School Collaboration as an Area of Competence - Applied 2022

Abstract This session translates “school collaboration” into concrete, ethical competencies for behavior analysts working in educational settings. The presenter contrasts scope of practice with scope of competence and offers practical decision aids for determining when to accept, defer, or seek supervision on school-based cases. Attendees review the IDEA/IEP landscape—what an IEP is, why it is legally binding, how teams operate by consensus, and how to secure informed consent for assessments and interventions. The talk centers collaborative behaviors that prevent “being the jerk at the IEP meeting”: plain-language communication, humility, pairing, and truly treating families and students as full team members. Interdisciplinary strategies show how to co-design goals (e.g., FCT) with SLPs/OTs while accounting for access methods and response effort. The session also provides a framework for responding to non-behavioral or low-evidence proposals—prioritizing safety, data, and relationships—while articulating a compassionate behavior-analytic worldview oriented around function, dignity, and socially significant outcomes.