A caregiver asks you to change how a program is run

The situation

A parent or teacher asks you, during or after a session, to do something differently: drop a target, add a reward, stop a procedure they dislike, or work on something new. They are reasonable and well-meaning, and they are asking you directly rather than the supervisor.

What the plan usually asks for

1. Listen fully and take the request seriously; write down exactly what was asked and why. Caregivers see things you do not, and their concerns are data the supervisor needs.
2. Explain that program changes are made by the supervising analyst, and that you will pass the request on today. Technicians implement plans; they do not modify them. Saying so plainly protects the caregiver's trust and your certification.
3. Continue running the program as written for the rest of the session unless something is unsafe. A change made by one person in one setting makes the data uninterpretable and the program inconsistent across staff.
4. Contact your supervisor the same day with the request and your notes. The caregiver deserves a prompt answer from the person who can give one.

What not to do

• Do not agree to the change to avoid an awkward conversation, and do not quietly do it "just this once."
• Do not dismiss the request or argue the clinical case for the program; that conversation belongs to the supervisor.
• Do not promise what the supervisor will decide.

When to tell your supervisor

• Always: every request to change a program goes to the supervisor, the same day.
• Sooner, by phone, if the caregiver says they will stop allowing the program or if the request is about a safety concern.

Terms used here

• Scope of Practice
• Behavior Intervention Plan
• Treatment Integrity
• Collaboration