Navigating Collaboration: Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers' Relationships with BCBAs in Diverse School Contexts.

Abstract

This Multiperspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (MIPA) delves into the nuanced experiences of 20 special education teachers across severe, mild to moderate, and early childhood backgrounds collaborating with Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in school settings. While identifying facilitators and barriers to this collaboration, the study sheds light on factors that contribute to a breakdown in rapport between teachers and BCBAs. Notable challenges include perceived condescension, feelings of blame for intervention shortcomings, and receiving recommendations deemed non-feasible or impractical. Despite these hurdles, special education teachers acknowledge the expertise of BCBAs and value their contributions. The study underscores the imperative for enhanced collaboration, communication, and mutual understanding between BCBAs and special education teachers to effectively support students exhibiting challenging behaviors in diverse school settings. Recommendations include BCBAs incorporating teacher-focused measures of social validity to foster a more collaborative and supportive partnership and tailoring BCBA training to address specific challenges encountered within educational settings.