Data or it didn’t happen, right??

As speech-language professionals, it is crucial that we collect data to know exactly how our clients are doing.

Or is it?

Today we’re going to explore the questions of how much data do you ACTUALLY need to collect and how can you streamline your data collection processes.

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

Our students don’t usually make such fast progress that you need to collect full data more than once per month.

Their performance next week will look very similar to their performance this week.

And copious amounts of time on data collection reduces the quality of your therapy (meaning they make even slower progress).

That’s why I only collect full data once per month!

Just because you’re not collecting data on every repetition, doesn’t mean you don’t know what’s going on.

With caseloads nearing 100 kids sometimes, we can’t be expected to remember each and every session we do and how the child was doing.

Instead, we can take a quick note at the end of every session that tells us how the child was doing without taking up much time.

Daily Notes Page Available for Download inside The Hub

If I’m not doing a full data day, this is the only data I collect.

I rate the student’s performance on a scale from 1-5.

I add a quick note so I remember what cue I did or what I want to try next time.

That’s it!

I do it during my session so I’m not taking work home.

Click Here to Join The Hub to Download the Daily Notes Page!

This is the biggest hesitation that I hear about this approach.

How can I bill medicaid/insurance/etc. if I don’t have numeric data?

Well…

you do.

4 out of 5 is 80%

3 out of 5 is 60%

As long as you are still taking your detailed data at least once per month, you’ll be able to stay on track.

And the billing machines will appreciate their numeric data.

DISCLAIMER!  I’m not an expert when it comes to billing.  Please check with your billing company before taking this advice!  

Tell them I said that’s silly.

Ok, don’t really do that.

I don’t need angry calls.

But in all seriousness, this is not best practice.

It does not help the kids.

It does not support you.

If this requirement is being forced on you, then your job becomes to advocate for yourself and your clients and ask for an alternative option.

We have all of the tools and resources you need to make this happen!

Just join us inside The Hub and take “The Way”.

In this series of videos, I’ll show you exactly how to get set up for this Way of doing speech therapy.

I’ll even give you the data pages!

Come let me help you!

The post How to NOT Take Data during Speech/Language Therapy appeared first on Speech And Language Kids.