Pre-Assessment Guides: A Game Changer
Let’s talk about one of the biggest little changes I’ve made to my practice — one that has streamlined my assessments, improved communication with families, and ultimately made therapy more effective.
Enter: the pre-assessment guide.
You might call it a pre-call prep guide, a pre-visit tutorial, or a prerequisite questionnaire — whatever the name, the concept is simple:
It’s something you send to patients before the initial appointment that helps them understand what’s coming, gather key info, and come in better prepared.
Why I Created a Pre-Assessment Guide
Here’s what used to happen:
I’d ask about tongue position in my health history forms. More than half the time? The answer was “unsure.”
I’d ask about snoring — and they’d say “no” without ever actually knowing for sure.
Parents couldn’t tell me how their kids slept because they slept in separate rooms.
Patients didn't want or couldn't have the variety of crunchy foods I provided to assess chewing. I've even had more than one complaint that my water for the swallow assessment comes from a plastic bottle.
Someone else filled out the intake form, and the person who showed up had no clue what was in it.
A parent attended the session, but the decision-maker didn’t — and now I had to schedule a second meeting to repeat everything, or lose the patient entirely because I wasn't able to touch base with all parties involved in health and financial choices for the family.
It wasn’t just inefficient — it was frustrating. For everyone.
And so, the pre-assessment guide was born.
What Goes Into My Pre-Assessment Guide
My pre-assessment guide has become a must in my intake process. It sets expectations, prompts observations, and opens up awareness. Here’s what I include:
Self-awareness prompts: I ask patients to notice where their tongue rests throughout the day. I ask parents to watch their children to see if they're breathing through their nose.
Breathing checks: I ask parents to peek in while their kids are sleeping — is the mouth open? Is there snoring, grinding or restless sleep?
Sleep tracking: I suggest downloading the SnoreLab app and recording a few nights of sleep before we meet, or at the very least, asking a partner to listen/watch for what's going on during sleep.
Assessment prep: I let them know I provide almonds or pretzels and bottled water — and if that’s not acceptable, they’ll need to bring their own.
Decision-maker attendance: I strongly recommend that all responsible parties for health and financial decisions attend the initial appointment.
Why It Works
This simple document does so much:
It helps patients (and parents) start observing and thinking differently before the assessment even begins.
It reduces the number of “I don’t know” or “I didn’t realize” moments in our session.
It ensures that we don’t have to backtrack, reschedule, or chase information.
It creates space for more meaningful conversations during the assessment.
Bonus: Perfect for Habit Elimination Programs
If you're offering a habit elimination program that kicks off at the first visit (assuming the child is ready to say “yes!”), the pre-assessment guide is gold.
Why? Because it allows you to:
Share program expectations
Outline fees
Flag any major roadblocks ahead of time
Ensure parents have read and acknowledged everything before we meet.
That way, when a child is ready to commit to breaking a habit — the parents are too. No surprises, no stalls. When they say yes, I already know the parents are on board and we're ready to roll.
Final Thoughts
Creating a pre-assessment guide has cut down on confusion, enhanced my assessments, and made therapy smoother and more efficient.
It’s one of those tools that seems small — until you realize how big an impact it makes.
Give your patients the tools to walk into your office informed and ready. Your sessions (and your sanity) will thank you.
To see our collection of Pre-Assessment Guides, access MyoBloom's Patient Forms section of the Essentials Package Directory.
