Rushing into a session without preparation is one of the most common causes of wasted therapy time. When a therapist arrives at a session without knowing which goals to address, which activities are planned, or what materials are needed, they spend the first 10–15 minutes of the session setting up — time that should belong to the child. A session planning checklist takes 2–5 minutes to complete and ensures every session starts with clarity. Here's what to include.
What a good therapy session planning checklist includes
Every section has a purpose. Here's what to include and why.
Review previous session data
Check the last session's trial data. Which goals are approaching mastery? Which are stagnating? Are there any program changes from the BCBA? This takes 2 minutes and sets the clinical direction for today's session.
Confirm active goals and programs
List the 3–8 goals (ABA) or 2–4 goals (OT/SLP) to address today, with the current prompt level or approach for each. Don't rely on memory.
Prepare materials
Collect all materials needed: objects for receptive identification tasks, fine motor supplies, articulation materials, reinforcer items identified in the last session. Confirm everything is present before the client arrives.
Review parent notes
Check any parent messages or updates since the last session: behavior at home, sleep, medication changes, school events that might affect today's session. Adjust the session plan if needed.
Set up data collection
Open the data collection form (paper or digital) with today's goals pre-populated. Confirm the data recording method for each goal. This should take under 1 minute with a digital system.
Identify today's reinforcers
What motivates this child today? Preferred items, activities, and social reinforcers identified at the start of the session based on current motivation. Check the reinforcer assessment if one was recently conducted.
Post-session: complete notes before leaving
Session notes should be completed before the next session begins — not reconstructed at end of day. Plan 5–10 minutes after each session for documentation.
Template vs. automation
Using a template manually
5–10 min
Fill in each section from memory or notes. Format, proofread, export. Repeat for every session.
With Theralyn
2 min
Session data captured live. Report generated automatically when the session ends. Nothing to fill in.
Common questions
How much time should session preparation take?
2–5 minutes for an experienced therapist with a digital system. First-time sessions with a new client may take 10–15 minutes. The goal is preparation taking less time than the preparation saves during the session.
Should I prepare sessions the day before or the morning of?
Either works — the key is not doing it with the client waiting. Many therapists review the previous session's data the evening before and confirm materials in the 5 minutes before the client arrives.
How does Theralyn help with session preparation?
Theralyn's session planning screen shows all active goals, previous session data, and parent notes before a session begins. Building the session plan takes under 2 minutes — goals are already there, not recreated from memory each time.