When the problem behaviors are out of control, everyone is unhappy, and people have been injured, someone is bound to say “well, at least it can’t get any worse.” But they are almost certainly wrong. People are often surprised, that yes, it can get worse. Much worse. On the other hand, when things are going really well, someone is bound to say, “It can’t get any better.” That’s almost certainly wrong, too. Just because the clients are doing great and everyone is happy, it doesn’t mean dramatic improvement isn’t possible.
It is important not to think that, “it can’t get any worse” when things are going poorly because this type of logic is used to justify risky decisions. When, it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, it is time to slow down. Don’t worry about the long term right now. Make sure everyone is safe. Then, carefully evaluate your options.
It is equally important not to think, “it can’t get any better” when things are going well because it will prevent you from being on a Poogi. In all likelihood, that person is overconfident. No matter how well you are doing, dramatic improvement is possible as much as we hate to admit it. If you think you can’t get any better, trying to make improvements is worthless.
In ABA, the range of the quality of programming is large. Often, we think we might be at the extremes of one end or the other. That’s very unlikely. It is best to always assume you are somewhere in the middle, and you probably are. Just always be on a POOGI.