A teacher says in passing, "She's using the cue card now." It is the best news the clinician has heard all month. By Friday, nobody can say when the card was introduced, who introduced it, or whether it was working.
Most of what helps a student carry a skill from the therapy room to the classroom happens between sessions, in short conversations that never reach a note. This guide covers what to record when you share a strategy, push into a class, or co-treat, so that the supports on the IEP can be seen in the record.
What the IEP rule says about teachers
Section 300.323(d) says the agency must make sure the IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and other service provider who is responsible for carrying it out. It also says each of them must be informed of their specific responsibilities related to implementing the IEP and the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child.
That is a duty of the agency, and it is usually handled by a case manager. But when you walk a teacher through a cue card or an accommodation, you are carrying out part of it. A dated entry is evidence that the teacher was told.
Why ASHA counts this as work
ASHA's workload page lists consulting with teachers to support students' acquisition of the curriculum, observing students in classrooms, and adapting curriculum and instruction among the activities of a school-based SLP. It also says large caseloads limit the time an SLP has for collaboration with teachers and other professionals. Writing collaboration down is how that time becomes visible when a caseload is being set.
Kinds of collaboration, and what to log
| Type | What to record |
|---|---|
| A strategy handoff to a teacher | The date, the strategy, who will use it, and when you will check |
| Modeling a strategy in the classroom | Date, times, the activity, what you showed, what the teacher tried |
| A push-in session in the classroom | A normal session entry, with the setting as the classroom |
| A classroom observation | Date, times, what you looked for, and what you saw, in factual terms |
| A team meeting about a student | Date, who attended by role, what was agreed |
| Co-treatment with another therapist | The word "co-treatment" and the other discipline, on every note |
If your IEP lists consult minutes, strategy handoffs and observations may count toward them. Our guide on consult time versus direct service time covers how to keep the minutes apart.
The handoff entry
A strategy handoff is the most useful short entry you can write. It has four parts.
- What you shared. The strategy, in a few words.
- Who will use it. The role, such as classroom teacher or aide.
- When you will check. A date.
- What you saw when you checked. Added later as a second entry.
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| "Talked with teacher about cues" | "Oct 9. Student 14. With classroom teacher. Shared: picture cue card for past-tense verbs during writing. Will use: daily writing block. Check-in: Oct 16." |
| "Teacher says it is working" | "Oct 16 follow-up: teacher reports student used the card in 3 of 4 writing blocks this week." |
The second row is a report, not data, and it is written that way. "Teacher reports" is accurate. "Student has mastered" would not be.
Push-in and group work in a classroom
When you work inside the classroom, a session note is still about one student. Write what that student did, and leave the rest of the class out. For rooms with several students on your caseload, write each student's entry separately, as described in group session notes without naming other students. If the setting differs from the IEP's stated location, record where the session took place.
Co-treatment
Practitioners who co-treat with another therapist give consistent advice about the record. A 2025 presentation by an Ohio school SLP recommends stating in the IEP progress report whether a student participates in co-treatment and clearly stating when that changes, and making sure each note lists co-treatment every time. It also suggests shared digital forms so both therapists track plans and progress.
That is practitioner advice from one state. Billing for co-treatment differs by state and payer, and some systems allow minutes to be billed by both providers while others divide them. Before you record co-treatment minutes, ask your billing office how your state treats them.
Aides and others who carry out strategies
Many strategies are carried out by an aide or a paraprofessional, not by the teacher. ASHA's workload page lists training and overseeing assistants and other therapy extenders among a school SLP's indirect activities. If you teach an aide how to use a cue or a data sheet, write the date, the person's role, and what you showed. If you later find the strategy is being used differently from what you showed, say so in a dated follow-up and tell your supervisor, so that the fix is also on the record.
When a strategy does not work
Not every handoff succeeds. A cue card may be ignored, a schedule may make a routine impossible, or a student may not respond. Record that too, in plain terms: what was tried, for how long, and what was seen. A record that shows a strategy tried and dropped is more useful to the next clinician than a record that shows only the successes, and it gives the team a factual basis for changing the plan.
What to leave out
- Opinions about a colleague. "Teacher is not following through" is a judgment. "Cue card not seen in use on Oct 16 observation" is a fact.
- Hearsay about the family. Record what the family said to you.
- Other students. Keep entries to one student.
- Promises you cannot keep. If the teacher asks for a change to the IEP, say that the team decides.
A monthly rhythm
Once a month, look back over your handoff entries. Which have a follow-up? Which strategies were never checked? Is there a teacher you have not spoken with in weeks about a student on your caseload? Then look at what the IEP lists for support to school personnel and see whether the record shows it was delivered. For what to record after a team meeting, read documenting IEP meeting attendance and input. For family contacts, see documenting contact with families. Terms are in the glossary.