A Team Approach: How the LEND Program Can Provide Interdisciplinary Training for Behavior Analysts

Supporting people with neurodevelopmental disabilities often requires interdisciplinary collaboration and effective partnerships with clients and their families. Behavior analysts receive intensive training and supervision in a variety of domains; however, expanding interdisciplinary training for behavior analysts is needed. Interdisciplinary training programs, such as the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs, offer trainees the opportunity to hone their skills as advocates for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities and collaborators as part of an interdisciplinary team. Historically, many LEND programs have not offered training positions specifically to behavior analysis students or professionals, although some behavior analysts have participated as trainees in other disciplines such as psychology or special education. The benefits, barriers, and possible future directions of interdisciplinary training for behavior analysts within a LEND program are discussed through the experience of the University of Cincinnati LEND Program which added an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training track in 2020.