Back To School-Part 6- Scheduling Software

Good Monday Morning Everyone! Itʼs great to be alive and we are blessed to have a job!

This morning I want to talk about scheduling software. Even though I am no longer working in public schools, I was thrilled to see someone had created software that will make our schedules for us. WOOT! Scheduling our kids for therapy is the single most difficult task of our jobs. Donʼt you agree? Although there are a few other software systems other there, I will be talking specifically about Caselite Software only because that is the one Leah has been using.

The website for this software is www.caselitesoftware.com if you would like to go there and read more about it.

Leah says it is very time intensive to set up the first year, but thereafter does not require so much work as the childʼs information transfers with the child as they change grades. Initially you have to input your school(s), teachers, and students. Then for each student you have to input student name, teacher, grade, school, therapy plan (impairment, sessions/week, minutes/session, pullout or inclusive). Finally you input your custom groups, student availability and rotations (if their schedules periodically change). As she said, it is very time intensive initially to set up.

The software will track whether the student is present or absent for therapy. You can note whether the absence was due to an educational activity, holiday, inclement weather, personal leave, unrelated duty, or other item. It also offers a notes section.

Pros:
1.Makes a schedule almost instantly!
2.Allows for custom grouping
3.Easily tracks attendance
4.Breaks down why service was not provided (weather, holiday, absent, etc)
5.Gives percentage for attendance either by caseload or by individual

Cons:
1.Doesnʼt show student progress over time
2.Time intensive initially
3.You are tethered to the internet

Since we have not actually used any of the other software out there we cannot tell you about them. We can only share with you that, YAY, such a thing does exist! If you use a different software that works for you, please share your comments with us!

Next week we begin a new series on Organizational Tips and Tricks! You'll want to read those entries as the tips are very practical and will make your therapy day go smoother!

Until next week, enjoy your therapy with your kids!