Goals
surround us in all aspects of life, but especially when your child is involved
in therapeutic services. They can become overwhelming and even easily forgotten
with the fast-paced lives we live. Take a look at our pointers about goals to
ease the process and ensure your child receives the most efficient and adaptive
plan for therapy.
1.
Ask the therapists for progress reports and updates
Therapists
should supply you with a progress report every few weeks to show your child’s
progress. This is a great resource to stay updated on your child’s
accomplishments and what to expect for the future.
2.
Hold an active role in goal selection
The
therapist should welcome your input for goal selection and explanation of the
reasons for choosing the targeted goals.
3.
Changing goals is okay
If
a goal is not working well for your child or a more prominent goal comes into
play, notify the therapist.
4.
Confusing goals
Don’t
be afraid to ask the therapist to explain the goals and what they mean. We as
therapists, typically write goals with field specific terms to ensure
specificity and documentation within the field; however, these goals should be
explained in a more comprehensive manner by your therapist.
5.
Educate the therapist of your observations
Often
times children exhibit different behaviors and patterns throughout various
environments and activities. This means you could come across an area of need
at home that the therapist in or out of school hasn’t experienced with your
child.
6.
Strive for carryover
Supply
therapists with goals from their other therapists. For example, a speech
therapist at a private practice may not be aware of the goals being implemented
by the school therapist. This will help the therapists create a comprehensive
plan for your child that can elicit the most success.
By Kelly Dugan
Labels: Parents