Who is the expert? Discerning the difference between a behavior analyst, pediatrician, neuropsychologist, occupational therapist, psychologist, and special education teachers

Often times, it is difficult for parents, teachers and even clinical professionals to navigate who the expert is in diagnosing a child, providing therapy, or addressing specific concerns. Below, I have pasted a list of common fields that get misconstrued for their expertise:

You’ll often find that behavior analysts or behavior technicians working in the behavioral therapy field within autism. But keep in mind, that they do not specialize in autism or necessarily have thorough training in neurodivergent development. They specialize in analyzing behavior and using evidence-based tools to create (overt) behavior change for individuals.
Not all people who specialize in behavior are behavior analysts. They may be RBTs, BCaBAs, or just behavior specialists with a master’s degree. To be a behavior analyst you had to have passed the licensure exam and completed several supervision hours. Because our field is often working in the autism field, many parents may refer to BCBAs to answer questions about their child’s autism. However, it is important to recognize that our training and education do not necessarily include courses specifically on autism, therefore if you are looking to understand autism and the way their brains are wired, it is better to seek out an autism expert.

Pediatricians do not diagnose, assess, or understand autism or other diagnoses (unless they specialize in this). They specialize in the basic developmental life stages of a child.
I have heard many times parents tell me that their child doesn’t have autism because their pediatrician said they don’t. Eek! It’s important to note that pediatricians do not have the authority or training to diagnose if a child has any disability. What they can do is assist you with discerning if your child is meeting appropriate milestones, if they are eating enough and getting enough nutrient, or to treat health conditions (such as fever, pink eye or ear infection).

Neuropsychologists do not specialize in behavioral or therapeutic experts. They are experts in evaluating and diagnosing an individual (such as with autism, ADHD, etc).
These are the people you want to seek out if you are looking for a diagnosis (especially autism). They may recommend behavioral therapy, speech, or occupational therapy for an individual— but they are not experts in any of those fields.

Occupational therapists are not necessarily experts in physical therapy (and vice versa) or sensory integration. They are experts in motor skills to assist with performing activities in daily life due to setbacks (i.e injury, illness, disabled)
These experts take a holistic approach and focus on motor skills/fine motor skills to assist with specific day-to-dayy tasks. *Not all occupational therapists have knowledge or experience in sensory integration, they had to have had specific training in this field- always ask if they are trained in this if you are not sure! (Sensory integration can assist individuals who have difficulty regulating their bodies or engage in stimming (repetitive behaviors), making choices, regulating their emotions, problem-solving, and more).

Psychologists are not necessarily experts in behavior change/ behavior therapy and do not prescribe medication.
They specialize in using evidence-based tools to address the traumatic or cognitive aspects of your life to assist with mental health.
These experts are the typical therapists you may seek out for help. Their expertise can have a very wide range of focus and training specialties (marriage/adults/teens/families/anxiety/trauma/multigenerational issues/abuse/depression) so make sure you look for one that is an expert in your specific issues!

Special education teachers (or teachers in general) do not necessarily have training in classroom management or children with disabilities. They are trained in school standards, special education policies, child development, and general education psychology.
Effective behavior management is not typically part of the training courses for special education teachers (or teachers in general). Their educational courses typically do not dive deep into the various disabilities of children that they may encounter in the actual classroom either. Their focus is primarily on learning how to teach school subjects at various learning levels through the school system. Occasionally, an experienced special education teacher may have knowledge of positive behavior support systems (this system is not necessarily data-driven) or have pursued an additional degree to help them become a more competent teacher however, what degree/focus this is can vary. School policies that a teacher may follow for disruptions or behavioral issues with students also do not typically follow an evidence-based method for how to effectively respond (i.e. they use a lot of punishment procedures such as detention, time out, etc.). Some schools, however, may hire a behavior coach (someone who specializes in applied behavior analysis) to assist students with specific challenges. If your school has the funding for this, then you are in luck!