The Registered Behavior Technician™ Credential: A Response to Leaf et al. (2017)

Carr et al. (2017) gave school staff a one-page checklist for daily notes. The list reminded them to record reinforcers, prompts, and problem behavior.

Staff filled out notes before and after the checklist was introduced. Researchers scored the notes for accuracy and completeness.

Checklist use doubled the number of reinforcers and prompts staff wrote down. Yet the same notes became less accurate when describing problem behavior.

The mixed result shows a checklist helps with some details but can mask others if key items are missing.

van Vonderen et al. (2012) already showed that instruction alone is weak; their staff only improved after video feedback was added. Carr’s team skipped feedback and saw gains slip for behavior details, echoing the same lesson.

Pritchard et al. (2017) ran a similar pre-post staff class but added a card game and role-play. Their treatment integrity rose across the board, while Carr’s checklist alone left a hole in problem-behavior reporting. The comparison suggests active practice beats a passive reminder.

Colombo et al. (2021) surveyed BCBAs and found nearly half receive no training on severe behavior. Carr’s low-cost checklist is therefore still attractive, yet the survey also signals that richer training (like Duncan’s rehearsal) may be needed for tough cases.

If you supervise RBTs, pair any new form with brief rehearsal. Walk through one sample entry together, have staff practice writing a behavior description, then give instant feedback. The extra five minutes can plug the gap Carr found and turn a simple checklist into a tool that captures every key detail.