A client can decline peer modeling ABA arrangements, and the peer can decline too. Participation should be voluntary, understandable, and revisited when the activity or recording changes. The team can offer a live adult model, video with proper authority, animation, written steps, task redesign, or another method. A refusal should not reduce ordinary peer access, relationships, communication, or services unrelated to the teaching choice.
Honor decline peer modeling ABA messages
Define accessible ways for both people to say no, pause, stop recording, change partners, or leave. Silence, attendance, family agreement, or school placement does not show that each participant agreed.
Avoid social pressure
Do not make friendship, approval, tokens, or group access depend on performing as a model. Explain the task, audience, privacy, expected duration, and whether footage exists. Give a workable alternative.
Use ethical sources
The Ethics Code addresses understandable communication, consent and assent when applicable, confidentiality, client involvement, and risk. The ASHA portal supports communication access. The CASP summary supports individualized planning at a high level.
Document the outcome
Record the option offered, each participant's response, any recording authority, alternative selected, and follow-up. Do not code a decline as treatment failure or an error in the target skill.
Example and family questions
Ari declines a classmate demonstration for a café role-play and selects an adult captioned video. Ask: Did both people have a private choice? What access or relationship changes followed? Was the alternative equally available?
Sources
- Association for Behavior Analysis International, Basic Principles in Behavior Analysis
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BCBA Test Content Outline, 6th edition
- Council of Autism Service Providers, ABA Practice Guidelines Version 3.0 public summary
- Marzullo-Kerth and colleagues, Using Multiple-Exemplar Training to Teach a Generalized Repertoire of Sharing to Children With Autism
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Finni resources
