As many healthcare providers accept insurance coverage for ABA therapy, there is a growing need for objective documentation that reflects client progress towards treatment goals and identifies barriers to client outcomes. Session notes help substantiate billing claims, provide a rationale for the need for ongoing services, are included as part of the client's medical record, and are required by funders to remain in compliance with regulations. However, despite the need for staff training in this area, there have been few studies published in the behavior analytic literature that have evaluated how to effectively write session notes that demonstrate the medical necessity for ABA services.

This webinar outlines a behavioral skills training (BST) model for training staff on how to write medically necessary session notes and provides a framework for quality assurance measures, to ensure staff document relevant information. You will learn how to create your own training resources, checklists, templates, rubrics, and evaluation measures, outlining a systematic approach to generating more accurate and objective session notes. 

At the end of this webinar, you will be able to

1. Understand medical necessity and its importance to ABA session notes
2. Describe the essential clinical and non-clinical components of session notes
3. Utilize a framework for writing the narrative section of session notes
4. Establish quality assurance measures for evaluating documentation 

About the Presenter

Jamie Hughes Lika

Dr. Hughes-Lika is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), a licensed behavior analyst (LBA), and an International Behavior Analyst (IBA) with over 28 years of experience providing evidence-based services to children with autism and related disorders. She is also a certified Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) Therapist and Trainer and offers ESDM Advanced Workshops and mentors and guides professionals through certification programs. Over the last ten years, she has focused on serving young autistic children (ages 0-4 years) using Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). Dr. Hughes-Lika earned her Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Saint Ambrose University, her Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, where she studied under Professors Cooper, Heron, and Heward, and her PhD in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from the University of Kent in England, studying under Dr. Mecca Chiesa. Her career has afforded her the opportunity to lecture at universities in both the U.S. and abroad, publish peer-reviewed articles, author books, and deliver training to parents and professionals around the globe. She is the Chief Product Officer for SAGE Learning Systems and the founder of the Autism Early Start Professional Development membership.