Mastering Clinical Documentation: Writing Objective, Efficient, and Compliant Session Notes
Presented by Sean Yocum
When
Fri, Oct 30, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT
Session notes are more than paperwork. They're the record of how ABA was actually delivered, and they carry real weight for clinical continuity, funding and compliance, and legal protection. Honestly, a solid note should be able to stand on its own: someone who wasn't in the room should be able to read it and understand why the service was needed, what happened, and how it ties back to the treatment plan. This live training is built for the folks doing the work every day, our RBTs and BTs. We'll cover the administrative essentials (exact session location, 15-minute time increments with a 7-minute rounding threshold, and starting a new session at each location so geotagged signatures match), documenting reinforcers and environmental variables, and writing an objective narrative that captures the learner's observable behavior, the interventions you implemented, and the learner's response, at a minimum of 3–4 sentences per hour. We'll practice swapping subjective labels for professional, strengths-based clinical language, talk through micro-documentation during down-times (with safety and the BIP always coming first), and review RBT, caregiver, and BCBA signature requirements. Knowledge checks throughout and a small-group audit-and-rewrite activity give you practice you can use at your very next session. LOCATION / FORMAT: In person at The Underground, and streamed live to virtual attendees (stream link to be announced). PRESENTERS: Sean Yocum, MA, BCBA, LBA (main presenter, BACB #1-22-57936); Siera Johnson, RBT (co-presenter, student analyst); Kayley Lor, MA (co-presenter, student analyst). CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST DISCLOSURES: - Sean Yocum is the owner/CEO of Hickory Learning Group, the ACE provider offering this event, and the ACE Coordinator. - Siera Johnson and Kayley Lor are student analysts at Hickory Learning Group. - No presenter has a financial relationship or commercial interest in any product or service discussed. The training references publicly available blog articles from Raven Health and Motivity (ABA practice-management/data-collection software companies) as sources only; neither company sponsored or reviewed this training, and no software product is endorsed. - No commercial support was received for this event. ACE PROVIDER STATEMENT: Hickory Learning Group (OP-24-10923) is an Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This event offers 1.0 PDU for RBTs. The BACB does not sponsor, approve, or endorse Hickory Learning Group, the materials, information, or sessions for which PDUs are earned. ATTENDANCE AND COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS: To earn 1.0 RBT PDU, you'll need to: 1. Attend the full live session (sign-in at the start and sign-out at the end; partial credit is not awarded). 2. Participate in the knowledge checks and the small-group audit-and-rewrite activity during the session. 3. Pass the post-test with a score of 80% or higher. 4. Complete the event evaluation. Your certificate will be issued through OpenCEU once all requirements are met.
Live only — your PD form is earned by attending live. There's no replay afterward.
See all upcoming live CEUs →About this course
Your session notes tell the story of every session, and when they're objective, they protect the learner, the family, and you. In this live, hands-on hour, we'll walk through what insurers and auditors expect, how to write clear behavior–intervention–response narratives, and how to fit documentation into the natural down-times of a session without losing sight of safety.
What you'll learn
- 1Rewrite at least two subjective session-note statements (e.g., "seemed upset," "did well") as observable and measurable descriptions of the learner's behavior and the session environment. (RBT Task List 3rd ed. A.5) Identify and document session variables that might affect client progress, including exact location, people present, caregiver-reported events (such as disrupted sleep), and the specific reinforcers used. (E.3) Write an objective session narrative that includes the learner's behavior, the interventions implemented, and the learner's response, using 15-minute time increments and at least 3–4 sentences per hour of service. (E.4) Identify documentation practices that protect the confidentiality and integrity of the clinical record, including starting a new session at each location so geotagged signatures match, and completing required RBT, caregiver, and BCBA signatures. (F.5)
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