Standard 2.02: Following direction, accurate implementation and documentation
RBTs follow their supervisor's direction, carry out services accurately, and complete all required documentation accurately, including client data and billing records. In short, they do what the plan says, do it the way it was designed, and make sure every record matches what really happened.
What it means in practice
Your supervisor designs the plan and you carry it out as written, with good treatment integrity. If you think something isn't working, bring your data and your concern to your supervisor rather than changing the procedure yourself.
Accurate documentation means data recorded as it happens (or as soon as the procedure allows), session notes that describe what actually occurred, and billing records with true times and services. Don't estimate data you didn't collect, copy last week's note, or round session times. If you make an error, correct it using your organization's correction procedure and tell your supervisor.
Following direction has limits. A direction to falsify a record or to do something illegal or harmful is not one you follow. The code puts the law and the client's interest first, so you raise the problem as described in 1.01 and 2.07.
Scenarios
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You were managing a crisis and didn't collect data for 20 minutes of the session. Afterward you are tempted to estimate the counts. | Record only the data you actually collected, mark the gap and the reason, and tell your supervisor. |
| You think the plan's prompt-fading steps are too slow and want to skip ahead to independent trials. | Keep implementing the plan as written. Share your observations and the data with your supervisor, who decides whether to change it. |
| A session ended 25 minutes early when the client became ill, but the billing system fills in the scheduled end time by default. | Change the entry to the actual end time and note why the session ended early. Accurate billing records are part of this standard. |
| Your note template carries over last session's text, and it would be quick to submit it unchanged. | Write a note that describes this session. A copied note that doesn't match what happened is an inaccurate record. |
Practice questions
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Question 1An RBT is counting a client's out-of-seat behavior during a 60-minute session but must leave the room for 10 minutes to help in an emergency. Another staff member stays with the client but takes no data. What should the RBT do?
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B: Record the count and note that only 50 minutes were observed. Data must reflect what was actually observed. Recording the true observation time keeps the count accurate and lets it be turned into a correct rate; the gap is documented, not filled in.
- A: Estimating the missed period means recording numbers that were never observed.
- C: Treating 50 minutes as 60 makes the rate look lower than it was and misrepresents the record.
- D: Leaving the sheet blank with no note loses the data that were collected and leaves the gap unexplained.
Task A.1 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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Question 2A plan calls for frequency recording of swearing during a 2-hour community outing. Halfway through, the swearing becomes so frequent that the RBT cannot keep an accurate count. What should the RBT do?
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A: Note the problem and tell the supervisor promptly. The RBT implements the measurement system the supervisor designed. When it cannot be carried out accurately, the RBT documents what happened and reports it so the supervisor can decide whether to change the procedure.
- B: Changing the measurement procedure is a decision for the supervisor, not the RBT.
- C: An estimate made afterward is not data from observation.
- D: Changing what counts as an occurrence alters the operational definition without the supervisor's approval.
Task A.1 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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Question 3Why should an RBT record each occurrence as it happens instead of writing totals at the end of the session?
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D: Recording in the moment avoids errors from relying on memory. Memory is unreliable, especially after a busy session. Recording each occurrence when it happens is part of accurate data collection, which the RBT Ethics Code expects of RBTs.
- A: Relying on memory leads to errors for any target, skill or problem behavior.
- B: The RBT still needs the operational definition to decide what counts as an occurrence.
- C: Recording every occurrence as it happens is continuous measurement, not a sample.
Task A.1 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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Question 4During momentary time sampling, an RBT misses one check because they were helping another student. What should the RBT record for that interval?
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D: Mark the interval as not observed. Only observed intervals should be scored. Marking the interval as not observed keeps the record honest and lets the percentage be calculated from the intervals actually checked.
- A: Marking it as not scored claims the behavior was absent, but nobody looked.
- B: Marking it as scored claims the behavior was present, but nobody looked.
- C: Copying the previous result records data that were never collected.
Task A.2 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
Answer every question to see your score.
Where it sits in the code
Standard 2.02 is in section 2, Responsibilities in Providing Behavior-Technician Services, of the RBT Ethics Code (2.0). On the exam it relates to task F.3 Ongoing supervision, task F.1 Core ethics principles. Read the official text for the exact wording.
Related standards: 1.01 Honesty and following the rules, 3.02 Honesty with the BACB and your supervisor, 2.06 Taking questions and concerns to the supervisor.