Practical companion · Essay remains in review
The Illusion of ABA
Check one service promise
Turn a broad promise into one question you can ask today.
- Name the promise
- Look at the evidence
- Ask the next question
How to use this
- Choose one promise or explanation that you want to understand.
- Write what you observed and what information supports it. Mark anything you do not know.
- Ask the responsible clinician to explain what the information means for the goal you agreed on.
Picture the idea
Analogy: A shop window shows what is offered. Looking through the window asks what is happening. Neither view tells the whole story.
Made-up example
Made-up example: A reader receives a progress graph but cannot explain what it counts. The next question is: What does this graph measure, and how does that connect to our agreed goal?
Your printable worksheet
Write general notes without names or health details. Notes are not sent or saved. Print to keep them.
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Try it
A graph's line goes up. What should you ask before calling that a useful improvement?
Show the answer and why
Ask what was measured, under what conditions, and why that change matters to the person's goal.
Why: The direction of a line does not explain its meaning or everything outside the graph.
Keep the context
- This is an original question-organizing tool, not a treatment verdict or provider score.
- Keep filled notes private. No names or service files are needed to try the exercise.
General education. This worksheet does not create treatment, legal conclusions or a quality rating. For urgent danger, contact local emergency services.
Source context
B1: BACB professional standards
Source links support the context, not a validated score or proof that completing a worksheet improves outcomes.