What should Tim do?

• A. RBTs must request supervision from a BCBA familiar with that population. RBTs must refrain from working with groups they are unfamiliar with.
• B. Discrimination against different populations is directly prohibited by the BACB as well as legislature in many countries.
• C. Tim should begin shadowing other RBTs, who can train him to work with these clients.
• D. RBTs are trained on the basic principles of behavior, and, as such, are able to work with any population (the principles of behavior work for all organisms, after all).

Answer: (A)

Working with a population you’re not familiar with requires supervision from a BCBA who has experience with that population. RBTs implement behavior-analytic procedures under supervision, and they should not practice independently with groups they don’t yet know well. The appropriate step for Tim is to request supervision from a BCBA familiar with these clients and to arrange guided practice under that supervision. Shadowing other RBTs can be helpful, but it does not replace the need for BCBA supervision to ensure competence and safety. The idea that RBTs can work with any population on general principles is incorrect, because applying procedures safely and effectively depends on understanding the specifics of the population and receiving appropriate supervision.