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A Constructional Approach to Defining Genuine Assent and Integrating It Into Programming |
Friday, May 23, 2025 |
4:00 PM–7:00 PM |
Marriott Marquis, M4 Level, Liberty I-K |
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Service Delivery |
CE Instructor: Angela Fuhrmann-Knowles, M.A. |
ANGELA FUHRMANN-KNOWLES (Endicott College), JILLIAN BALDWIN (Endicott College), AWAB ABDEL-JALIL (Upstate Caring Partners & Endicott College), ANNA LINNEHAN (Endicott College), SHEILA ANN ANN KLICK (Endicott College) |
Description: Assent is a widespread topic within applied behavior analysis (ABA). Multiple authors have written about defining assent and its role in ABA services. The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts was updated in 2020 and states that those certified under the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) must obtain assent from learners. Despite its popularity as a topic and clinicians’ ethical obligation, there may be ambiguity regarding how exactly to obtain and assess for it. Tools that help clinicians assess and program for assent in everyday settings are warranted. A three-part decision-making tool was developed based on a concept analysis of consent, assent, and compulsion by Linnehan et al. (2023). The purpose of the tool is to help ABA clinicians and behavior analysts ensure genuine assent in programming. In this workshop, the presenters will begin by introducing the differences between genuine and apparent assent. Next, they will introduce a three-part decision-making tool that helps clinicians assess and program for the presence of genuine assent with learners. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice using the decision-making tool with examples from the learners they work with to adhere to the standards outlined in the Ethics Code. |
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify the critical features of genuine and apparent assent; (2) distinguish between examples and non-examples of genuine and apparent assent; (3) use the decision-making tool and apply it within their learners' programming to assess for genuine assent. |
Activities: Instructional strategies will include lectures, discussions, and small group activities. Through lectures, the concepts of genuine and apparent assent will be reviewed, and examples and non-examples of each concept will be presented. In the small group activities, participants will review examples and non-examples of the concepts and work together to identify each. A group discussion will follow to review everyone’s answers. The decision-making tool will also be completed in small breakout groups. Each group will be given a sample case vignette and be tasked with using the tool to develop a program illustrating genuine assent. A group discussion will follow to review everyone’s answers. The format will combine lecture, group discussions, and small group activities. |
Audience: BCBAs, behavior analysts, case supervisors or managers, teachers, ABA master's students |
Content Area: Practice |
Instruction Level: Basic |
Keyword(s): assent, constructional approach, genuine assent, program development |
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