The ACT-Extended Behavioral Contract: A BCBA Template With Values

The seven-cell ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training) behavioral contract is the seventh practice from the panel talk, and it is the one Tom walked through with Juan, a boy whose brother Carlos is autistic. Tom and Juan filled in each cell together, from "what I care about most" all the way to "what I will earn." Juan landed on his family. He said he was willing to play video games with Carlos for half an hour, three days a week, after homework. That single contract held both the ACT layer and a level system with real rewards, and it gives any BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) a clean place to start.

This page gives you the template, the worked example, and the steps to build one with a client tomorrow.

Why the standard behavior contract is not enough#

A standard behavior contract from Dardig and Heward is a great tool. You write the behavior, the schedule, and the reinforcer. Client signs. Parent signs. You take data.

The problem shows up when the behavior keeps stalling. The client knows what to do. The reinforcer is strong. But something in their head keeps getting in the way. A rule. A worry. A story about a sibling. The standard contract has nowhere to put that.

The ACT-extended contract adds rooms for the stuff you cannot see. It still holds the direct reinforcer. It just stops pretending the inside of the client's head does not matter.

this is a sample of an extension of the standard kind of behavioral contract... because it includes both direct acting contingencies and indirect acting contingencies. So if we look at the top left there, what do I care most about that's getting that values. And then what am I willing to do From the talk — the panel

The seven cells of an ACT-extended contract#

Picture a grid with seven boxes. Read them in this order.

1. What do I care about most? This is the values cell. Family. Being a good friend. Being healthy. Big words, not behaviors.
2. What am I willing to do? This bridges the value to action. "I am willing to spend time with my brother." Still broad.
3. What exactly will I do? Here is where you tighten it. Specific behavior. Specific count. The same way you write any behavior plan.
4. What barriers can get in the way? Two kinds. Things in the world (a tired parent, a noisy room) and things in the head (a sticky thought, a "have to" rule).
5. What skills can I use to get through the barriers? ACT skills go here. Defusion. Walking away. Naming the thought.
6. When will I do this? Day, time, setting. Specific, like any contingency plan.
7. What will I earn? The reinforcer. The level system. The trip to the movie.

The panel walks through cells three through seven in one breath.

what exactly will I do defining those behaviors, what potential barriers or obstacles can get in the way that could be both private verbal behavior... as well as external contingencies as well. And then what skills can I use to help... get through some of those barriers? When will I do this... And then what will I earn From the talk — the panel

Juan and Carlos: a real worked example#

Tom shared a real case. Juan was the older brother. Carlos was autistic. The home was hard. Carlos got his way most of the time so things would not break. Juan was quiet about it for a while, then it started showing up in his behavior.

Here is how the seven cells came out for Juan.

• Cell 1 (values): family
• Cell 2 (willing to do): spend time with Carlos
• Cell 3 (exact behavior): play video games with Carlos for half an hour after homework
• Cell 4 (barriers): Carlos has to do everything his way; parents let Carlos win to keep the peace; Juan never gets time alone to play how he wants
• Cell 5 (skills): the "have to monster" exercise; the "ninja walk away"
• Cell 6 (when): three days a week, after homework
• Cell 7 (earn): a level system, plus going to the Star Wars movie with dad and one-on-one time with mom

The panel describes the case in Juan's own words.

Juan said that he really cared about his family, and he was willing to to commit to playing with Carlos. And they worked through that a little bit. And that looked like him playing video games with him three or for half an hour after they got their homework done for three days a week. From the talk — the panel

The skills cell is the part most BCBAs have not seen on a contract before. Tom did not make it up. He pulled it from the rules Juan kept repeating in his head.

Tom attempted to target the have to monster with with Juan and the have to was the Carlos's kind of behavior... So practicing saying, you know, we have to do this or I have to do that, saying that in funny different voices to again kind of change that relation to that that rule, that kind of rigid rule. From the talk — the panel

How to fill in the values cell with a client#

Start broad. Ask the client what matters most. Family. Friends. Being good at something. If the client is young, draw it. If the client is verbal, write a few options on a paper and let them pick.

Do not write a behavior here. "Being kind to my brother" is a behavior wearing a values mask. The value is the bigger thing the behavior points to. Family. Love. Being a good big brother.

If you get stuck, ask the client what they want to be known for. Or what they want their family to remember about them. That last question is the writing prompt the panel used in the present-moment exercise, and it pulls values right out of people.

How to write the barriers cell without leading the witness#

The barriers cell is where BCBAs get nervous. We are trained to stay out of inner talk. So we sometimes write only the outside stuff, like noise or tired parents, and skip the head stuff.

Two rules help.

First, ask. Do not guess. "When this is hard, what runs through your head?" Write down what the client says, in their words. If Juan says "Carlos always has to have it his way," that is the barrier. Not your interpretation.

Second, treat the head stuff like any other antecedent. You are not treating the thought. You are noticing what shows up before the unwanted behavior. That is what assessment is for.

Where the direct reinforcers live on the contract#

The last cell is still a reinforcer schedule. The ACT layer does not replace it. They sit side by side.

Juan had a level system for time spent playing with Carlos. He earned bigger things at higher levels. A trip to the Star Wars movie with dad. One-on-one time with mom. The behavior plan still drove the daily contingency. ACT gave him a way to get past the rule that was blocking him from earning at all. The contract holds both layers in one document. That is the whole point.

Printable template + how to take data on it#

You can draw the seven cells on a single page. Three rows works fine. Values on top. Behavior and barriers in the middle. Skills, when, and earn on the bottom. Sign it. Date it. Give the client a copy.

For data, take two streams.

Stream one is the target behavior from cell three. Juan's was minutes of play with Carlos, three days a week. Same as any direct contingency plan.

Stream two is use of the skill from cell five. Did the client try the defusion exercise this week? How many times? You do not have to score it for quality. Just count attempts. Self-monitoring counts, and it pulls the client into the work.

If you want a tighter loop, ask the client to fill in their own count next to yours. The panel was clear that self-monitoring is allowed, and that it helps the contract stick.

Frequently asked questions#

Can I use an ACT behavioral contract with a 6 year old?

Yes, with picture-based values and simple skills. Replace the word "values" with a question like "what do you love most?" Draw four options. Let the child point. For the skills cell, use short, named exercises like "the silly voice game" or "the ninja walk away." Keep the contract on one page with pictures.

Do I need to bill the ACT contract session under a different CPT code?

No. The contract is a behavior plan. The skills you teach inside it (defusion, present-moment work, values clarification) are taught and counted the same way you teach any other replacement skill. Write the goals in BCBA task list language so insurance approves them, the same way you would for any direct contingency plan.

What if the client cannot name a value yet?

Start with the willingness cell instead. Ask what they would be willing to do for someone they care about. Or show them a list of common values and have them pick three. You can always come back to the values cell after a few sessions of building the willing-to-do behavior. Values clarification is a skill, not a prerequisite.

Once the contract is signed, the real work starts. The cells just hold the plan. Your job is the same as always: teach the behaviors, run the skill drills, take the data, and adjust when it stalls. The ACT-extended contract gives you one more place to put what was already getting in the way.