Standard 2.06: Taking questions and concerns to the supervisor
When RBTs, or people around them such as caregivers and coworkers, have questions or concerns about the RBT's services, the RBT brings them to the supervisor. The supervisor designs and is responsible for the services, so the supervisor is the one who answers clinical questions and decides on changes.
What it means in practice
Caregivers often ask the person they see most, which is usually the RBT. Questions about progress, goals, diagnosis, medication, whether to stop or add a program, or how long services will last belong to the supervisor, who designs and is responsible for the plan.
Redirecting isn't brushing someone off. Listen, acknowledge the concern, tell the person you will pass it on, and let them know when to expect a response. Then actually pass it on promptly, in writing if your organization prefers, and follow up if no one has responded.
This standard covers your own concerns too: a procedure that seems not to be working, a data system that is confusing, or a worry about a client's safety. Take all of these to your supervisor rather than solving them alone or discussing them with others.
Scenarios
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A parent asks whether you think their child should start the medication their pediatrician mentioned. | Don't give an opinion on medication. Say that it is a question for the child's doctor and your supervisor, and pass the question to your supervisor. |
| A frustrated parent says they want you to stop running a program because their child isn't improving. | Listen and acknowledge their frustration, but keep running the program as written. Pass the concern to your supervisor promptly and tell the parent when to expect a reply. |
| A coworker tells you they think you are prompting too quickly during a client's sessions. | Thank them and raise it with your supervisor, who can observe and give you feedback. |
Practice questions
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Question 1The plan says to count aggression, defined as hitting, kicking or biting. A client pushes a peer, and the RBT is unsure whether to count it. What should the RBT do?
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C: Follow the definition and ask the supervisor. The operational definition decides what counts as an occurrence. Pushing is not listed, so the RBT records according to the definition and asks the supervisor to clarify; the supervisor decides whether to revise it.
- A: Counting behavior that is not in the definition makes the data inconsistent with other sessions and observers.
- B: Stopping data collection leaves the rest of the session unmeasured.
- D: Only the supervisor can change an operational definition.
Task A.1 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.06
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Question 2A plan uses 2-minute momentary time sampling for a behavior that lasts about one second each time. The data show 0% for a week, but a teacher reports seeing the behavior every day. What is the most likely explanation, and what should the RBT do?
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B: Brief behavior is easily missed between checks; report the mismatch to the supervisor. Momentary time sampling only sees the behavior if it is happening at the exact moment of the check, so short behaviors are often missed. The RBT should report the conflicting information so the supervisor can review the measurement system.
- A: The teacher's report is consistent with how momentary time sampling misses brief behavior, so it should not be dismissed.
- C: 0% from momentary time sampling does not show the behavior stopped, and the RBT does not decide mastery.
- D: The problem here is missing brief behavior, and choosing a new measurement procedure is the supervisor's decision.
Task A.2 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.06
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Question 3A client's flopping to the floor is measured with partial interval recording and has been scored in 100% of intervals for several sessions. The RBT notices that flopping now happens several times within each interval. What is the best next step?
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B: Report this to the supervisor, because the data cannot show the increase. Partial interval data can show at most 100%. When the behavior keeps increasing beyond that, the measurement system can no longer show the change, so the RBT reports what they are seeing to the supervisor.
- A: Once every interval is scored, the data cannot rise any further, so an increase in the behavior goes undetected.
- C: Adding counts changes the measurement system without the supervisor's approval.
- D: The RBT does not choose a new measurement procedure; that is the supervisor's decision.
Task A.2 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.06
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Question 4A plan measures a child's cleanup by counting the toys in the toy bin at the end of play. The RBT learns that an older sibling often helps put toys away. What is the main problem with these data?
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D: The product may not reflect the client's own behavior. Permanent product data are valid only if the product was produced by the client's target behavior. The RBT should report the problem so the supervisor can decide how to handle it.
- A: Toys in a bin are a lasting result that can be counted later; the issue is who produced it.
- B: If a sibling helps, the count is more likely to be too high than too low.
- C: Cleanup can be measured several ways, including by its products.
Task A.3 · 40-hour curriculum section C · RBT Ethics Code 2.06
Answer every question to see your score.
Where it sits in the code
Standard 2.06 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.9 Interpersonal and professional skills. Read the official text for the exact wording.
Related standards: 1.05 Accurate claims about qualifications and services, 1.06 Competence, 2.10 Discussing and sharing client information, 2.03 Professionalism and using feedback.