May 26, 2026
The Importance of Writing Good Goals
The Opportunity to Reflect
This week I want to highlight the importance of incremental goals to measure progress especially when working with level 3 autistic friends. This week I had the chance to review goals before discharge due to the family moving to a new state. His first goal was to take 5+ turns in play with a peer or adult building his social engagement skills. He met this goal.
For our second goal, we focused on his imitation skills to imitate 3+ actions. My little friend now imitates his mom in the kitchen when she is cooking and now is imitating blowing on his food when it is hot. He helps unload the dishwasher and put the laundry in the washer and dryer. He met this goal.
Next we concentrated on incremental steps to build both his requesting and his joint attention skills. His requesting goal looked like this: With an adult model, Child will request an item (1. look to request, 2. reach to request, 3. give to request, 4. point to request, 5. use a word to request) on 50% of attempts over two weeks. My little friend learned to request using his eyes, then reaching, then giving an item. Pointing continues to be emerging with him practicing the motor act of pointing but not using it intentionally yet.
When discussing his joint attention goal written in similar fashion, his mom and I celebrated how far he has come in just 6 months. While discussing his social gestures, my little friend demonstrated showing for the first time when he heard his mom and I talking about it. He looked right at me and held up his toy. Such a social gesture.
A framework I find helpful is called the JASPER Model for Children with Autism. The model focuses on joint attention, symbolic play, engagement and regulation. When I first met my little friend he did not have the skills to engage in a positive way with others instead he would hit and scream. When I first met him he did not tolerate laughing, singing or any attention directed to him or his mom. Fast forward 6 months and I am greeted with smiles and laughter. He held my hands to jump with me and sat in close proximity when I discussed his progress with his mom.
Measurable, incremental concrete progress that was celebrated by all in the room. It’s the little wins that keep us moving forward striving to be the best version of ourselves and for the families we work with.