Description

We’re covering a very uncomfortable topic today: Punishment procedures in ABA.  There are a lot of reasons why people are Anti-ABA, and punishment is just one of them.  Christina and Nicole discuss the history of punishment in ABA including the most controversial punishment procedure, known as Contingent Electric Skin Shock.  We’ll talk about how punishment is meant to be used in ABA, why families might get to this point, and red flags all team members should look for when considering punishment. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the ethical concerns associated with the historical and current use of punishment procedures in ABA, including more extreme uses of punishment.
2. Differentiate between ethical and unethical applications of punishment procedures within ABA, including the misuse of punishment and the lack of informed consent, assent, and least-restrictive alternatives.
3. Identify best practices that behavior analysts, team members, and families should consider when punishment procedures are proposed, with an emphasis on upholding client dignity, safety, and social validity.

Link to Podcast Referenced: Least of These Podcast, Episode 34: The Shocking Truth Part #7 - A Survivor Speaks

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Citations for this episode:

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2019). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Leah Dee (Host). (2021, September 23). The “Shocking” Truth – A Survivor Speaks: Part 7 (Ep. 34) [Audio podcast episode]. In Least of These. Tiny Ranch Productions.

Ruhalter, K. (2023, September 11). Electric shock therapy is still allowed in one Mass. treatment facility—Advocates say change is long overdue.All Things Considered, WGBH News. Retrieved from WGBH website

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, May 19). Judge Rotenberg Center. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 19, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Rotenberg_Center