I-3: Select supervision goals based on an assessment of the supervisee’s skills. ©
Important note: Fictionalized clients are used to demonstrate the skill items in the second half of the task list, sections F-I. They make the most sense when read in order. Please remember that there is not substitute for real-life supervision and consultation. Get your case-specific advice from professionals – not from the internet! These examples are just that – examples of how behavior analytic skills might be applied.
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Jada
Case example: Jada is an elementary school student. She experiences Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Level 3 is the severity level of Autism which is characterized by “requiring very substantial support.” Jada has also been diagnosed with a severe Intellectual Disability (ID). Jada has just transferred to a private school for individuals with global needs. She loves all kinds of play and messy activities, such as finger paint and water play. She also enjoys swinging on the playground, eating popcorn, and watching Disney movies. She loves to be read to, and laughs when staff make dramatic gestures while reading picture books. Jada does not use any vocal speech. She makes noises sometimes, such as humming. Jada engages in motor stimming, including upper body tensing and flapping her arms. Jada engages in severe challenging behavior, including self injury (hand to head and head to surface) and aggression (including hitting and biting). Jada has a mom, dad, and older brother living together in one home. Jada’s family has advocated for her to attend a private program, and they are excited for her to get high quality services. Jada’s new behavior analyst is Dr. Brown-Davis, who is a BCBA-D employed by the private program.
Example of Item I-3: Dr. Brown-Davis supervises multiple staff members at Jada’s school. Some are behavior technicians (direct care/frontline staff), and some are pursuing clinical hours to become board certified in behavior analysis. Regardless of which path a particular supervisee is on, Dr. Brown-Davis works with each supervisee to assess skills based on job description and (in the case of clinical supervisees) future career/competence goals. The assessment involves either observing the skill in real time or reviewing permanent products related to performance (guided by the task list).
Donovan
Case example: Donovan is a high school student. He has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). He attends a public school and has been placed in a support program for students with social/emotional/behavioral needs. Donovan enjoys playing video games and drawing in his sketchbook. He would like to be a welder when he is an adult. Academic achievement and attendance have been challenges for Donovan historically, and he is currently not on track to graduate with his peers due to missed work and failing grades in several classes. Donovan’s team has identified challenges including frequent non-attendance to school, walking the halls during class times, non-attendance at expected guidance appointments, and non-completion of classwork. Donovan lives with his mother and older brother. Donovan’s mother is concerned about her son’s school challenges and expresses frustration about his “lack of commitment” to his education. She wants Donovan to understand how important it is to graduate from high school. Donovan’s behavior analyst is Ms. Bailey, who has just started contracting with Donovan’s school district through the agency she works for.
Example of Item I-3: As part of the supervisee onboarding process at Ms. Bailey agency, all new supervisees must complete a skill self-assessment based on the task list. They are then given an opportunity to demonstrate each skill, and are observed by their supervisor. Based on the results of this assessment, supervisees then work with their supervisors to develop an individualized plan to reach competence in all intended areas of practice. For example, Ms. Bailey’s new supervisee, Mandy, is particularly interested in working with high school aged youth who demonstrate behavioral and emotional challenged. She would also like to gain competence in classroom-level teacher coaching. Ms. Bailey welcomes this information about Mandy’s goals, and they work together to intermittently re-assess Mandy’s skills in light of her career/competence plans. Due to Mandy’s career interests, Donovan is one of the clients to whom she is assigned (with supervision).