Documentation may seem like an every-day, mundane responsibility of a behavior analyst fulfilling their obligations to their clients and payers. However, good documentation practices can be just as beneficial to the behavior analyst. For example, a behavior analyst may be called to testify about a behavior plan in front a judge in a parental custody dispute, or they may be questioned by local law enforcement about a suspected case of abuse. Here, good documentation practices can increase the likelihood that an independent party (e.g., a judge or law enforcement) will find the behavior analyst’s account credible. Proper documentation practices are therefore critical to not only fulfill the behavior analyst’s ethical and legal obligations to client protection, but to also protect their own interests, livelihood, and ability to practice. The purpose of this presentation is to describe systems for how a behavior analyst can improve their documentation practices. The presentation will also feature useful tools, tricks, and strategies that behavior analysts can immediately put to use.

1. Participants will describe ethical benefits of proper documentation practices
2. Participants will list and identify the six steps of behavioral systems analysis
3. Participants will use the six steps of behavioral systems analysis to identify and develop behavioral systems to improve documentation practices

About the Presenter

Matthew Brodhead

Matthew T. Brodhead is an assistant professor at Michigan State University. He is the Director of Spartan Caregiver Support, a service that provides free and evidence-based support to caregivers of people with autism within the State of Michigan. He is also the Research Director of the Early Learning Institute. Dr. Brodhead’s research examines focused social skill interventions for children with autism. He also writes about conceptual issues relating to the ethical and professional behavior of practicing behavior analysts. Through workshops and consultation, he has established multiple school-based programs for children with autism, and he has provided training to teachers, related service providers, and behavior analysts both nationally and internationally. Finally, he specializes in program evaluation for both applied behavior analysis and public school placements for individuals with autism. Dr. Brodhead received both his B.S. in Psychology in 2008 and his M.A. in Behavior Analysis in 2010 from Western Michigan University. In summer of 2010, he moved to Logan, Utah and attended Utah State University, where he received his Ph.D. in Disability Disciplines in 2014 under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Tom Higbee. Dr. Brodhead holds a BCBA credential with a doctoral designation (i.e., BCBA-D). He is also a licensed behavior analyst in the State of Michigan.