BA285 Unit 7 Consent and Assent Board Post Example

Course	BA285 Ethics in Behavior Analysis
Unit	Unit 7
Paper type	Discussion board post
Length	About 470 words, 2 pages double-spaced
Format	APA 7 discussion post
School	Purdue University Global
Program	BS in Psychology
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for BA285 Unit 7

His Grandmother Said Yes and Caleb Turned His Head: A BA285 Unit 7 Discussion Post on Consent and Assent

BA285 · Unit 7 Discussion Board Post

Posted by [Student Name]

The writer, the family and the classmates are composite; the code and article cited are real.

What this part is doingOpening with a gap between an adult's agreement and a child's behavior frames the topic as a practical tension.

Initial Post

Caleb, the four-year-old I work with in rural Kentucky, has a toothbrushing program. His grandmother, Mrs. Pruitt, who is his legal guardian, signed consent for it, and for good reason: his dentist found two cavities, and Caleb had refused brushing for months. The program gradually increases how long he tolerates the brush, with praise and a favorite song as reinforcers.

Consent and assent are different things. Under the behavior analyst code, informed consent is required from clients or their legally authorized representatives before services begin and when they change, and it also asks behavior analysts to involve clients in decisions and to respect their preferences as appropriate to their capacity (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2020). Mrs. Pruitt can consent for Caleb. Only Caleb can assent.

Breaux and Smith (2023) describe assent as a client's ongoing agreement to participate, shown through words or behavior, and argue that practitioners should define what assent and its withdrawal look like for each client, monitor them throughout sessions, and respond to withdrawal by pausing or changing instruction rather than pushing through, except where safety requires otherwise.

Caleb cannot sign a form, but he tells me each session whether he agrees, by turning his head, pushing my hand or opening his mouth.

For Caleb, we wrote out his signs. Assent looks like opening his mouth, holding the brush himself or humming his song. Withdrawal looks like turning his head, pushing the brush away or crying. When we tracked them, we found he withdrew assent almost every time the brushing went past about ten seconds, which was the step the program had reached. My supervisor changed the plan: Caleb now holds the brush first, the timer is visible, and steps increase by two seconds only after three sessions with no withdrawal. Within a month he was brushing for thirty seconds with assent in most sessions.

Mrs. Pruitt's consent made the program legitimate. Caleb's assent made it work.

When have you seen consent and assent point in different directions?

What this part is doingEnding with the tension between the two concepts invites classmates to share harder cases.

Reply to Lauren

Lauren, your example of an adult client who consents to services but walks out of sessions is important, because it shows assent matters at every age. I would ask whether the walking out tells you something about the goals, not only the session.

Reply to Devin

Devin, I agree that safety can override assent, as Breaux and Smith (2023) acknowledge. But in Caleb's case, nothing about brushing was urgent enough to push through his refusal, and slowing down got us further.

References

Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts. Author.

Breaux, C. A., & Smith, K. (2023). Assent in applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support: Ethical considerations and practical recommendations. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 69(1), 111-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2022.2144969

What the BA285 Unit 7 assignment asks for

The Unit 7 board in BA285 asks you to discuss informed consent and assent in behavior-analytic services. Explain the difference between them, including who can give each, using the BACB code and scholarly sources. Describe a composite or observed situation in which a client's behavior signaled assent or its withdrawal, and define what those signs look like for that person. Explain how the practitioner and supervisor responded, staying within roles. Note when safety might justify continuing without assent. End by asking classmates something. Keep the opening post near 400 to 450 words, then two replies that add a harder case or a limit the classmate did not consider.

Inside the BA285 Unit 7 example

The post opens with Caleb's toothbrushing program, his cavities and his grandmother's consent. A paragraph distinguishes consent from assent using the code. Another summarizes Breaux and Smith's guidance, under a highlighted line that Caleb tells the technician whether he agrees without signing anything. A paragraph lists his signs of assent and withdrawal and the data showing withdrawal near ten seconds, then the supervisor's changes and the results. A short line contrasts what consent and assent each contributed. Replies discuss an adult client who walks out of sessions and agree that safety can override assent while noting that brushing was not urgent. The question at the end asks when consent and assent pointed in different directions for classmates.

Where the points sit in the BA285 Unit 7 rubric

Graders look for an accurate distinction between consent and assent and correct identification of who can give each. Defining observable signs of assent and withdrawal for a specific client shows practical understanding. The response to withdrawal should be described concretely and stay within the technician's role. Acknowledging limits, such as safety, demonstrates balance. Data showing what changed strengthen the post. Replies should raise harder cases. Citations to the code and an article on assent, in APA style, are expected. Graders also expect the child to be described respectfully and without identifying details. Posts that track withdrawal signs as data, and show the program changing in response, usually earn the top band.

Common BA285 Unit 7 mistakes, and how to avoid them

Consent and assent posts often use the terms interchangeably. Others describe assent abstractly without saying what it looks like for a particular client. Students frequently report that a child refused and the session continued, without discussing whether that was justified. Supervisors are sometimes left out of decisions about changing programs. Replies tend to agree without adding complexity. Before posting, define consent and assent in one sentence each, list two signs of assent and two of withdrawal for your example, describe what changed after withdrawal was noticed and who decided, and in replies offer a case where consent and assent conflict sharply. Keep the child composite.

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Send the Unit 7 question and the rubric. A custom post analyzes consent and assent with an example. It is free the first time, delivered within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

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BA285 Unit 7 questions, answered

What is the difference between consent and assent?

Consent comes from a legally authorized person; assent is the client's own agreement, shown in words or behavior.

Can a child withdraw assent?

Yes; signs of withdrawal should prompt a change in the session.

What should replies add?

A situation where consent and assent pull in different directions.

Where can I find a free BA285 Unit 7 sample paper?

This page holds the complete BA285 Unit 7 post on consent and assent in a composite four-year-old's toothbrushing program, with two replies.

How did the program change in the BA285 Unit 7 sample?

The child held the brush first, a visible timer was added and steps grew by two seconds only after three sessions without withdrawal.