ABA Exam Coach

E.5: Identify and comply with requirements for making public statements about professional activities (e.g., social media activity; misrepresentation of professional credentials, behavior analysis, and service outcomes).

Free practice questions for this part of the BCBA, with an explanation for every option.

A clinic director asks BCBAs to have current families write reviews for the clinic's advertising. What is the most accurate guidance?
  1. A. Behavior analysts do not solicit testimonials from current clients or stakeholders for advertising. Testimonials from former clients may be used if the related requirements are met
    Correct. The Code prohibits soliciting advertising testimonials from current clients and allows former-client testimonials with appropriate disclosures.
  2. B. This is fine as long as the families agree in writing
    Incorrect. Agreement doesn't solve the problem. Soliciting testimonials from current clients risks undue influence.
  3. C. Testimonials are banned from behavior-analytic advertising altogether
    Incorrect. Testimonials from former clients are allowed under specific conditions.
  4. D. This is fine as long as families are offered a small discount
    Incorrect. Offering incentives makes the coercion and exploitation concerns worse.
An agency's website says, "90% of children in our program lose their autism diagnosis within two years." The agency has never collected outcome data on diagnosis. What should the BCBA who oversees marketing do?
  1. A. Leave the statement up, since published research reports similar results
    Incorrect. Citing other studies doesn't justify claims about this agency's own outcomes, which it has no data for.
  2. B. Add a small-print disclaimer that results may vary
    Incorrect. A disclaimer doesn't fix a misleading claim.
  3. C. Remove or revise the statement so public claims accurately reflect services and are supported by data
    Correct. Public statements must not be false, deceptive, or misleading about service outcomes.
  4. D. Change the wording to "most children" so there's no specific number
    Incorrect. Vaguer wording is still an unsupported, misleading outcome claim.
A BCBA sees that an RBT she supervises posted a photo on her personal Instagram of herself with a client at a community outing. The caption reads, "So proud of my little buddy today!" The client's name isn't shown. What should the BCBA do?
  1. A. Like the post to show support for the RBT's enthusiasm
    Incorrect. This endorses the breach and makes it more visible.
  2. B. Have the RBT remove the post, review confidentiality and social media requirements with her, and follow agency procedures for addressing the breach, including notifying the family as appropriate
    Correct. The supervisor must address the breach and make sure supervisees follow confidentiality and social media requirements (2.03, 4.04, 5.10).
  3. C. Nothing, since no name was included and the post is positive
    Incorrect. A photo can identify a client even without a name. The Code (5.10) says client information and digital content are not posted on personal social media accounts.
  4. D. Ask the RBT to change the account to private
    Incorrect. A private account still discloses client information to the RBT's followers, and posting on any personal account is not allowed.

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