Staying inside the technician role
Implement the plan; do not design, change or interpret it
- RBT
What the obligation is
A technician delivers behaviour-analytic services designed by a supervisor who remains responsible for that work. That single fact decides most day-to-day ethics questions. Running the plan as written, collecting the data it specifies, and reporting what you observe are inside the role. Writing or modifying a plan, deciding to drop a procedure, interpreting assessment results for a family, or diagnosing anything are not — however sensible the change would be and however experienced you are. Suggestions are welcome and valuable; what makes them safe is that they go to the supervisor rather than into the session.
In plain language
Run the plan as written. Record what happens. Report what you see. Changing the plan, interpreting results, or advising a family is your supervisor's job, not yours.
What this looks like
- Continuing the written procedure while raising your idea for improving it with your supervisor.
- Telling a caregiver that the analyst decides program changes, and passing the request on that day.
- Describing what happened in a session without explaining what it means.
- Declining to answer a medication question and routing it to the medical team through your supervisor.
Where people get caught
- Making a small change "just this once" because it obviously helps.
- Answering "why does he do that?" with your own interpretation because a parent is upset.
- Quietly dropping a step you disagree with, which makes the data uninterpretable.
- Assuming years of experience change the role; the role is defined by the credential, not by tenure.
If you are not sure
Ask whether you are being asked to decide something or to deliver something. Deciding goes to the supervisor, the same day if anyone is waiting on an answer.
In the codes
- RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Section 1 — How you conduct yourself
- 1.03 Practise only in a defined role, under close supervision
- 1.05 Do not overstate your qualifications
- 1.06 Work only where your supervisor has confirmed you are competent
- RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Section 2 — How you deliver services
- 2.04 Do not use unfamiliar procedures or work with unfamiliar populations
- 2.06 Send questions and concerns to your supervisor
On the exam
Terms used here
Situations where this comes up
Related topics
Written from
- bacb-rbt-ethics-code-2 — Responsibilities in providing services
- bacb-rbt-handbook-2026 — What Is a Registered Behavior Technician
Written from the technician ethics code's scope structure and the RBT Handbook's description of the role, in our own words.
This entry has not yet been through independent review. Treat it as a draft, and read the official code for anything that matters.