Ever since Hope was two, her SEIT has always encouraged us to set "target goals" for her. A target goal is a very specific goal or behavior you want to work on. Whenever her SEIT came up with a new target goal, she would scribble it on a piece of paper and hang it on my refrigerator door. If you are like me, the refrigerator door is prime real estate. I constantly glance there throughout the day. If I were to keep Hope's goals in a binder or planner, they would not get the attention they deserve. Hence, Hope's refrigerator goals were born!
Target goals are a very important component for me to help me keep my sanity and have been extremely helpful when teaching Hope.
For example, one of Hope's target goals right now is to respond to her name when playing. So if we sit down to play a game of "Don't Break The Ice" she may have a hard time, taking turns or following directions, but the important thing for me to keep in mind is that I am working on one goal - responding to her name while we play the game. At the end of playing, the game itself may not have gone as well as I would have liked to - but if I got her to respond to her name while we were playing, then it was a success!
Sometimes it can be so hard not to see the whole picture.
Imagine that you are having your entire family over for dinner the next day and realizing that your kitchen is a complete disaster - dishes everywhere, dirty floors handprints all over... where do you start? You just want to conquer everything and have the kitchen clean. It would be so easy for me to freeze and not be able to find a starting point. The result? the kitchen doesn't get clean at all. So instead of seeing the whole picture - a disgusting kitchen, force yourself to just focus on one small aspect - wash the dishes. After you wash the dishes, set another target goal - sweep the floor. Then just keep going one small task after another. Soon, you will see your kitchen start to take shape and before you know it, you will have a sparkling clean kitchen to be proud of.
The great thing about target goals is they can always change and evolve to meet the needs of your child. Hope's target goals are constantly changing. But having them on my refrigerator is a constant reminder of what we are currently working on.
Target goals are a very important component for me to help me keep my sanity and have been extremely helpful when teaching Hope.
For example, one of Hope's target goals right now is to respond to her name when playing. So if we sit down to play a game of "Don't Break The Ice" she may have a hard time, taking turns or following directions, but the important thing for me to keep in mind is that I am working on one goal - responding to her name while we play the game. At the end of playing, the game itself may not have gone as well as I would have liked to - but if I got her to respond to her name while we were playing, then it was a success!
Sometimes it can be so hard not to see the whole picture.
Imagine that you are having your entire family over for dinner the next day and realizing that your kitchen is a complete disaster - dishes everywhere, dirty floors handprints all over... where do you start? You just want to conquer everything and have the kitchen clean. It would be so easy for me to freeze and not be able to find a starting point. The result? the kitchen doesn't get clean at all. So instead of seeing the whole picture - a disgusting kitchen, force yourself to just focus on one small aspect - wash the dishes. After you wash the dishes, set another target goal - sweep the floor. Then just keep going one small task after another. Soon, you will see your kitchen start to take shape and before you know it, you will have a sparkling clean kitchen to be proud of.
The great thing about target goals is they can always change and evolve to meet the needs of your child. Hope's target goals are constantly changing. But having them on my refrigerator is a constant reminder of what we are currently working on.
Below I have attached some samples of our current target goals and also a blank one that can be printed out and filled out. Have fun hanging them on your refrigerator.
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