The intersection of trauma exposure and emotional or behavioral disorders in school-aged students presents one of the most complex clinical challenges facing behavior analysts working in educational settings. Research consistently demonstrates bidirectional associations between trauma exposure and emotional and behavioral disorders, meaning that trauma increases the risk of developing behavioral difficulties while behavioral difficulties increase the risk of further trauma exposure.
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Join Free →Bidirectional associations between trauma exposure and emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) suggest the importance of aligning individualized behavior interventions with trauma-informed care (Carliner et al., 2017; Darnell et al., 2019; National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2017). Core pillars of trauma-informed care include collaboration with learners, with their families, and among interdisciplinary school team members (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Despite an ethical obligation to collaborate with these partners (i.e., Standards 2.09 and 2.10 of the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2020), little evidence of such collaboration exists in the school-based EBD literature (Pollack et al., 2024). In this presentation, we will begin by describing a study in which we evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of a trauma-informed individualized behavior intervention in a public school. Participants included a first-grade boy, his caregiver, and four school team members (i.e., teacher, behavior analyst, school social worker, school counselor). Procedures included ongoing collaboration with and among all participants to inform the development, implementation, and modification of the intervention. Using the study as context, the participating school-based behavior analyst and school social worker will then share about their experiences collaborating with one another and the other members of the team, including factors that supported and hindered their partnerships.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | Ethics |
Marney Dzialo (Pollack), Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of West Georgia. Marney received her Ph.D. and M.S. in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from Vanderbilt University in 2023 and 2020, respectively. She earned her B.A. in psychological science from Central Connecticut State University in 2016. Prior to joining the UWG team, Marney held several roles in the fields of special education and behavioral health, including special education paraeducator (West Hartford Public Schools), psychopharmaceutical research assistant (Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital), and lead project coordinator (UConn Neag School of Education).
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
256 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 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.