Most behavior analysts will never set foot in a courtroom, but those who do occupy a role that carries extraordinary professional responsibility. Merrill Winston's presentation on the behavior analyst as expert witness addresses a niche area of practice that sits at the intersection of behavioral science and the legal system, a space where precision of language, depth of expertise, and unwavering adherence to ethical standards are tested in ways that clinical practice rarely demands.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →An expert witness is someone who helps attorneys understand the subject matter of cases, reviews documents and formulates opinions based on that documentation and, when necessary, provides depositions and testimonials in court. The behavior analyst as an expert witness is needed in cases involving client injury (physical or alleged psychological), staff injury, standards of care for behavioral services, educational due process, and even criminal cases and sentencing (rare). This presentation will highlight the tasks and responsibilities of a behavioral expert witness with a focus on definitions, qualifications, case examples, lessons learned as an expert, the importance of balanced experience with plaintiff/defendant cases, and the ethical dilemmas faced by expert witnesses.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 1 | — |
Dr. Merrill Winston is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has worked in the field of Developmental Disabilities for over 35 years. He has worked in small group homes, large residential facilities, secured facilities, family homes, and schools and has worked with a broad population who exhibited behavior problems that ranged from mild to life-threatening. Dr. Winston is comfortable working with both verbal and non-verbal individuals and both children and adults with a range of diagnoses. His strengths are relating to direct-care staff in a manner that sets them at ease as well as working in real-time with children and adults. Dr. Winston excels in public speaking and has given numerous presentations at various professional conferences throughout the country. His areas of interest are crisis prevention and intervention, psychotropic medication usage with special populations, and the development and implementation of training programs designed to increase the skill levels of parents, professionals, teachers, and direct-care staff.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
233 research articles with practitioner takeaways
212 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.