We understand parents and caregivers can find their planning meeting quite overwhelming.
We are often asked how to come up with some great goals for their child’s plan.
How to write great goals
1. Think about what is important to you.
For example:
• Trying new things
• Making friends
• Managing meltdowns
• Expressing/talking about feeling and emotions
• Getting a job
• Taking care of themselves (being independent)
2. Think about how you would achieve these things.
For example:
• Participating in community hubs/classes/courses
• Integrating in social settings
• Learning how to communicate and speak more clearly
• Behaviour management • Gaining employment skills
• Building strength and fine motor skills
3. Now you need to Link 1 and 2
Let’s see this in action
1. Think about what’s important to you
• I like attending book group every week.
• I like participating in activities at my local Community Hub (meeting place).
• I want to improve how I communicate with other people
• I want to be independent.
2. Then work out your goals
My goals:
• To increase my ability to access the community for social activities.
• To be involved in the community and engage with others.
• To improve my ability to speak clearly.
• To get and keep a job.
3. I need:
• A Disability Support Worker to get me to the Community Hub (meeting place) and book group or
• Help from a Speech Pathologist to improve my communication
• Help building my confidence, managing my anxiety or learning to travel on my own.
• Help finding a job.
Examples of goals
I want my child to engage in more social and community groups so they can try new things.
Zoe wants to build her social & communication so she can build and maintain age-appropriate relationships
I want to learn how to manage my behaviours and understand my emotions so I can express myself better.
Jack wants to build his communication & employment skills so he can get a job I want my child to build their fine motor and communication skills so they can be more independent
Here are some examples of short-medium, and long-term NDIS goals:
I would like to have more confidence to try new things
During this plan I want: To be able to go and play in new locations such as playgrounds, try new activities and go to people’s houses to visit without feeling as much anxiety. To be more involved in activities and to enjoy what I am doing without becoming withdrawn, angry or overwhelmed.
I would like to develop my friendships
During this plan I want: To have friends and for people to like me and want to play with me. To be forming friendships and maintaining these friendships. To be invited for play dates and to play with other children. To be included in play and activities with my peers at recess and lunch. To be more flexible around rules and understand that it is ok to change the rules of games sometimes. To play nicely with others without getting angry and without hurting or spitting at them. To be involved in group activities and to be cooperating with the tasks. To have a greater understanding of what are appropriate social behaviours and what are not.
I would like to be able to play safely in my house and in my yard
During this plan I want: To have a greater understanding of safety and road awareness. To understand what the risks are to me if I run into the road and to understand about the safety needs of my siblings and the consequences of leaving doors open.
I would like to be able to play sports like my peers
During this plan I want: To be joining in with after school sports. To increase motor planning, coordination and muscle tone. To reduce anxiety and to stay calm when carrying out these activities. To be more flexible about rules and to not be seeing everything as black and white.
I want to be able to write better so others can read it
During this plan I want: To have increased hand strength and finger control. To develop hand writing skills and skills at building Lego and to be able to manage my buttons, laces and zips when I get dressed. To be more independent in my eating and gain more control when eating with a spoon and fork.
I want to be able to talk to people and have them understand me
During this plan I want: To be speaking clearly and pronouncing my words correctly. For others to be able to understand me without needing me to repeat myself.
I want to be able to be organised so I feel calmer and able to have a good day
During this plan I want: To have a system that is working for me. To be less reliant on my parents for organising myself for the day ahead. To have the skills and motivation to be able to complete the tasks required to get to the level of organisation where I feel calm. To be able to follow instructions.
I want to be able to move from one activity to another without feeling overwhelmed
During this plan I want: To move from one task to the next willingly and happily. To accept when it is time to move on. To be able to stop an activity without having a melt-down.
I want to be able to dress myself, tie my own shoes and use cutlery independently
Some other goals you could consider:
Short-term goals:
Short-term goals can usually be achieved within 12 months. Examples of short-term goals might include:
• I want to develop my coping skills to manage my sensory needs and high levels of anxiety
• I want to have opportunities to improve my ability to speak clearly and be understood
• I want to be able to regulate my emotions so that I can make friends and play with my siblings
• I want to improve my muscle strength and co-ordination so that I can play sport at school and on the weekend
• I want to learn how to organise my belongings so that I can find them easily and stay calm
• I want to increase my hand strength and control so that I can do up buttons, zips and shoelaces and be more independent when I get dressed
• I want to be able to write better so that others can read and understand it
• I want to increase my confidence to try new things so that I can go to new places and enjoy new activities without becoming overwhelmed
• I want to improve my strength and co-ordination to walk independently so that I can keep up with my peers
• I want to be more independent in my eating and have better hand control when I use cutlery
Long-term goals:
Long-term goals may take years to achieve but you can break them down into smaller steps and short-term goals. Examples of medium to long-term goals might include:
• I want to increase my personal skills and capacity at home and in the community so that I can be more independent
• I want to improve my daily living skills to live as safely and independently as possible in a house near my parents, now and into the future
• I want opportunities to fully participate in the community like my peers, independent of my parents
• I want to develop my social and communication skills to make friends and to participate in community activities, including volunteering or working in the near future
• I want to maintain and improve my physical health and well-being, with increased physical exercise and increased ability to understand and manage my emotions and behaviour
