Navigating Clinical Differences: A Professional Approach to Disagreement

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the supervision structure in ABA and explain why clinical decision-making authority rests with the BCBA, and what that authority does and does not permit

2. Identify the most common sources of professional disagreement in ABA and distinguish between disagreements that reflect misunderstanding, clinical perspective differences, and genuine ethical concerns

3. Explain the BACB RBT Ethics Code obligations that apply when an RBT has a concern about a supervisor's instruction, clinical decision, or professional conduct

4. Apply professional communication strategies for raising clinical questions and disagreements with supervisors, including specific language and the correct channel and timing

5. Describe the escalation pathway that applies when a concern cannot be resolved through direct communication with a supervisor, including when and how to go beyond the supervisory relationship

6. Distinguish between clinical deference (appropriate) and ethical compliance despite concern (never appropriate), and understand what the Ethics Code requires when the two are in conflict