If you work in pediatric therapy, whether as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist, you already know the documentation burden is uniquely heavy. Between developmental milestone tracking, caregiver education notes, IEP coordination, school-based reporting, and payer-specific requirements, paperwork can easily consume 30–40% of your clinical day.

The good news: the right pediatric therapy documentation software can realistically give you 5 or more hours back every week. That's time you can redirect toward patients, families, professional development, or simply leaving the clinic before 7 PM.

This guide breaks down the best options in 2026, what to actually look for, and how to evaluate them for a pediatric-specific caseload.

Why Pediatric Therapy Documentation Is Harder Than General Rehab

Pediatric documentation isn't just adult documentation scaled down. It carries its own complexity that generic EMRs handle poorly. Here's what makes it distinctly challenging:

• Developmental context matters in every note. Progress documentation needs to reflect where a child is relative to age-expected norms — not just a baseline-to-current comparison. This requires embedded developmental milestone frameworks that most general-purpose EMRs simply don't include.
• Multiple stakeholders read your notes. Parents, school teams, insurance payers, and referring physicians all receive documentation. Each audience has different needs. Good pediatric software helps you produce notes that serve multiple audiences without writing four separate versions of the same session.
• Payer complexity is intense. Medicaid, private insurance, school district contracts, and IDEA funding all carry different documentation requirements. A missed field or vague functional description can mean a denied claim or a compliance issue that costs hours to resolve.
• Caregiver involvement is part of the clinical record. Home program adherence, caregiver education, and family training aren't administrative extras, they're part of treatment, and they need to be documented carefully to justify ongoing care.

Generic therapy software forces pediatric clinicians to work around these gaps constantly. Purpose-built or highly configurable pediatric documentation tools eliminate most of that friction from day one.

What to Look for in Pediatric Therapy Documentation Software?

Before diving into specific platforms, here's the evaluation framework that matters most for pediatric practices:

AI-assisted note generation — Can the system generate draft SOAP notes or progress notes from session data? In 2026, AI medical scribe functionality is no longer a luxury. It's the primary lever for cutting documentation time significantly.

Pediatric-specific templates — Does the platform include:

• Age-banded developmental milestone libraries
• Pediatric standardized assessments (PDMS-2, Bayley-4, GFTA-3, BOT-2)
• School-based and IEP-adjacent reporting formats
• Caregiver education and home program documentation fields

Billing integration — Pediatric billing is complex. Look for:

• Built-in Medicaid billing support
• Pediatric CPT code libraries
• Prior authorization workflows (especially important with 2026 CMS rule changes)
• Clean claim rates above 95%

HIPAA compliance with minor-specific controls — Pediatric records require additional care around:

• Consent workflows for parents vs. legal guardians
• State-specific minor privacy laws
• Role-based access controls for school staff and caregivers
• Audit logs track who accessed records and when

Interoperability — School systems, early intervention programs, and referring physicians all need records. Strong HL7/FHIR compatibility and easy export options matter more in pediatric settings than in adult rehab.

Top Pediatric Therapy Documentation Software in 2026

1. SpryPT

SpryPT has emerged as a strong option for pediatric-focused rehabilitation practices, particularly those balancing clinical quality with operational efficiency. Its AI documentation engine, built specifically for PT, OT, and SLP workflows, generates draft progress notes and SOAP notes in real time, with clinicians reporting documentation time reductions of 60–70%.

What works well for pediatric practices:

• Highly configurable template library that accommodates developmental milestone language, caregiver education fields, and school-based reporting structures
• Functional outcome tracking that maps to pediatric standardized measures
• 98–99% clean claim rates, critical when navigating Medicaid and school district contracts
• Pricing at $150/month, substantially lower than competitors in the $400–$650 range

Where SpryPT is still growing:

• The out-of-the-box pediatric assessment library is narrower than some specialty-built tools
• Practices using high volumes of standardized pediatric assessments may need to build custom templates initially, though most accomplish this within the onboarding period

Best for: Pediatric PT, OT, and SLP practices prioritizing AI-powered documentation efficiency and strong billing performance at a competitive price point.

2. WebPT / Therabill

WebPT is the largest EMR platform in the rehabilitation therapy space. Its Therabill billing integration makes it a familiar choice for practices transitioning from general rehab to pediatric specialization.

Strengths:

• Broad template library with solid payer management tools
• Strong enterprise-level reporting and analytics
• Reliable for practices that need standardization across adult and pediatric caseloads

Limitations for pediatric settings:

• Not purpose-built for pediatric workflows, clinicians typically spend considerable time configuring templates for developmental milestone language and caregiver documentation
• AI documentation features have improved, but lag behind newer entrants in pediatric-specific language quality
• Pricing runs $350–$600/month, depending on practice size, with a steeper learning curve for smaller teams

Best for: Larger multi-location practices already using WebPT for adult rehab that are adding a pediatric caseload and want to stay on one platform.

3. TheraPlatform

TheraPlatform was built with telehealth at its core, which gives it a genuine edge for pediatric practices delivering services remotely. The platform integrates video, documentation, and scheduling in one interface, reducing the platform-switching that interrupts session flow.

Strengths:

• Built-in therapy game library and interactive tools designed for pediatric sessions
• Above-average documentation quality for telepractice workflows
• Strong choice for school-based consultations and early intervention via telepractice

Limitations:

• Billing capabilities are less robust than dedicated billing-integrated platforms
• AI documentation features are more limited compared to newer tools
• Practices with complex Medicaid billing often end up supplementing with separate billing software

Best for: SLP and OT practices with a significant telehealth or school-based caseload, particularly those running hybrid clinic/telepractice models.

4. Fusion Web Clinic

Fusion Web Clinic is one of the few EMR platforms built specifically for pediatric therapy, designed from the ground up for PT, OT, and SLP working with children. That focus shows throughout the product.

Strengths:

• Pediatric-focused template library with school-based documentation formats built in
• Workflows oriented around pediatric care coordination and IEP-adjacent reporting
• Caregiver communication tools are more developed than most general-purpose platforms
• Strong advocacy among school-based therapists and early intervention specialists

Limitations:

• AI capabilities and billing automation are more limited compared to newer platforms
• Documentation efficiency comes from good template design rather than AI generation, which may feel like a step back for practices that have prioritized AI-assisted note writing

Best for: School-based therapists, early intervention specialists, and practices where pediatric-specific template depth matters more than AI documentation speed.

5. SimplePractice

SimplePractice is widely used in mental and behavioral health and has expanded into PT, OT, and SLP. For pediatric practices in outpatient or private-pay settings, it offers clean scheduling, billing, and a genuinely well-designed client portal experience.

Strengths:

• Parent-facing portal and automated reminders are polished and easy for families to use
• Clean, intuitive interface with minimal learning curve
• Works well for practices transitioning from paper-based systems

Limitations:

• Not specialized for pediatric rehab documentation
• Templates require heavy customization for pediatric workflows
• AI documentation features don't match rehabilitation-focused platforms
• Better suited for lower documentation complexity environments

Best for: Small pediatric practices in private-pay settings or solo practitioners looking for a straightforward starting point.

Quick Decision Guide: Which Platform Fits Your Practice?

Choose SpryPT if you:

• Want the strongest AI documentation speed and billing accuracy combination
• Navigate complex Medicaid or multi-payer billing environments
• Need enterprise-level features at a significantly lower price point
• Serve a mixed PT/OT/SLP pediatric caseload

Choose Fusion Web Clinic if you:

• Work primarily in school-based or early intervention settings
• Need IEP-adjacent documentation formats built in from day one
• Prioritize pediatric template depth over AI speed

Choose TheraPlatform if you:

• Deliver a significant portion of services via telehealth
• Specialize in pediatric SLP with interactive session tools
• Run a hybrid clinic/telepractice model

Choose WebPT if you:

• Operate a multi-location practice already invested in their ecosystem
• Need enterprise reporting across adult and pediatric caseloads
• Can absorb a higher price point and longer implementation timeline

Choose SimplePractice if you:

• Are you a solo practitioner or a very small private-pay practice
• Have lower documentation complexity and want the simplest onboarding
• Are transitioning from paper and prioritize ease of use above all else

What to Expect When You Make the Switch?

Transitioning to new documentation software always involves a short-term productivity dip before the long-term gains kick in. Plan for:

• Weeks 1–2: Reduced efficiency while templates are customized and staff learn new workflows, this is normal, don't evaluate the platform on week-one performance
• Weeks 2–3: Template development as an upfront investment, prioritize your highest-volume note types first to see the fastest returns
• Weeks 3–4: Role-specific staff training, clinicians, billing coordinators, and front desk staff have different workflows and benefit from separate training tracks
• Weeks 4–6: Full billing setup and payer enrollment processing if you're switching billing platforms simultaneously, allow extra time to avoid reimbursement gaps

Most practices are functionally live and seeing efficiency gains within 30–45 days of go-live.

Bottom Line

Pediatric therapy documentation doesn't have to consume your evenings. The right software, one with genuine AI documentation capabilities, pediatric-appropriate templates, and billing tools built for the complexity of pediatric payer mixes, can realistically return 5 or more hours to your week.

SpryPT leads this list for practices that want AI documentation efficiency and billing performance at a price point that works for independent and small group practices. Fusion Web Clinic is the right call if pediatric template depth and school-based workflows are your top priority. TheraPlatform stands out if telehealth is central to your model. WebPT remains the safe enterprise choice for multi-location practices already in its ecosystem.

The best platform is ultimately the one your team will use consistently, so take advantage of demos, ask the specific questions above, and evaluate based on your actual pediatric caseload rather than feature lists alone.

Want to see how SpryPT handles pediatric documentation? Book a demo and watch the AI note generation live with a real pediatric case example — no slides, no scripted walkthrough.

FAQs

1. What is pediatric therapy documentation software?

It’s a specialized electronic medical record (EMR) system designed to help pediatric therapists document sessions, track goals, manage billing, and maintain compliance efficiently.

2. How much time can therapy EMR software realistically save?

With proper implementation, many practices report saving 4–6 hours per therapist per week through automation, templates, and integrated billing.

3. Is pediatric-specific software better than general EMR systems?

Often yes. Pediatric therapy includes developmental tracking and family-centered documentation that general systems may not fully support.

4. Does documentation software help reduce insurance denials?

Yes. Integrated coding prompts and structured documentation improve claim accuracy and reduce denied reimbursements.

5. What should small pediatric clinics prioritize when choosing software?

Ease of use, pediatric templates, billing integration, HIPAA compliance, and responsive customer support are key priorities.