posted by: Mr. Graber
Every two weeks I will be posting a section from this article here on Inside Bodine. I think you will find it quite interesting. It is a wonderful piece on life success for students with learning disabilities. It originally appeared on LD online.
Below are the schedule of the postings and the fifth installment:
September 6: introduction
September 21: self-awareness
October 5: proactivity
October 19: perseverance
November 2: goal-setting
November 16: presence and use of support systems
November 30: emotional coping strategies
Success Strategy #4: Goal Setting
Successful individuals set goals that are specific, yet flexible so that they can be changed to adjust to specific circumstances and situations. These goals cover a number of areas including education, employment, family, spiritual and personal development. In addition, the goals of successful persons with learning disabilities include a strategy to reach their goals. That is, they have an understanding of the step-by-step process for obtaining goals. One successful adult pursuing a career in the entertainment field states:
"I always look at every move, like this particular move doing the video, as a stepping stone for the next project. That's how I'm looking at it. As I said, the area I really want to move into is, I want to direct."
"I always look at every move, like this particular move doing the video, as a stepping stone for the next project. That's how I'm looking at it. As I said, the area I really want to move into is, I want to direct."
Successful people also appear to have goals that are realistic and attainable.
"I'll tell you something. I'm very realistic in terms of what I know I can do, what I possibly can do, and what I cannot do. That's why I knew right off the bat that I was not going to be a doctor."-- Thirty-one-year-old male
Many successful people with learning disabilities set at least tentative goals in adolescence, which provide direction and meaning to their lives. A successful adult trained as a social worker says:
"When I was in late high school, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I was given the opportunity to babysit and in the twelfth grade I worked at a day camp. I just discovered that I was interested in children and that this may turn out to be a profession. So there was kind of a break and something to shoot for; some sort of self-direction."
While successful individuals with learning disabilities have concrete, realistic, and attainable goals, unsuccessful individuals often have vague, unrealistic, or grandiose goals that are not in line with their strengths, weaknesses, or special abilities. For example, one individual having extreme problems with eye-hand coordination and spatial relations aspired to be an airline pilot, while another with severe reading, writing, and organization difficulties wanted to become an executive secretary. Not surprisingly, both were unsuccessful at their attempts to reach these goals and experienced frustration and stress as a result.
Goal-setting Checklist
My child…
Sets academic goals
Sets non-academic goals
Can prioritize goals
Knows when a goal is realistic
Develops plans/steps for reaching goals
Understands the relationship between short and long-term goals
Finds alternative ways to reach goals when faced with obstacles
Understands the need to work with others to reach goals
It is important to help students with learning disabilities develop goal-setting abilities in a number of areas. As for several of the other success attributes, far too often, emphasis is placed exclusively on educational success. In an effort to assist children with learning disabilities achieve life success, research suggests that it is also necessary to develop goal-setting skills related to social relationships, employment, family, physical health, psychological health, leisure activities, finances, independent living, and spiritual development.
Specific focus should be placed on assisting children to:
Develop strategies for setting goals;
Define a goal;
Understand the benefits of goal-setting and the consequences of not setting goals;
Develop strategies for prioritizing goals, evaluating whether a goal is realistic, and the action steps needed to reach a goal;
Develop strategies to predict and overcome obstacles, and to reevaluate and adjust goals as needed;
Understand the need to work with others to reach goals.
General activities for developing goal-setting
Have your child write down a real, short-term academic goal and discuss the step-by-step process for reaching it (for example, oral report on an early explorer, project on life in the American colonies, term paper on Shakespeare).
Develop a realistic timeline for completion of a future school project, including typical "obstacles" such as a sports practice, birthday party, favorite TV show, and other distractions.
Have your child set a long-term career goal and discuss the step-by-step process for reaching it. Arrange opportunities for your child to interview someone in that career, emphasizing goal-setting behavior.
Discuss successful individuals and determine the experiences, backgrounds, opportunities, and critical events that led these individuals to their success.
Present fictional examples of people with specific goals and, based on their strengths, weaknesses, and special talents, discuss whether their goals appear realistic
Develop strategies for setting goals;
Define a goal;
Understand the benefits of goal-setting and the consequences of not setting goals;
Develop strategies for prioritizing goals, evaluating whether a goal is realistic, and the action steps needed to reach a goal;
Develop strategies to predict and overcome obstacles, and to reevaluate and adjust goals as needed;
Understand the need to work with others to reach goals.
General activities for developing goal-setting
Have your child write down a real, short-term academic goal and discuss the step-by-step process for reaching it (for example, oral report on an early explorer, project on life in the American colonies, term paper on Shakespeare).
Develop a realistic timeline for completion of a future school project, including typical "obstacles" such as a sports practice, birthday party, favorite TV show, and other distractions.
Have your child set a long-term career goal and discuss the step-by-step process for reaching it. Arrange opportunities for your child to interview someone in that career, emphasizing goal-setting behavior.
Discuss successful individuals and determine the experiences, backgrounds, opportunities, and critical events that led these individuals to their success.
Present fictional examples of people with specific goals and, based on their strengths, weaknesses, and special talents, discuss whether their goals appear realistic
