A note written for your own clinical record and a note written for a parent to actually read aren't the same document, even when they're describing the same session. Hayven's parent-facing report is a separate, plain-language summary from your own clinical notes for exactly this reason.
Target-behaviour labels are the clearest example. "Elopement" or "tantrum duration" are precise, useful shorthand for your own records, but they read as cold or even alarming to a parent seeing them for the first time. Translate the behaviour into what it actually looked like and why it matters, not the clinical term for it.
Keep specificity where it helps a parent act on it. "Struggled with transitions" is vague; "had a hard time moving from playtime to cleanup, but recovered faster than last week" gives a parent something concrete to notice at home and a sense of progress, not just a category.
Don't flatten every session into good news. If something didn't go well, say so plainly and briefly. Parents generally trust a therapist more, not less, for naming a hard session honestly rather than smoothing every note into positive framing.
Lead with what a parent can actually do with the information. A note that ends with one specific, doable thing to try before the next session is more useful to most families than a longer summary with none.
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you're worried about your child, the next step is a conversation with a qualified therapist.
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