How to set objectives
Parents teach their children a wide range of skills, even without making a conscious effort. A child whose learning is slowed down by developmental delays can benefit from a more structured, deliberate introduction of new skills. He may need to learn new skills in smaller steps, while his peers may master these in one go. Therefore, parents of developmentally delayed children need to be especially aware of the steps by which children learn and the order in which new skills are learned. The downloadable checklists that you can use to assess your child, will also guide you in deciding what to teach your child next.
If you are using Small Steps as a complete early intervention program, you likely need to set long-term goals and short-term objectives. While your long-term goal may be for your child to walk, your short-term objectives need to break this skill down to much smaller steps which your child can achieve at his own speed. Objectives should always be specific, measurable and achievable. Having specific and measurable objectives will make it easier for you to assess your child’s progress towards them. Being achievable both means that your child is ready to learn the skill and that you have the time and resources available to teach your child.
| Unspecific objective | Specific and measurable objective |
| Sophie knows what a knife is for | Sophie cuts soft food with a knife and spreads butter on bread with a knife |
| Lucas is a tidy eater | Lucas feeds himself with a spoon without spilling |
| Olivia is a tidy eater | Olivia puts the knife and fork on her plate when she has finished eating and wipes her mouth with her napkin |
| Max rides his tricycle | Max pedals his tricycle without assistance from the front steps to the gate |
Remember, when choosing objectives, you should be guided by the following:
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