Increasing Competence and Confidence in Helping People with Disabilities through Grief

Abstract This presentation addresses the critical role of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in supporting clients through grief, establishing bereavement as a behavioral process involving respondent and operant changes following the loss of a significant reinforcer. By exploring environmental variables and relevant Ethics Codes, the session underscores the importance of maintaining professional competence and pursuing interdisciplinary collaboration within the BCBA’s scope of practice. Given that adults with developmental disabilities are living longer and increasingly facing the death of primary caregivers, we will examine the resulting "secondary losses"—such as shifts in housing and social support—and engage in interactive activities to develop behaviorally-based strategies that provide compassionate, evidence-based support during these significant life transitions.