Overlapping Training and Roles: An Exploration of the State of Interprofessional Practice between Behavior Analysts and School Psychologists
BCBAs and school psychologists share skills but split on philosophy—say the shared goal out loud to start teaming.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Snyder et al. (2024) sent a survey to BCBAs and school psychologists. They asked about classes taken, tasks done, and what makes teamwork hard.
The goal was to see where the two jobs overlap and where they clash.
What they found
Both groups learn many of the same skills. Yet they often disagree on why and how to help kids.
Philosophy, not lack of skill, was the top wall to working together.
How this fits with other research
Light-Shriner et al. (2025) asked only BCBAs the same kind of questions. They found most BCBAs never get trained to collaborate, but district-employed BCBAs still do it daily. Snyder adds the psychologist side, showing the clash is mutual.
LaFrance et al. (2019) reviewed four school jobs and warned that turf wars start when scopes blur. Snyder’s data now prove that warning is real for BCBAs and psychologists.
Li et al. (2018) showed BCBAs feel lost with psychotropic meds. Snyder shows they also feel lost working with the people who prescribe them. Together the surveys map a training gap that keeps BCBAs on the edge of the team.
Why it matters
You do not need another degree to fix this. Start each case by telling the psychologist, “We both want the student to succeed; let’s list how each of us helps.” Naming the shared goal lowers the philosophy wall and opens the door to plan together.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Email the school psychologist: “Let’s each write one way we can help this student and meet Friday to match plans.”
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) working in the schools often are charged with supporting students with and without disabilities who engage in challenging behavior. Meeting the unique needs of these students often requires a collaborative approach with other school-based professionals. We specifically sought to understand how behavior analysts engage in interprofessional collaboration with school psychologists (SPs), professionals who also have training to support students who engage in challenging behavior. We disseminated a survey across the United States targeting school-based BCBAs and SPs to further understand how their training and job responsibilities overlap. We also asked respondents about the extent to which they collaborate with the other professionals, modes of their collaboration, and barriers and facilitators in effective collaboration. Our findings in this exploratory study indicate BCBAs’ and SPs’ training and responsibilities do indeed overlap in relevant areas. Roles diverge in the frequency each professional participates in common educational and behavioral practices. Both groups report similar barriers when engaging in interprofessional collaboration, although BCBAs are more likely to report differing philosophies as a barrier. For both groups, findings suggest that BCBAs and SPs can find common ground if their professional colleagues indicate that they also value collaboration. Recommendations for future research and study limitations are also discussed.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2024 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00904-y