Goal Setting

Depending on your loved one’s age, cognitive ability and readiness, you may empower them to co-develop or set their own goals¹. You can support them in the process and involve teachers, coaches, or professionals like occupational therapists where necessary. Professionals working with your loved one can help to identify suitable development goals and break these down into smaller and achievable steps within their individual education, transition, or care plans. Where helpful, you can also set goals with your loved one in informal settings, such as getting them to help out at home, or increasing competency in a hobby. The goals set for your loved one across different service providers and settings should be shared with those involved for greater alignment and consistency.

As you set goals in your journey with your loved one, here are some things to keep in mind.

• Set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.


• Gather information on:
  • Types or forms of support already in place
  • Potential barriers or challenges to attaining the goal
  • Ways to overcome these challenges
  • Additional support needed


• Monitor progress – identify what is or is not working for them and celebrate every small improvement.


• Review goals – review your loved one’s progress and adapt the support provided to better meet their needs.

Working with the professionals supporting your loved one such as teachers, transition planning coordinators, therapists and coaches would be helpful in ensuring that the set goals are consistently applied and monitored across different environments.

Setting goals based on your loved one’s age and maturity will ensure that they are relevant and attainable. These goals should be person centric and identified according to your loved one’s developmental stage rather than biological age.

As your loved one grows, their goals should be reviewed and modified accordingly. Common developmental goals include:

• Childhood: Motor skills (e.g. grip and release, balance and mobility), social skills (communicating and interacting with familiar people and places), and cognitive skills (sensory stimuli, imitation and problem solving).


• Adolescence: Social participation (e.g., attending art classes and joining a reading club) and community mobility (e.g., traveling to a store in the neighbourhood without assistance and taking the public transport independently and safely).


• Adulthood: Progressive goals that build on previous goals that were set. For example, if in adolescence the goal was to travel independently from home to a nearby store, in adulthood, the goal could be to travel to a further location. You can also help your loved one set new goals that enhance their quality of life (e.g., volunteering at a nursing home and building meaningful relationships).