Working on Goals

It has been awhile and I apologize. I was voted on the board for the Nebraska Support Network that works with families who need support for their children with special needs. So I haven't had time to share with you some techniques as much as I would like. I promise will try harder for you.

I did want to tell you that our routine is working well. There are bumps in the road at times, and I do get tired, sometimes I want to scream, but I stand my ground and haven't given up ( key is to have a support person you can go to when you need a time out or advice or just to vent). Having a routine is important for children. But here I am almost a month later and it is working. Took some struggle as my son was resistant. But including him in the process made it a litter easier. We worked on the routine together. When he wasn't a willing participant, I made sure he had consequence when called for. As in life for every action there is a consequence and you have to make sure you follow through even if it means it is hard on you. In the long run it will pay off. ( Again that is why you need a support system for you)

Now that we have a routine and reward system in place, we are working on goals. Goals are important part of life. And just because a child may have bipolar or add, or adhd, or whatever, it is important for them to have goals. No matter how small they may seem. Your child needs to have a feel of achievement in order to succeed.

For my son it is hard, I know that he has his down days ( we don't use bad days as that is negative, we are using positive words, it makes a difference, that will be a different blogg)

So for starters, lets say your child has a routine in place, his/her goal is to accomplish the all or part of the routine but another aspect is to have them tell you want they want to accomplish.

My son for instance, his goal is to try and make it through an entire school day, with out excuses not to be in class. My son is the master of excuses when he doesn't want to do something. So the goal is when he really is overwhelmed he is to communicate that to his teacher with the IEP ( Individual education program) to raise his hand and form the the letter c ( the sign language letter "C") to let the teacher know he needs a chilly pass. That means he needs to be in a self contained room with an adult to calm down or process his feelings.

Let me explain the sign language of the letter "c" we have that in the IEP so he doesn't draw attention to himself and the other students don't know what he is leaving class for. But also as I have explained in other bloggs you need to give the teacher a list of triggers and body language your child expresses when overwhelmed when they are in an episode so the teacher can properly help your child when they are not recognizing the issue.

Another goal my son has is to make an effort to turn in his homework assignments. When he doesn't he has a consequence, when he reaches this goal for the week there is a reward, and we have a reward jar, that the both of us worked on together.

This way the goals seem more attainable and more rewarding. Also working on family goals as well helps the child know you too want to be an active part of their life. Like for my son and I our goal is to communicate better. We have eliminated the word cant. As that means you are incapable. He isn't paralyzed, so he can walk, he has down days but he can have those, he has bipolar disorder but doesn't mean he cant be successful. So one goal is to know he can accomplish anything with support and guidance.

I promise to share more. If you have specific techniques you want to know about let me know and I will do my best to advise.

Take care.
Stacey