Most parents have specific goals for their children. Those goals commonly begin with “I want my child to be happy,” but a typical adult’s definition of happiness may have little to do with an ASD child’s interests, abilities, or desires.
Setting goals is also an important part of any good Applied Behavior Analysis-based treatment program (ABA). And parents play a key role in this process.
The goal of ABA is to reduce or eliminate challenging behavior while also improving language, social, self-help, and academic skills. The ABA program is customized to the child’s abilities, needs, interests, preferences, and family situation.
How to Set Goals
Begin with an Evaluation.
A professional evaluation by your ABA interventionist identifies your child’s current skill set and highlights areas of concern. You and your child’s therapist can use this to create and prioritize short- and long-term goals for improving social, communication, and motor skills.
Prioritize
Work with your ABA interventionist to determine which areas of concern for your child are the most pressing. Which goals are most likely to help your autistic child progress toward greater independence?
The Goal Must Be Specific
It is simple to have a broad goal in mind for autistic children, such as improving their language or self-help skills. However, general goals are difficult to work on because they lack specific behaviors that you want to improve. Making your goal as specific as possible is the most effective way to ensure your child achieves it.
The Goal Must Be Measurable
When we set a goal for a child, we must ensure that we can track his or her progress. We cannot accurately determine if our goal was met if it is not measurable.
The Goal Must Be Achievable
Before we begin working on a goal, we must ensure that it is something the child is capable of achieving. We must consider prerequisite skills. We must also consider how realistic our goal is.
The Goal Must Be Relevant
Relevant goals are those that will have an impact on the child’s life. If the goal is uninteresting to the child, he or she will be unmotivated to pursue it.
Make your goals time-bound.
Making goals time-bound ensures that they are completed in a reasonable amount of time. The time frame for your goal should be determined by the goal. The longer the time frame, the more difficult the goal.
Include the Child
One of the most important aspects of goal-setting is including your child in all aspects of the process. A child who has a say in their goals is more likely to participate and feel motivated. Inquire about what they want to work on and how they want to achieve their goals.
Progress should be measured.
Keep a journal or log of your child’s progress and meet with your ABA interventionist on a regular basis to review the goals.
Learn More About How Nurture Pods Can Help
What do you wish for your child? What do you envision for them in the future, and how can we collaborate with your family to get there? Our team can collaborate with you to develop an individualized program that will help your child reach their full potential through ABA therapy. Reach out to us if you’d like to learn more about Nurture Pods ABA therapy.
Written by: Alex Liau
Published on 27 March 2023
