The Instructional Assistants Program: A Potential Entry Point for Behavior Analysis in Education

Applied behavior analysis has played a limited role in the daily instructional practices of general education teachers in this country. While the explanations for this are numerous and varied, the implications remain the same; increased efforts must be made to infuse behavioral principles and procedures into mainstream educational practice. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the development, implementation, and initial evaluation of an innovative preservice training program for general education teachers. More specifically, we provide a brief overview of the Reflective and Responsive Educator (RARE) program and offer an indepth description of the Instructional Assistants Program, a potentially replicable, early field-based experience for prospective teachers. We also offer some initial outcome data to support the effectiveness and social acceptability of this early field experience. Finally, we discuss the potential contributions of the model program and explore possible applications of the Instructional Assistants Program as a vehicle for increasing behavior analysis' role in general education settings.