A learner is hurting themselves and there is a risk of injury
Stop and escalate. This app does not give a procedure here.
- Self-injury
- Medical emergency
The situation
During a session a learner begins behaving in a way that is causing, or is likely to cause, physical injury to themselves. You are worried about their safety right now.
Contact now
- Immediate: Emergency services (911)
- Your supervising BCBA
- Nurse or medical staff
- Parent or guardian
Right now
Make sure the person is safe and summon help from someone else on site immediately. Follow your own organization's crisis procedure and this learner's written plan, which are the only instructions that apply to this specific situation.
Write down
- Record what happened, when it started, and when it ended.
- Record exactly when you notified your supervisor and who else was present.
- Complete your organization's incident report before you leave for the day.
- Report any injury to the learner or to yourself the same day, however minor it looks.
What staff may and may not do in this situation is set by your employer's policy, your own certified training, and state law. Those rules differ by state and by setting, and they override any general guidance.
Terms used here
Written from
- abai-restraint-position-2010 — Position on restrictive intervention
- usdoe-restraint-seclusion
- bacb-rbt-ethics-code-2 — Scope of practice and competence
This entry has not yet been through clinical review.