What to write down after your child's therapy session

The session ends, the therapist gives you a quick update at the door, and then you are back in traffic thinking about dinner. By the evening, most of what you heard has faded. Keeping simple therapy session notes as a parent is one of the easiest ways to hold on to it.

This article covers what to ask before you leave, what to write down afterwards, and a short template you can copy into a notebook or phone.

Why write anything down?

Therapy happens in short sessions spread over months. It is hard to remember what was worked on three weeks ago, let alone in the spring. A few lines after each session help you:

• Remember what the therapist suggested for home.
• Notice changes over weeks and months, instead of relying on memory.
• Answer questions at the next session, or from a school or paediatrician.
• Keep different therapists informed when your child sees more than one.
• Feel more confident in conversations about your child's plan.

You do not need to write a report. Two minutes is enough.

What to ask before you leave the session

The handover at the end of a session is often brief. Having a few questions ready helps you get the most from it. You will not need all of these every time. Pick one or two.

Questions after a speech therapy session

• What did you work on today?
• Which sounds, words or ways of communicating did you focus on?
• What did my child do well?
• Is there something I can do at home this week, and how often?
• How should I respond if they try but it doesn't come out clearly?

Questions after an occupational therapy session

• Which skills were you working on today, and why?
• How did my child manage with the activities?
• Is there something I could include in our routine at home, like dressing or mealtimes?
• Is there anything I should avoid, or be careful with?

Questions for any therapy session

• How much help did my child need today, compared with recent sessions?
• How did they seem: settled, tired, distracted?
• Is there anything you would like me to watch for at home?
• Is there anything you'd like to know from me?

That last question matters. You know things the therapist doesn't, such as a bad night's sleep, a new sibling, or a word your child said for the first time at home.

What to write down after a therapy session

As soon as you can, ideally before you drive off or once your child is settled, jot down the essentials. Here are the parts that tend to be most useful later.

The basics

The date, the type of therapy and the therapist's name. If your child sees several people, this saves confusion later.

What was worked on

In plain words. "Practised the 'k' sound at the start of words" or "worked on climbing and balance". If the therapist mentioned a goal, note which one.

How it went

What your child did, and how much help they needed. Help level is often more telling than whether they "did it". A child who needed a model to copy last month and only a reminder this month is moving forward.

How your child seemed

Mood, energy, anything unusual. Tired after school? Excited about a new toy in the room? These details help explain good days and harder days.

Home practice

Exactly what the therapist suggested, how often, and any cautions. If you're not sure you've understood, ask them to show you, or write it down for you. Only practise what you have agreed with your child's therapist.

Your questions

Anything you want to ask next time. Writing it down now means you won't forget it in the rush of the next handover.

A simple note template you can copy

Copy this into a notebook or the notes app on your phone. Fill in what you can, and leave the rest.

1. Date and therapy: (e.g. 12 Nov, speech therapy)
2. Worked on today:
3. What went well:
4. How much help was needed: none / reminder / model / hands-on
5. How my child seemed:
6. To try at home (as agreed with the therapist):
7. Questions for next time:

Here is what a filled-in note might look like:

12 Nov, OT. Worked on buttons and pencil grip. Did two large buttons on his own, needed hands-on help with small ones. A bit tired after school but happy. Home: let him do the top two buttons on his school shirt each morning, no rushing. Question: should we use a pencil grip at home or not?

It reads like a quick text to a friend. That is fine. Clarity matters more than polish.

Notes between sessions are just as useful

Some of the most valuable notes come from home, not the therapy room. If your child uses a new word at the dinner table, manages socks on their own, or has a tricky afternoon, write a line about it.

Use the same few prompts: what happened, how much help, how your child seemed. Bring these notes to the next session. Therapists often find home observations very helpful, because they show whether a skill is being used in everyday life.

Keeping notes in one place

Notes are most useful when you can read them together. Scattered across WhatsApp messages, school diaries and loose paper, they are hard to look back on.

Choose one home for them. That might be a single notebook, one note on your phone, or a shared document with your partner. If your child sees several therapists, our article on keeping one record for many therapists has ideas for keeping everything together.

Once a month, read back through. Look for changes in help level, new skills appearing at home, or patterns in harder days. You can share a short summary with your child's therapists.

What if I miss a session or forget to write?

That happens to every parent. Skip it and write the next one. A record with gaps is still far more useful than no record. If you remember something important later, add it with the date it happened.

You can also photograph any worksheet or note the therapist gives you. A clear photo of the therapist's handwriting is often better than trying to remember it.

If you prefer an app

If you'd like one place for this, Pravnya lets you log a session by typing a note, photographing a handwritten note or worksheet, or recording a voice note on the drive home. It suggests which of your child's goals each note matches and how it went, and nothing is saved until you approve it. The therapy session notes page explains more. A paper notebook with the template above works well too.

In short

• Ask one or two questions at handover, including "Is there anything you'd like to know from me?"
• Write a short note soon after: what was worked on, how it went, how much help, how your child seemed, home practice and questions.
• Add notes from home between sessions.
• Keep everything in one place and read it back monthly.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Your child's therapist knows your child best, so agree any home practice with them and raise concerns with your therapist or paediatrician.