AI scribe for BCBAs (ABA)
Facts checked on 16 October 2026.
MentalNote is an AI scribe for BCBAs and ABA providers in small practices: record a caregiver training or supervision session in your browser, or type a short summary in the Word add-in, and get a SOAP, DAP, BIRP or Progress draft to review, on a free plan or Premium at $99 a month, with a BAA on every plan. It writes in its general note formats; it has no ABA-specific or payer-specific templates.
ABA documentation piles up: session notes, caregiver training notes, supervision notes. MentalNote writes a draft from what you say or type, in the formats it supports, and you shape the headings with custom instructions. It is a note writer, not an ABA data system: it does not collect trial data or graph targets.
5 free scribe sessions a month. No credit card. BAA on every plan.
The short answer
- Record the session in your browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in a browser tab, and get a draft note when the session ends.
- Pick the format you chart in: DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP, PIRP, Progress, Intake / Biopsychosocial or Treatment Plan, or your own structure with custom instructions.
- It is told not to fill gaps. The app instructs the AI to write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover, and not to add a denial, a diagnosis or a risk rating you did not state. Check every draft.
- Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no time limit, no credit card. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
- MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan, the free plan too. Many AI scribes offer only a time-limited trial.
Who it is for
Solo clinicians and small practices that want to sign up today, pay a published price and start without a sales call or an IT project. Premium is for solo clinicians. Practices can apply for the Practice Pilot.
How BCBAs and RBTs use it
- Caregiver training sessions: record the conversation and get a BIRP or DAP draft of what you taught, how the caregiver practiced it and the plan.
- Direct sessions: after the session, type a short summary (targets worked on, the data you collected, behaviors and responses) in the Word add-in and get a draft note. Numbers come from your summary, not from the AI.
- Your own headings: custom instructions can ask for sections such as targets, data summary, behavior, caregiver involvement and plan. The same no-invention instructions still apply.
- RBT notes follow your BCBA's review and your payer's documentation rules. The draft is a starting point you edit.
Note formats you can generate
| Format | Sections | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| DAP | Data, Assessment, Plan | Fast, compact progress notes |
| BIRP | Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan | Showing what you did and how the client responded |
| GIRP | Goals, Intervention, Response, Plan | Tying each session to treatment plan goals |
| SOAP | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan | Insurance-friendly notes and scores such as the PHQ-9 |
| PIRP | Problem, Intervention, Response, Plan | Problem-focused sessions |
| Progress note | Session overview, client report, interventions, response, risk and safety, plan | A fuller narrative note |
| Intake / Biopsychosocial | History, mental status observations, risk and safety, impressions, plan | First sessions and assessments |
Also available: SIRP, PIE and Treatment Plan, plus custom instructions for your own structure. Format guides: SOAP notes for BCBAs, Progress notes for BCBAs, BIRP notes for BCBAs, DAP notes for BCBAs.
What a caregiver training BIRP draft looks like
A human-written, shortened illustration based on a fictional session (no real client). It is not verbatim app output, and your drafts will vary with what is said.
Fictional example: Caregiver training session for a 6-year-old client (BIRP)
Behavior
Caregiver reports 4 tantrums this week during transitions away from tablet time, down from 7 the week before, using the tally sheet. Used the 2-minute warning on most days. States: "The timer helps, but bedtime is still hard."
Intervention
Reviewed the tally data with the caregiver. Introduced a first-then visual for the bedtime routine and used behavioral skills training: instruction, modeling, rehearsal and feedback.
Response
Caregiver rehearsed the bedtime routine 3 times and completed all steps on the third try with one prompt. Caregiver said she felt ready to try it at home.
Plan
Caregiver to use the first-then visual at bedtime each night and keep the tally sheet. BCBA to review the data and implementation at the next caregiver session in 1 week.
The draft holds only what was said. The tantrum counts come from the caregiver and the session, not from the AI.
Before you use it for ABA
- No ABA-specific templates. MentalNote has no payer-specific ABA session note template and no fields for service codes. Use a general format or custom instructions, and check your payer's requirements.
- Not an ABA data system. It does not run trials, collect data or graph progress, and it does not replace your ABA data or practice management software.
- Consent first. Get the caregiver's consent before you record. The web app asks you to confirm consent before every recording.
- Check who said what. Speaker labels are automatic and can be wrong when several adults and a child are in the room.
What it will not do
These are instructions the app gives the AI for every therapy note. They are meant to reduce errors, but they are not a guarantee. Review every line.
| What can go wrong | What MentalNote instructs the AI to do |
|---|---|
| A risk statement that was never asked ("denies SI") | Include risk and safety content only if it was explicitly discussed, and never write that the client denied something the session did not ask about. |
| A diagnosis the AI guessed | Give no diagnosis, diagnostic impression or code unless you stated it in the session. |
| An intervention you did not use | Use only what the session contains: no invented interventions, scores, dates or homework. |
| A gap filled with typical content | Write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover. |
How it works
- Confirm you have your client's consent. The web app asks you to confirm it before every recording.
- Record in the browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in another tab.
- When the session ends, choose a format and get the draft, with the speaker-labeled transcript beside it.
- Review and edit every line, then copy or export it into your EHR.
Prefer Microsoft Word? The optional Word add-in drafts a therapy note from a short typed summary, with no recording.
What it costs
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no time limit | 5 web-app scribe sessions a month. No credit card. |
| Premium | $99 a month, or $990 a year ($82.50 a month) | Unlimited note generation, browser app and Word add-in. |
| Practice Pilot | Apply | A guided evaluation for practices. |
No sales call needed: sign up and choose a plan yourself. MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept the BAA in the app before your first session.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free AI scribe for BCBAs?
Yes. MentalNote's free plan includes 5 scribe sessions a month, with no time limit and no credit card. The BAA covers the free plan too. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
Does MentalNote have ABA session note templates?
No ABA-specific or payer-specific templates. Pick SOAP, DAP, BIRP, Progress or another format, or write custom instructions with your own headings. Check your payer's documentation requirements.
Does it collect ABA data or graph progress?
No. It writes notes from what you say or type. Put the data you want in the note in your summary or say it in the session.
Can RBTs use it?
Yes, each with their own account. Premium is for one clinician; practices can apply for the Practice Pilot. Follow your BCBA's review and sign-off process.
Is MentalNote HIPAA compliant?
MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept it in the app before your first session.
Does it connect to my ABA practice management software?
Not directly. Copy or export the reviewed note into your practice management system or EHR.
Write tonight's notes in minutes
Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no credit card, BAA included.
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A clinician must review every AI draft. MentalNote does not give medical advice or make diagnoses. Spotted something out of date? Email support@mentalnote.ai and we will fix it.