Real-Life Communication
It's Monday morning, 8 a.m. You're tired, you're cranky and you
need another cup of coffee. As soon as you walk into your office, you find
a case report.
This isn't just any case report. You need this information
for your 8:30 a.m. meeting. Yikes! 8:30? You better get cracking and decipher
that report! The report reads:
"Mike R. came into our
care in February. Our original diagnosis was an unspecified anger-management
problem with antisocial tendencies.
"We took baseline [initial measurements],
measuring emotional outbursts towards others [yelling, fighting] and inward
displays. We also quantified [measured] group interaction levels and one-on-one
relationships. Baseline was seven outbursts towards others, 12 outbursts towards
self, zero group interactions and three one-on-one relationships.
"We
worked with Mike R., and offered specific rewards for appropriate behavior.
One month later, emotional outbursts were measured at three, self-outbursts
amounts were at four, there were five group interactions and seven one-on-one
relationships."
You have half an hour to figure out what
all that means, translate it into easy-to-understand language and prepare
a short report. Ready? Start working!
"As a behavioral consultant,
my written word carries weight," says analyst Tannis Antonio. "In residential
treatment, what I say often determines what services the youth will receive.
That is an awesome responsibility and it [motivates] me to write with attention,
focus and documented facts."