This comparison draws in part from “Stronger Together: Elevating Outcomes through Interprofessional Collaboration” by Lisa Gurdin, MS, BCBA, LABA (BehaviorLive), and extends it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. The decision framework, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →The way a service team is structured determines how much the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. Multidisciplinary models are common in ABA-adjacent settings — each provider does their work, shares a report, and moves on. Interprofessional models require more investment but produce qualitatively different outcomes. For clients with complex neurodevelopmental profiles, that difference matters. Amorim et al. (2025) demonstrated that transdiagnostic understanding of conditions like autism requires exactly the kind of cross-disciplinary synthesis that interprofessional teams are designed to produce.
This comparison framework is designed not to prescribe a single approach but to help practitioners and organizations assess where they currently are and identify the most impactful next step toward more effective interprofessional practice. Research on mealtime challenges in autism (Tong et al. (2026)) illustrates how co-occurring challenges interact across domains — and how no single discipline's assessment fully captures the clinical picture that effective intervention requires.
| Factor | Evidence-Based Approach | Traditional Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Communication frequency | Multidisciplinary: Periodic written reports; minimal real-time exchange between providers | Interprofessional: Regular structured meetings with shared agenda and cross-discipline documentation |
| Goal development | Multidisciplinary: Each discipline sets independent goals without cross-discipline priority alignment | Interprofessional: Goals co-developed with family input and explicit alignment across disciplines |
| Role flexibility | Multidisciplinary: Strict disciplinary boundaries maintained throughout the service relationship | Interprofessional: Roles overlap where expertise intersects; boundaries remain but are permeable where client needs require it |
| Family experience | Multidisciplinary: Families receive multiple separate reports; coordination burden falls on them | Interprofessional: Families receive a coherent narrative; the team coordinates on their behalf |
| Conflict resolution | Multidisciplinary: Disagreements often go unaddressed or become parent-mediated | Interprofessional: Explicit protocols for surfacing and resolving professional disagreements constructively |
| Outcome potential | Multidisciplinary: Gains within each discipline's domain; limited generalization across contexts | Interprofessional: Coordinated gains across domains; higher likelihood of generalization and maintenance |
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Use this framework when approaching stronger together: elevating outcomes through interprofessional collaboration in your practice:
Does the data support a need for intervention? Is there a meaningful impact on the individual's quality of life, safety, or access to reinforcement?
YES → Proceed to assessment NO → Document reasoning, monitor
A functional assessment should guide intervention selection. Avoid defaulting to standard protocols without individual analysis. Consider environmental variables, setting events, and private events.
YES → Select evidence-based approach matched to function NO → Complete assessment first
Goals should be co-developed. Assent and informed consent are ethical requirements. The individual's preferences and values matter in selecting both goals and methods.
YES → Proceed with collaborative plan NO → Engage in shared decision-making
This course covers the clinical and ethical dimensions in detail with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
Stronger Together: Elevating Outcomes through Interprofessional Collaboration — Lisa Gurdin · 1.5 BACB Ethics CEUs · $0
Take This Course →We extended this decision guide with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind each approach, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
1.5 BACB Ethics CEUs · $0 · BehaviorLive
Research-backed educational guide
Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.