1st Edition
Writing Skills for Behavior Analysts A Practical Guide for Students and Clinicians
Writing Skills for Behavior Analysts provides a practical guidebook for students and clinicians. The book focuses on the importance of balancing technical information with compassionate delivery, providing guidance on writing that is meaningful across the scientific and human sides of the field.
Written by a group of clinicians, supervisors, and teaching faculty, the book targets eight key writing skills: writing as a human, writing as a student, writing as a clinician, writing as a leader, writing as a supervisor, writing as faculty, writing as a researcher and, finally, writing with artificial intelligence. By addressing each of these writing skills individually, the book is able to provide clear dos, don’ts, and examples in an easy-to-digest format.
This book will be an essential guide for any student of behavior analysis, as well as clinicians looking to hone their professional writing skills.
Introduction - Dana Reinecke
1. Writing (and Communicating) as a Human - Jacob Papazian
Social Media
Public Perception
Compassion and Empathy
2. Writing as a Student - Charissa Knihtila, Christine Salas, & Dana Reinecke
Email Communication
Discussion Boards
Assignments
Responding to Corrective Feedback on Assignments
3. Writing as a Clinician - Charissa Knihtila & Michelle Fuhr
Assessments
Interpretations in Assessment Reports
Documentation of Services
4. Writing as a Leader - Danielle Bratton & Dana Reinecke
Communicating with Caregivers
Communicating with Non-Behavioral Colleagues or Team Members
Communicating with Policy Makers
Communicating with Funders and Medical Providers
5. Writing as a Supervisor - Celia Heyman & Renee Wozniak
Structured Behavior Analytic Content
Supervision Documentation
Evaluations and Feedback
6. Writing as a Faculty Member - Dana Reinecke
Faculty-Produced Documents
Providing Feedback
7. Writing as a Researcher - Julianne Lasley, Kaori Nepo, & Dana Reinecke
Literature Reviews
Research Proposals
Grant Proposals
Disseminating Scholarly Work
8. Writing as a Non-Human - Danielle Bratton
How AI Can Help
Best Practices for Using AI in Writing
Pitfalls and How Not to Use AI in Writing
Conclusion
Appendix A. Words Matter
Appendix B. Recommended Responses for “How Would You Respond?”
Biography
Dana Reinecke, PhD, BCBA-D, is a licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst, and faculty administrator.
Charissa Knihtila, PhD, BCBA-D, is a consultant and faculty member.
Jacob Papazian, PhD, BCBA-D, is a clinician and faculty member.
Celia Heyman, PhD, BCBA-D, is a clinician and faculty member.
Danielle Bratton, PhD, BCBA-D, is a licensed behavior analyst and faculty member.
“As behavior analysts, how do you make your research, reports, and presentations most impactful? Learn to write well. Unfortunately, communicating effectively in writing is not something that comes easily for many of us and there is tremendous variability in how these skills are addressed in graduate school, training, and supervision. That is why this manual is an essential-read for behavior analysts wanting to hone their written communication. Whether you are a student, a practitioner, or a faculty member, you will find strategies and important considerations when writing for different audiences. This book is not just a manual; it is a mentor that many of us never had.”
David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Association for Science in Autism Treatment"Writing Skills for Behavior Analysts is everything a manual should be. It covers all the important topics, from communicating with humanity to navigating artificial intelligence. It offers understandable guidance for all domains of behavior analysis, from clinical to research to leadership. Above all, it is clear and useful. Thank you for this gem!"
Shahla Alai-Rosales, PhD, BCBA-D, CPBA-A, Professor of Behavior Analysis, University of North Texas“Dr. Reinecke and colleagues provided a needed resource in their comprehensive and systematic approach to writing for behavior analysts. It is essential to communicate effectively and compassionately while demonstrating professionalism when communicating with consumers, stakeholders, colleagues, and other professionals. This manual fills an important role as the only known comprehensive writing manual for behavior analysts that is suitable for students, practitioners, leaders, supervisors, researchers, and academics. The inclusion of practical checklists, examples and non-examples, self-reflection stations, and engaging practice questions ensures an active learning experience. This book is an indispensable tool and provides a robust framework for writing in every stage of a behavior analyst's career.”
Vicki Madaus Knapp, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA (NY), chairperson and associate professor, Daemen University, Department of Behavioral Science
