In May 1986, the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) established a task force on the right to effective behavioral treatment. The mandate of this task force was to identify and delineate specific rights as they apply to behavioral treatment. Impetus for this project came in part from the controversy over the use of aversive procedures, which some held had no place in treatment and, with evolution of the treatment process, were no longer necessary. In con trast, others cited evidence that programs based on positive reinforcement alone were sometimes not effective in treating severe...