Familiarity with the DBR was first established through its use as a communication tool, particularly as related to communication between home and school. In 1990, Mary Lou Kelley published a book outlining how School-Home Notes (i.e., DBR-like tools) might be used to promote children's classroom success. A major premise within the book is that the tool serves as a way to engage parent involvement, that is, as a way to communicate information about students to parents/guardians.

With increased use across both assessment and intervention purposes, we would add to that original work by stating that the DBR can be efficiently used to share information across a wide variety of individuals and settings (e.g., parents, teachers, students, community service agencies, pediatricians). Unfortunately, much of the discussion regarding use of DBRs in communication has been "informal". That is, the parameters under which DBRs can be effectively used in communication have yet to be made clear through systematic, empirical investigation. However, some of the "big" ideas that appear within the literature with regard to potential communication purposes for DBRs include:

• Clear expectations and immediate feedback can be provided to students
  
  
• Potential for increased as well as shared responsibility for delivery of reinforcement/consequences
  
  
• Increased opportunity for positive attention across settings is important to ensure parent acceptability and follow-through