ABSTRACT
ACT has been viewed as controversial by some in ABA since it was first conceptualized, and a growing number of practicing behavior analysts have pushed for resources and training to bring ACT into their practice. The inclusion of any new and impactful technology will inevitably bring about new and potentially unanticipated ethical challenges that we must all navigate together in the field. In this chapter, we review multiple examples of ethical dilemmas that may be anticipated from the outset, and we offer functional contextualism as a basis for ethical decision-making. This model places values, including the values of clients, our values as practitioners, and the values that define the field of ABA, at the center of ethical decision-making. From within this framework, we visit questions about the scope of the field of ABA and the role ACT can play within it. We also discuss how external forces, such as regulatory bodies and laws, can even further place constraints on the implementation of ACT. Ultimately, behavior analysts should operate both within their scope of practice and their scope of competency, where this book and many others, support continuing education.
