The Ethical Obligations, Barriers, and Solutions for Interprofessional Collaboration in the Treatment of Autistic Individuals
Working well with other pros is now an ethical duty, not a bonus skill.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Henderson et al. (2023) looked at how BCBAs should work with doctors, teachers, and other helpers.
They read many papers and wrote a big picture view.
The team asked: what stops us from working well together and how do we fix it?
What they found
The review shows three big blocks: unclear roles, poor talk between teams, and no shared plan.
They list fixes like joint training, clear contracts, and regular check-ins.
Most of all, they say teamwork is not nice-to-have; it is an ethical must.
How this fits with other research
Gasiewski et al. (2021) zoomed in on BCBA-OT pairs and gave step-by-step models. Henderson widens the lens to all helpers, so it builds on that work.
Pimentel Júnior et al. (2024) found dental care fails when dentists and BCBAs do not talk. Henderson offers the same fix: shared training and clear roles.
Donahoe et al. (2000) warned about system gaps twenty-three years ago. Henderson shows the gaps are still here but gives fresh, ethical tools to close them.
Why it matters
You can start today. Pick one other helper on your case. Set a 15-minute weekly call. Use a simple shared goal sheet. This tiny habit meets the new ethical standard and helps your client win.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
With an estimated 1 in 44 children having been diagnosed with autism and given the variety of types of service providers that treat autism, collaboration among these professionals is a necessary part of the overall treatment package for an autistic individual. However, like with any professional skill, competence in collaborating effectively must be developed, especially because behavior analysts have been criticized for being resistant to collaboration. Competence with collaboration may be developed through coursework, professional development opportunities, and supervision by someone who has demonstrated competence with collaboration. With the 2020 update to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, the behavior analyst’s role in collaborating with other professionals has been clarified by several expectations. Current literature also provides additional guidance on the potential barriers to collaboration as well as recommendations for how to support a collaborative team. In order to facilitate successful collaboration, it is also important to evaluate the effectiveness of the collaborative team and to take advantage of opportunities to learn about the methodologies and perspectives of the other professionals to ensure that the client’s best interests are met.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00787-z