Struggling with writing effective goals for switch development? Check out this blog to discover how to create personalised, measurable, and achievable goals that truly make a difference.

Writing goals is a vital part of any education or therapy intervention or support. Goals are fundamental in directing provision and measuring the effectiveness of input. The best goals have the user and/or their family at the foundation and throughout. Without their input, involvement, and ownership, goals are ineffective and become a costly bureaucratic process.

How many of us have laboured over writing what we think is the most epic SMART goal ever, only to read it a year later and wonder what muppet wrote such a convoluted goal before realising it was me! To support the writing of switch goals, I have created the following goal templates (see bottom of blog). These templates can easily be adjusted to suit your specific needs. They use the Seven Stages of Switch Development framework, which provides a level for measuring against (although I am sure if you wanted, and I won’t take it too personally, you could adjust to include another switch model). They are SMART goal based and will be technical in language, which is often required for students educational or therapy goals. I recommend using AI to create a friendlier version for those that will find the technical language a barrier.

The goal templates can be broken down into the following main sections:

1. Time Frame
2. Personalisation
3. Steps and 7SSD Descriptor
4. Purpose of the Switch
5. Frequency and Context
6. Level of Support
7. One-Prompt Cycle
8. Measuring Success
   • Or jump straight to:
   • Goal template for each stage of the 7SSD

Time Frame

We start with the time frame – how long the goal will go on for. You can replace [period] with a date, a school term, or a set period from the date of the goal. For example:
• By the end of August
• By the end of the summer term
• By the end of six weeks
It’s really important to put a timeframe on goals. Setting a specific timeframe ensures that goals are set to be accomplished over a defined period. This helps in tracking progress and provides a clear endpoint for review. Without a timeframe, goals can become stagnant, and individuals may not progress as they should. I’ve encountered situations where goals were set without a timeframe, and individuals had clearly completed their goals years ago, but no one had considered progressing them.

Once goals are achieved, they need to be reviewed and built upon to support continuous progression and development. If you regularly encounter situations where goals do not change, it may indicate that your goal-setting skills need improvement or that the interventions and strategies surrounding the goals need to be reviewed. All goals should be achievable within a set timeframe and then built upon to ensure ongoing development.

Personalisation

Next, we input the user’s name. I know, this sounds very simple, but it is important to include the user’s name early and fully in the goal. It personalises the goal and helps the reader connect it to the person it refers to. Avoid goals that are generic and lack personalisation.

Steps and 7SSD Descriptor

We use the steps and the 7SSD descriptor within the assessment tool for each stage. As a reminder, the seven stages of switch development are not linear; a user can be working on multiple stages at the same time. Each stage is broken into three steps: emerging, consolidating, and proficient. For goal writing, I recommend stating an unachieved and unworked-on step. For example, if a user’s most advanced current step was emerging in stage 2 ‘intentionally make happen,’ I might write a goal for them to have achieved consolidating or proficient in stage 2 by the end of the goal. Write in the stage and step you believe they can achieve within the timeframe of the goal. The descriptor focuses on the skill, which supports those who might not be aware of the framework. There is a coding section at the end of this sentence which enables quick reference to the framework (see the key table for information).

Purpose of the Switch

We now move on to the purpose of the switch being used. I have included some fundamental switch activities in brackets, but these are not exhaustive and can be adjusted to meet your and the user’s needs. You may want to expand further, for example, by describing in more detail how or who they will communicate with.

The best switch activities are those that are fun, fulfilling (meaningful) and fresh.

Frequency and Context

Next we consider the frequency and context—how often they will be using switches for the mentioned purpose and where it will be used. Most of the time, I would state how many times a day (it would be unusual if it was less frequent, like weekly or monthly). For context, consider when the switch activity will take place, specifically regarding measuring the outcome of the goal. You may set the context in a structured setting in the early stages but consider assessing switch use in multiple contexts throughout their day. I would advise that even if you are assessing the goal in a structured context, you still encourage switch use throughout the day and in multiple contexts.

Level of Support

The level of support is key in both indicating to those that read the goal how best to support the user and in measuring the goal. For example, someone may easily achieve a goal with verbal instructions but not independently. The Seven Stages of Switch Development (7SSD) recommends using a one-prompt cycle when providing support. This recognises the individual skills, knowledge, and personal relationships of those supporting a user with switch access. It also reduces the chance of coercion from supporters escalating prompting to achieve an outcome like in a prompt hierarchy. For example, if the user is not pressing a switch, a supporter first visually prompts, then verbally prompts, then directly visually prompts with a verbal instruction, and so on. This escalation of prompting can result in the user being coerced into complying with the objective of the supporter rather than proactively engaging with the activity themselves. One of the greatest aims of switch intervention is for the user to proactively engage with the activity. Most of the children I support have a level of learned helplessness that needs to be overcome before they engage independently. Increasing levels of prompting increases the passiveness of the user and does not, in my experience, have positive long-term outcomes, i.e., they will always need someone to instruct them to press the switch to complete the activity.

One-Prompt Cycle

The one-prompt cycle is straightforward and can be seen in the diagram below. Generally, you start by ensuring the setup is optimal, which includes the environment and tools. Then, you make sure the tasks are fun and engaging. Once this is completed, you use “wise waiting.” I use the phrase “wise waiting” because it is up to the person working with the user to know whether to provide space or show a level of interest or expectation. This is called the therapeutic use of self and is very important for everyone working with the user to develop and build on.

Types of Prompts – In Brief

1. Model: Use the switch to play or communicate for your own purposes without expecting the user to copy you.
2. Wait: Consider your body language and facial expressions. What level of interest are you showing?
3. Visual Cue: Indirect or direct visual prompts.
4. Verbal Cue: Indirect or direct verbal prompts.
5. Combination of Visual and Verbal Cue: Use both visual and verbal cues together.
6. Physical: WARNING: Physical prompting can be more harmful than helpful and should be avoided whenever possible. Use it only after communicating with the user and seeking consent to help locate equipment. Examples include overhand and underhand support, support at elbows, and stabilizing helping hand.

It can’t be overemphasised how important meaningful modelling is in this process. Use the equipment regularly yourself for your purposes. If you’re a teacher, use a switch to advance your PowerPoint slides. If you’re a parent at home, use the switch to turn on/off your hair dryer/food mixer/lights. Everyone can use an audio switch to say something. If all your students are using a switch to greet each other in the morning or provide feedback during a lesson, you can use it too. Modelling is not about doing something for them to copy; it’s about contextually showing that using a switch is valuable and has purpose.

How each person interacts with the user will be different – we aren’t all robots, and it is not helpful to conduct ourselves in the same or unnatural way. It is, however, good to achieve a level of consistency, particularly for children who have greater challenges around understanding social communication and different people. If you’re extroverted and someone else is introverted, you will both have unique strengths and ways of using yourself to support a user differently. We all just need to be self-aware and know when to give time and space and when to instil some excitement around an activity – in our own unique ways. It is helpful for teams to share what works well for them without the expectation that everyone must do it in the same exact way.

If you are a professional who is assessing or will not frequently be working with the child, it is better to coach the parents or familiar carers. It is not healthy for children to become accustomed to many adult professionals briefly swooping into their lives, developing a connection, and then disappearing. I often feel the pressure myself to prove I am great at working with children and want to show how quickly I can connect and build a strong relationship – but then I realise that is more about my own insecurity than the best interest of the child. It is often better to seem like the awkward person in the room who, instead of interacting with the child, is coaching the child’s established community. It is better to not even be noted in a page of their life if you’re really doing your job well – professional ninja (from an assessing or minimally involved professional).

Measuring Success

The final section is the measure! I don’t know if you are like me and have read hundreds of goals where there is a measure that you think no one has or will ever measure! It’s impossible! Not even Einstein can calculate the goal! ‘The child will use switches correctly 7/10 times in a 1-hour session 80% of the time’. Is anyone ever sitting down with a clipboard and monitoring this to then feedback on the goal? The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E) has an assessment tool that focuses on satisfaction and performance. I find using even just these two headings extremely helpful in measuring the success of a goal from the user or their family’s perspective.

Typically, I would use a scale from 1 – 10, with 1 being not at all and 10 being extremely good. Simply having the user or family provide their view on both the satisfaction of the user’s switch activities/intervention and their performance (can they use their switch) at the start and then end of a goal is the best measure. It places the user and family at the heart of the goal, not some arbitrary measure that is dependent on a clipboard and person sitting aloof in the background with a stop catch and science calculator. My proposed measure encourages those supporting the goal to remain in touch with families and the user throughout the process to ensure the goal is achievable, as it is dependent on their view.

Of course, I have set it up in a way that you can use an alternative measure, but I would advise keeping it as short and succinct as possible.

I hope this supports you in your work, speeds up your goal writing, and makes it more fun, succinct, and enjoyable. As always, I am open to feedback and improving and adding to this resource. If you have any switch goal templates or examples that you have found really helpful, I would love to hear about them.

Goal template for each stage of the 7SSD

Stage 1: Exploring Egbert the Elephant (circle/red) – Learning by experience

Goal Template: By the end of [period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in learning by experience with #his/her switch (S1[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switch to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 2: Journeying Jiao the Giraffe (square/orange) – Intentionally make happen

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in intentionally making things happen with #his/her switch (S2[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 3: Growing Gareth the Goat (triangle/yellow) – Playing with two switches – making two things happen

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in playing with two switches – making two things happen (S3[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move],[frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 4: Budding Brayton the Bear (rectangle/green) – Using two switches for one activity

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in using two switches for one activity (S4[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 5: Flourishing Fatima the Flamingo (kite/blue) – Playing with switch scanning – Error-friendly learning

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in playing with switch scanning – error-friendly learning (S5[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 6: Succeeding Saffi the Squirrel (oval/pink) – Using switch scanning – Finding the right one

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in using switch scanning – finding the right one (S6[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stage 7: Celebrating Syed the Sloth (star/purple) – Independent in functional use

Goal Template: By the end of [time period], [name] will be [emerging/consolidating/proficient] in independent functional use of #his/her switches (S7[a/b/c]). #He/She will use #his/her switches to [communicate/play/control environment/move], [frequency of access & context] with [level of support] and [prompting]. Success is measured by [measure].

Stages Code Key:

1. Exploring – Learning by experience
   • S1a: Stage 1 Emerging
   • S1b: Stage 1 Consolidating
   • S1c: Stage 1 Proficient
2. Journeying – Intentionally make happen
   • S2a: Stage 2 Emerging
   • S2b: Stage 2 Consolidating
   • S2c: Stage 2 Proficient
3. Growing – Playing with two switches – making two things happen
   • S3a: Stage 3 Emerging
   • S3b: Stage 3 Consolidating
   • S3c: Stage 3 Proficient
4. Budding – Using two switches for one activity
   • S4a: Stage 4 Emerging
   • S4b: Stage 4 Consolidating
   • S4c: Stage 4 Proficient
5. Flourishing – Playing with switch scanning – Error-friendly learning
   • S5a: Stage 5 Emerging
   • S5b: Stage 5 Consolidating
   • S5c: Stage 5 Proficient
6. Succeeding – Using switch scanning – Finding the right one
   • S6a: Stage 6 Emerging
   • S6b: Stage 6 Consolidating
   • S6c: Stage 6 Proficient
7. Celebrating – Independent in functional use
   • S7a: Stage 7 Emerging
   • S7b: Stage 7 Consolidating
   • S7c: Stage 7 Proficient

	Stage 1. Exploring Learning by experience	Stage 2. Journeying Intentionally make happen	Stage 3. Growing Playing with two switches – making two things happen	Stage 4. Budding Using two switches for one activity	Stage 5. Flourishing Playing with switch scanning – Error-friendly learning	Stage 6. Succeeding Using switch scanning – Finding the right one	Stage 7. Celebrating Independent in functional use
Emerging	S1a	S2a	S3a	S4a	S5a	S6a	S7a
Consolidating	S1b	S2b	S3b	S4b	S5b	S6b	S7b
Proficient	S1c	S2c	S3c	S4c	S5c	S6c	S7c