Preparation of Behavior Analysts for School-based Practice

While working in educational settings remains the second largest area of professional emphasis for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), there is a scarcity of research about how these professionals are prepared to provide services and supports in school-based placements. We investigated perceptions of school-based behavior analysts about their levels of preparation and confidence in applying their understanding of knowledge areas specific to school-based practice (i.e., multidisciplinary teaming, Individual Education Program teams, educational curricula and assessments, grade level benchmark standards and alternate standards for students with extensive support needs, educational law, and case law). Our focus was on identifying facilitators and barriers to effective school-based practice within their initial preparation. Additionally, we investigated how these professionals continued their education in these areas after receiving their initial credential. A total of 116 BCaBAs, BCBAs, or BCBA-Ds across each major geographic area of the United States completed a 26-item survey containing closed and open-ended questions. Most respondents perceived their initial behavior analysis training as providing no or minimal preparation in specific areas related to provision of services in educational settings. Those who had received supervised fieldwork in school settings rated their confidence in application of these areas in their practice higher than those who lacked such experience. Many respondents indicated that they had pursued or planned to seek additional training in these areas. They also identified facilitators and barriers to preparation for effective school-based practice. We discuss the results, implications for systems change, professional practice, and areas of future research.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-01028-7.