How to Write ABA Session Notes: A Step-by-Step Guide for RBTs and BCBAs

To write an ABA session note, record the session details (client, date, start and end time, location, CPT code, people present), summarize the targets run with their data, describe target behaviors objectively with frequency or duration, note what procedures you used and how the client responded, then close with anything the supervising BCBA needs to know. Write it the same day, from data, not memory.

This guide is about the process. If you want completed notes to copy the structure from, see our ABA session note examples and template (supervision, direct service, parent training and assessment). RBT-specific examples, including a GIRP-style note, are on the RBT page.

A good note is mostly assembled before you start writing it. During the session, capture:

• Exact start and end times (rounded times can cause payer problems)
• Trial-by-trial or summary data for each target you ran, with prompt level
• Frequency, duration or interval data for target behaviors named in the behavior plan
• Antecedents and consequences for any significant behavior episode
• Anything unusual: illness, a new caregiver, a schedule change, a new skill emerging

Use the data system your organization requires. The BACB RBT Handbook lists generating session notes among typical RBT activities, and your supervising BCBA decides the format.

Payers and auditors check the header first. Include client identifier, date of service, start and end time, total time, location (home, clinic, school, telehealth), service type and CPT code (for RBT direct service, usually 97153), your name and credential, and who else was present.

Check the code against what you did. If the BCBA joined to modify a protocol, that time may be billed differently; the 97153 code guide and 97155 code guide explain the difference, including the 2027 code changes.

List each program or target with its data in one line. Numbers first, interpretation later:

Use the same target names as the treatment plan so the BCBA can match notes to goals.

Write what you saw and measured, not what you think the client felt. Use the operational definitions from the behavior plan:

• Instead of "client was frustrated and had a meltdown," write "client engaged in 3 episodes of crying and dropping to the floor (tantrum per BIP definition), average 2 minutes, each following removal of the tablet."
• Instead of "client did great today," write "client completed 4 of 5 transitions with a first-then visual and no target behavior."

Include the procedure you followed for each episode, such as "planned ignoring and re-presentation of the demand per BIP," and how the client responded.

Record any caregiver report at the start of the session (sleep, illness, medication changes), any coaching you gave, and anything that limited the session, such as a late start or a sick sibling at home. Brief and factual is enough. If you delivered substantial caregiver training, flag it for your BCBA, because caregiver guidance may be a different service.

End with what the BCBA needs: targets close to mastery, targets with stalled data, new behaviors, and questions. Then sign and submit within your organization's timeline. Same-day notes are far more accurate than notes written days later.

The strong version takes about two minutes longer and answers every question a reviewer would ask.

• Header complete: client ID, date, exact times, location, CPT code, people present
• Every target run is listed with data and prompt level
• Target behaviors use BIP definitions and include frequency or duration
• Procedures for behavior episodes are named, with the response
• No opinions or diagnoses; observable language only
• Caregiver report and barriers noted
• Not copied from a previous session
• Signed and submitted on time

Want to see the note built for you? The free ABA session note generator drafts one de-identified note from a short summary, and WellNotes drafts full session notes in the format your organization uses from what you type or dictate after the session. It does not collect session data or replace your data collection system.