Documenting Strengths-Based Therapy in a Goal-Driven System

Struggling to know what "good" data collection actually looks like, especially with older students on your caseload? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Kayla Obenour, an SLP with over a decade of experience across schools, outpatient, home health, and private practice, to chat all about what real, useful data collection can look like. Kayla shares why she's always aimed to "practice what she preaches" as a clinician, how she helps new clinicians cut through the overwhelm of tracking everything at once, and why qualitative data deserves just as much credit as a percentage on a page.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why data collection creates such heavy cognitive load for new clinicians 
• Probe data versus continuous data, and what makes data reliable and valid 
• Rethinking the 80% accuracy standard and other ways to measure meaningful progress 
• The role parents, teachers, and work samples play in painting a fuller picture 
• Breaking annual goals into smaller, more achievable objectives 
• Why starting from a student's strengths builds buy-in and confidence

Here’s what we learned: 

• Ten solid probe data points can be just as valid as tracking data throughout an entire session. 
• Qualitative data, like the type and amount of support a student needed, is still meaningful data. 
• Percent accuracy alone doesn't reveal whether a skill functions for a student outside of therapy. 
• Parents and teachers often notice things in other settings that never show up in session data. 
• Starting with a student's smallest achievable step builds momentum faster than jumping straight to the end goal.

Learn more about Kayla Obenour: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rooted-in-Connection-Therapy/61577409999013/ 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:

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