Other observationsSpontaneous use, a short language or conversation sample, moments of disfluency, voice, attention and participation.
A: Assessment
Interpretation of today's sessionHow today's performance compares with recent sessions and with the goal criteria.
P: Plan
Plan for next session
Home practice given
Communication with family or school
Therapist Sign-off
Therapist
Designation
Registration
Date
How to fill it in
1
S: Subjective
What the client, family or teacher reported, and the client's state today.
More guidance
Record what the client or family told you, attributed to the speaker, and anything relevant about the client's state today. Keep it short and about communication: a new word heard at home, a hard week at school, a hearing aid left at home, a cold. Quote the client's own words where they matter.
2
O: Objective
Each target's level, trials, correct responses, cues and accuracy.
More guidance
List each target, the level, trials, correct responses, cues and accuracy. Define your cue codes once in the clinic's style guide and use them the same way every time. Below the table, add other observations: spontaneous use outside the drill, a short conversation sample, or notes on fluency and voice. Record only what you saw and counted.
3
Other observations
What the table cannot hold: utterances, attention, disfluency, voice.
More guidance
Use this field for anything the table cannot hold: a transcribed utterance or two, how long the person stayed with an activity, moments of disfluency in free talk, changes in voice, or how the person responded to a new material. Keep it descriptive. Interpretation belongs in the Assessment section.
4
A: Assessment
Your interpretation of today's data against recent sessions and the goal criterion.
More guidance
Interpret the objective data: how today compares with previous sessions and the goal criterion, and what you think explains any change. Note whether the person seems ready to move up a level, needs to step back, or was affected by tiredness or illness. Keep each statement tied to the data above.
5
P: Plan
Next session's targets and cues, home practice given, and messages sent.
More guidance
Say what you will do next session, including any change in level, cues or activity. Write down the home practice you gave, in the words you used, and any message to the family or school. A colleague covering the next session should be able to start from this section alone.
Speech therapy SOAP note template and example: filled sample
Fictional entries, initials only, showing the level of detail to aim for. Impression and summary sections are left for the treating clinician.
S: Subjective
Mother reports R. said "paati come" when his grandmother arrived on Sunday. R. arrived sleepy after a late night; hearing aids worn.
O: Objective
/k/ initial | Word | 20 | 16 | Picture cue on 6 trials | 80%. Phrase level: 10 trials, 5 correct with a spoken model. Used /k/ spontaneously twice in play ("car go", "cake").
Other observations
Stayed with the picture-card game for 12 minutes, then asked for the ball. During free play said "I want car" and "no, mine".
P: Plan
Next: /k/ in two-word phrases with a spoken model, fading to an expectant pause. Home: car game for five minutes on the school drive. Sent mother a short voice note explaining the game.
SOAP note vs session data sheet
SOAP note
Session data sheet
Purpose
The clinical record of the session
A working sheet for counting trials as they happen
Filled in
After the session
During the session, trial by trial
Contains
Reports, data, interpretation and plan
Target, level, trial marks, cues and short notes
Interpretation
Yes, in the Assessment section
None; data only
Kept
In the client's record
Totals copied into the SOAP note, then filed
Tips and mistakes to avoid
Do
Write the level in every Objective row; 80% at word level and in conversation are different skills.
When a parent helps run an online session, record who gave the cues.
If the session used two languages, note which targets were practised in which.
Keep a shorthand key in each client file so covering therapists can read your notes.
The free session data tracker counts trials and cues live; copy its summary into Objective.
Avoid
Writing "did well today" in Objective with no numbers or levels.
Putting interpretation in Objective, or new data in Assessment.
A plan that says "continue same" for weeks on end.
Copying the previous note forward and changing only the date.
Leaving Subjective empty when a parent mentioned a new word in passing.
About this session note
A speech therapy SOAP note records one session in four parts: Subjective (what was reported), Objective (targets, trials, accuracy and cues), Assessment (your interpretation of today's performance) and Plan (next session and home practice). This template includes a data table by target and level, so every note captures the same information in the same place.
Every individual or small-group session
Sessions a colleague will cover next
Online sessions with a parent as co-therapist
Building data for the next progress report
Read more
SOAP notes are the everyday record of speech therapy: what you worked on, how the person did and what comes next. In the US they are often called SLP daily notes.
Write the note within the hour, while trial counts and exact words are fresh. The Objective table records level, trials, correct responses and cues, so progress stays traceable from note to note.
Questions
What does SOAP stand for in speech therapy?+
Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan. Subjective is what was reported to you, Objective is what you measured and observed, Assessment is your interpretation, and Plan is what happens next.
Is there a speech therapy SOAP note example on this page?+
Yes. Each section shows a fictional sample entry, using initials only, from a child working on the /k/ sound. The Assessment section has no sample, because the interpretation must come from your own session data.
How long should a speech therapy SOAP note be?+
Long enough that a colleague could run the next session from it: usually a few lines per section plus the data table. Group sessions need one Objective row per participant and target.
Is a SOAP note the same as an SLP daily note?+
Often, yes. "Daily note" is a common US term, and many daily notes follow the SOAP order. Some clinics use a shorter format for routine sessions and a full SOAP note at reviews.
Should parents see SOAP notes?+
SOAP notes are written for the clinical record, in clinical shorthand. Parents are usually better served by a short session update or the progress report. Follow your clinic's policy on sharing records.
How do I write a SOAP note for a group session?+
Share one Subjective and Plan section if they apply to the whole group, but give each participant their own Objective rows and Assessment line. File the relevant lines in each participant's record.
How do I write a SOAP note for an online session?+
Use the same structure. Record the session type as online, who was present on screen, any connection problems that affected the session, and who gave the cues if a parent was helping.
