Association for Behavior Analysis International

As Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) continues to embrace more compassionate, trauma-informed approaches, the need for crisis management procedures remains both critical and controversial in supporting individuals with moderate to severe disabilities and who engage in significant problem behaviors. Some practitioners and advocates misinterpret crisis management as inherently incompatible with trauma-informed care. However, crisis situations—such as continuous severe aggression, self-injurious behavior, or safety risks—may still arise, requiring immediate and judicious responses to ensure the safety of all involved without compromising dignity or respect. For instance, unplanned/unknown Establishing Operations, limited resources, and establishing safe boundaries could set the occasion for crisis behaviors to occur. A continuum may exist between behavioral stabilization and critical treatment outcomes. This presentation will explore how all of these approaches align with the compassionate ABA principles and trauma-informed frameworks. We will discuss the risks of neglecting crisis protocols, address common misconceptions, and present strategies for integrating proactive crisis management into our practice. It will highlight how appropriate crisis management strategies showing good clinical judgment can mitigate long-term trauma by preventing escalation and enhancing our skill-based model. Trauma-informed models will be emphasized as key in refining our crisis management procedures. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the nuanced role crisis management plays, as well as how to integrate it with existing models of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and compassionate practice to balance safety and compassion in their work.

The audience should have foundational understanding of the PFT/SBT assessment and treatment model, the Essential for Living assessment and curriculum, and the implementation of crisis management systems to best benefit from the nuances of this examination. The audience should have some experience assessing and treating severe problem behavior in individuals with moderate to severe disabilities

As Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) continues to embrace more compassionate, trauma-informed approaches, the need for crisis management procedures remains both critical and controversial in supporting individuals with moderate to severe disabilities and who engage in significant problem behaviors. Some practitioners and advocates misinterpret crisis management as inherently incompatible with trauma-informed care. However, crisis situations—such as continuous severe aggression, self-injurious behavior, or safety risks—may still arise, requiring immediate and judicious responses to ensure the safety of all involved without compromising dignity or respect. For instance, unplanned/unknown Establishing Operations, limited resources, and establishing safe boundaries could set the occasion for crisis behaviors to occur. A continuum may exist between behavioral stabilization and critical treatment outcomes. This presentation will explore how all of these approaches align with the compassionate ABA principles and trauma-informed frameworks. We will discuss the risks of neglecting crisis protocols, address common misconceptions, and present strategies for integrating proactive crisis management into our practice. It will highlight how appropriate crisis management strategies showing good clinical judgment can mitigate long-term trauma by preventing escalation and enhancing our skill-based model. Trauma-informed models will be emphasized as key in refining our crisis management procedures. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the nuanced role crisis management plays, as well as how to integrate it with existing models of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and compassionate practice to balance safety and compassion in their work.

This talk aims to address the reality that even with robust trauma-informed models like Practical Functional Assessment (PFA), Skill-Based Treatment, and the Essential for Living Curriculum, crises can still arise. These situations may be driven by a variety of factors, like unanticipated establishing operations (EOs), EOs that are hard to contrive for analysis, or hard to avoid. Additionally, resource limitations in certain settings can further complicate these efforts, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach that integrates analysis, treatment, and safety considerations. The presentation will review specific case studies to illustrate how crisis management can be integrated into a trauma-informed assessment and treatment process. Strategies for advancing analysis and treatment will be discussed, as well as ways in which trauma-informed models can better inform our approaches to crisis management. Key topics will include: Adapting trauma-informed models to include crisis management without deviating from the goals of treatment, balancing treatment goals with the need for safety in moments of crisis, while ensuring dignity and care for individuals, and Improving collaboration across teams to make sure resources are used efficiently.