For many, the new year is a great time to reflect on what was achieved in the year just gone and set intentions and goals for the year ahead. It’s a time for assessing what our values and big pictures are and what steps we can put in place to achieve them. This is true not only personally for us here at A Occupational Therapy but also professionally as speech pathologists. It’s why, for many of our returning families, an appointment has been set aside to review our speech pathology plans and determine what the goals are for the next few months ahead.
At A Occupational Therapy, we place immense importance on discussing with families the right goals for their child’s speech pathology journey. We have ‘review appointments’ every three months to look at your child’s strengths and interests, what progress they’ve made, and what areas they’re experiencing difficulty in. This is a cornerstone of our CARE values and ensures that we are always actively working towards what is best for you and your child. And, it also a great opportunity for you to give us honest feedback about how you feel it is all going. But what are speech pathology goals, and how do we know what is right for each child? Read on to discover more about speech pathology goals and why they are important.
What Are Speech Therapy Goals?
Speech therapy goals are just as they sound. They are goals that are set for your child and you that relate to your individual speech pathology journey and help us know exactly why you are here with us and what it is you’re wanting to achieve. The goals identified for your child are determined by looking at your child’s needs, discussing with you what areas you’d like to support and strengthen, and deciding together how that will happen.
We can break goals into many different aspects, and we’ll ask you about these different types to get a full picture of you and your child. These include:
- Long-Term Goals: These are the ‘big dream’ goals that give us an overview of what you’re wanting to achieve.
- Short-Term Goals: These are smaller, more specific goals that help us break down the ‘big dream’/long-term goal. Think of it like the stepping stones to get to our long-term goals. Here at A Occupational Therapy, we try to make these short-term goals work on a time frame of approximately three months.
- Session Goals: These are the tiny, daily goals that we set and plan for each time you visit. These are the tiny building blocks that work towards our short-term goals and build the foundations for reaching everything else.
Just like the goals you might set personally around career, health, education, family, or whatever else is in your sights for the year, speech pathology goals need to be both aspirational and achievable. There is no use setting a goal that is completely unobtainable. We want to make sure you and your child can feel that sense of achievement and celebrate when these goals are achieved. There is nothing quite like handing out the ‘high-fives’ to children when they achieve their goals. The big smiles from both the confident children and proud parents really highlight the importance of making sure we are all on the same path and can reach those ‘stepping stones’ and eventually the long-term goals.
Why Are Speech Therapy Goals Important?
Speech therapy goals are a tool that can be used to outline what it is that you’re coming to speech pathology for. As that tool, the goals we set together are important for many different reasons:
- The goals identified help your child’s speech pathologist determine the best approach and plan each therapy session
- As the goals set are measurable (i.e., we can better track how your child is developing), they help your child’s speech pathologist make decisions regarding the direction of therapy, frequency or dose of therapy, what approaches are working, and what adjustments need to be made.
- Because we determine goals as a team (parent, child, and speech pathologist), they help ensure that you and your child’s speech pathologist are on the same page and working towards the same goals.
- By establishing clear goals from the outset, you have a better understanding of whether your child’s needs are being met and can be confident when it comes to getting involved in your child’s speech therapy and implementing at-home strategies.
That last one is the most important for us. We want to make sure you feel that your child is progressing and that each visit to the speech pathologist is helping strengthen everyone’s skills.
Are Every Child’s Goals the Same?
Not at all! Although there may be some similarities, your child’s goals are not the same as any other child who visits us at our centers. This is because we recognize that every single child is unique, as is the family they come from, and we know that every person’s speech pathology journey is different regardless of whether they have similar challenges or diagnoses.
Who Determines the Goals?
You do! Whilst we might be the experts when it comes to speech pathology, we know you are the expert when it comes to your child. You are your child’s main communication partner, and in that role you see how they develop, how they interact, what they are interested in, where they need help, and so much more. This information is vital when it comes to determining the best approach for your child.
At A Occupational Therapy, we deliver what we call family-centered practices. This means we believe that a child is best helped and supported when we look at not only their needs but also their family’s needs as well. And the best way to do that is by talking to you—their family! You know what aspects of daily life your child needs help with, and you also know what your day-to-day life as a parent or carer looks like. By putting the decisions in your hands and getting you to help us set goals, we can make sure that you feel supported. You can let us know if you’re not sure how to help your child or whether you need more education. It also means that the goals or home practice we decide on are tailored to suit your family and home life. But don’t worry, if you ever get stuck on what your goals are, we’re here to help.If you have any concerns relating to your child’s speech and language development, please Contact Us. With the right goals and an individualized approach, your child can develop essential skills and confidence.