analyst and from your own verified competence. Practice only within your scope: you implement programs and collect data, but you do not design or modify behavior plans, conduct functional analyses alone, diagnose, or discharge clients. When data suggest a change is needed, report it to your supervisor rather than improvising. That single boundary resolves most ethics items on the exam.
Informed consent belongs to the caregiver or client with legal authority; assent belongs to the client and should be monitored continuously. Explain procedures in plain language, describe risks and alternatives, and document. Confidentiality covers all client information, including in hallway conversations, text messages, social media, and communications with school staff who are not authorized. Its limits are real and must be known: suspected abuse or neglect, imminent danger to self or others, and court orders. When a limit applies, share only the minimum necessary and notify your supervisor.
Other recurrent themes are avoiding dual or multiple relationships, refusing gifts that could compromise objectivity, truthful documentation and billing, cultural responsiveness, least restrictive procedures, and using data rather than impressions to justify decisions. Punishment-based or restrictive procedures require specific authorization, monitoring, and often a review committee.
Traps: a teacher or parent asks you to change a target or a consequence, and the tempting answer is to comply; the correct answer is to decline, explain the plan, and consult the supervisor. Another trap is assuming confidentiality ends when a colleague is curious.
Worked example: a parent asks you to add a new tooth-brushing target immediately. You acknowledge the request, explain that program changes come from the supervising analyst, relay the request, and document both the request and the contact.
Rule of thumb: if it is not in the plan or not in your training, pause, contact your supervisor, and document it.