ABA Unfiltered: Are We Teaching Skills or Compliance?
Presented by Danielle Virnelson
When
Tue, Dec 1, 2026, 7:00 PM EST
Behavior analysts are responsible for selecting socially significant treatment goals while respecting client dignity, preferences, and the interests of relevant stakeholders. Yet goals involving following directions, tolerating demands, and reducing refusal may create ethical tensions when compliance becomes the primary outcome. This facilitated discussion examines the distinction between functional skill development and compliance-focused programming. Participants will evaluate fictional clinical scenarios, identify relevant responsibilities under the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, and consider how assent, social validity, and client-centered goal selection can inform treatment decisions. Emphasis will be placed on applying ethical principles to the selection and revision of instructional goals.
Attend live and your CEU certificate is issued after the session.
See all upcoming live CEUs →About this CEU
Are we teaching skills that promote meaningful independence, or are we teaching clients to comply with adult expectations? Join this interactive ethics discussion examining assent, autonomy, socially significant goals, and the ethical implications of compliance-focused interventions.
What you'll learn
- 1Participants will be able to differentiate skill-acquisition goals that promote meaningful independence from goals primarily emphasizing compliance.
- 2Participants will be able to evaluate clinical scenarios involving assent, autonomy, and socially significant outcomes using relevant ethical principles.
- 3Participants will be able to propose modifications to instructional goals that better align with client preferences, clinical necessity, and ethical obligations.
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