Defining Collaborative Practices in Behavior Analysis

Collaboration is a fundamental practice across various disciplines, including education and school-based services such as special education (McLeskey et al., 2017), speech-language pathology (ASHA, 2024), school psychology (NASP, 2020), social work (NASW, 2012), and applied behavior analysis (BACB, 2020; BACB, 2022). This study examined how behavior analysts describe and engage in collaborative practices in school settings, analyzing qualitative data from 253 survey responses. Four primary themes emerged: (1) valuing the expertise of all team members, including families; (2) focusing on student-centered activities aligned with goals; (3) communicating respectfully and working together; and (4) making data-based decisions. Two secondary themes highlighted challenges to collaboration. Findings address a gap in the literature that examines the Board Certified Behavior Analysts' (BCBAs) reported collaborative practices in school settings and suggest the following implications:The generalist nature of BCBA preparation training may influence how behavior analysts describe and engage in collaborative practices within school settings.Existing definitions of collaboration can provide beneficial guidance for how to further articulate the scope of competence of behavior analysts who work within a range of employment settings, including schools.Targeted preservice and continuing education requirements and opportunities for interprofessional education and collaboration that focus on unique skills and perspectives within employment settings, including schools, could improve behavior analysts' partnerships.Articulating the roles and challenges of behavior analysts employed within schools could help guide conceptually systematic behavior analytic collaborative practices in those settings.

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01089-2.