IEPs and ABA: A Crash Course in the History & Legislation of Special Education and What This Means for Behavior Analysts matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in school teams and classroom routines. In IEPs and ABA: A Crash Course in the History & Legislation of Special Education and What This Means for Behavior Analysts, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer roles, fewer duplicated efforts, and better coordinated intervention, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →According to the most recent data available from the BACB (BACB, 2024), only 7.16% of credentialed individuals list education as the primary area of professional emphasis. Federal legislation such as the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, recent regulations in Florida, and the ongoing need for behavior support in the school setting, have led to new opportunities for collaboration between education professionals, BCBAs, and RBTs. However, individuals credentialed through the BACB are required to practice within the individual's scope of practice and competence (BACB 2019, 2020). Practicing outside of one's scope is not only unethical but can be harmful to the client, individual, and the field (Brodhead et al., 2018; Layden et al., 2023). The public school setting can be viewed as a unique and complex environment which requires specialized knowledge (Brodhead et al., 2018; Layden et al., 2023). Participating in IEP meetings and implementing IEPs are just some ways BCBAs may be asked to collaborate with educators as part of a multidisciplinary team. In order to meaningfully participate in IEP meetings and advocate for student needs, an understanding of the history and legal context of IEPs and special education services is paramount. Additionally, an IEP is a legal document with legal protections. Being aware of the legal requirements of an IEP is critical to effectively work and collaborate in the school setting. Presented by a special education teacher turned BCBA and current doctoral student in special education, this presentation will provide a crash course in the history of special education in the United States, an overview of past and current educational legislation, and how this information can be used to be an effective member of an IEP team, assist parents and guardians navigate the IEP process, and advocate for appropriate and realistic behavior supports within the school setting.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 1 | — |
Rachel Giovagnoli (formerly Davis) is a current PhD candidate at the University of South Florida, pursuing her doctorate in special education. She currently serves as a behavior analyst within a grant-funded, interdisciplinary clinic supporting teachers, school teams, and families in Florida. Additionally, Rachel is the Project Coordinator for a multi-year, federally funded research project to develop an intervention addressing school refusal. Previously, Rachel served as a Behavior Analyst Coordinator with Hillsborough Co. schools, where her professional career began as an Exceptional Student Education teacher.Rachel is passionate about working with teacher, paraprofessionals, and other stakeholders to collaboratively design interventions and systems to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices and build teacher capacity. Rachel is interested in Mixed Methods Single Case Research (MMSCR) and incorporating qualitative methodologies with behavior analysis. Rachel earned her M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of South Florida and her B.S.Ed at the State University of New York at Buffalo State.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
244 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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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.