Summer Goals

Every May I meet with our BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) to help come up with target goals for the summer. Some are academic, some are life skills, some are processing or language related, some are social… I’d love to share a page or two of Paige’s goals sometime. Just as a glimpse into the ongoing work of these professionals and our family - it has helped Paige progress in SO many areas. And next to her mother, these women know her better than anyone and understand every little victory and all the big feelings that’s come along with the struggles, too. 

I am thankful for our ABA company (FOX Behavior Group) and how parents are such an integral part of goal setting and ongoing communication to listen, brainstorm, help support, and adapt/adjust if needed… it’s 100% a team effort. 

We have been incredibly fortunate to have the BEST team at FBG especially her RBT of 6(!!) years, Brianna. (It’s not lost on me how incredible it is to have had her this long - esp since turnover is typically high.) 

This summer one of the goals was to build on the progress of last year and gain comfortability and confidence in the deep end of the pool. (It’s written in a formal goal format somewhere but you get the gist.)  It has taken us so many years to get her body regulated and integrated to where she could receive feedback and apply it, only then could she build skills and gain confidence and ultimately ENJOY the water. I’ll never forget the past 2 summers watching her take off and PLAY for hours upon end for the first time(s) in her life. 

Now we are working to extend this to where she realizes she is safe and can swim confidently in the deep end. (She has had the skills for a few years, she does not yet trust herself.) 

Brianna is gradually and very intentionally growing this confidence. Much of it is Paige being given options and her choosing what she’s comfortable with and not making a big deal of it. She naturally chooses those options that were once “risks” again once she’s been successful with them. (But again, this approach would never have led to this had we not been able to target integration, processing, and regulation… I know bc for YEARS we tried and failed.)

Believing one day she will {at a minimum} be calm, cool, and confident swimming where she can’t touch knowing she can get to a side safely… and maybe even find joy in jumping off the diving board or into the pool into the deep end. 😊
Another goal I asked to work on was helping her be comfortable in the lake. I realize there are many people who do not like the lake… but it’s important to be that Paige not be so anxious and fearful of {insert anything} that she is paralyzed and unable to live life and enjoy these moments. We’ve been on boats many times In her life - looooves boats, jet skis, tubing (as long as feel secure) - but the water, well that’s a different story. Can’t touch. Cant see at all and can’t see the bottom. It’s vast. It’s scary. 
Brianna lives on Morse Lake, and so graciously offered to take Paige for part of her session to the beach portion to work in the lake where Paige could touch. Then if that went well, she was confident with a boat day, she should get her in the water out on the lake. 
Started with hesitancy but quickly shifted to doing it with her noodle (specifically an orange one which Brianna bought specifically for Paige bc she requested that color), then let that go of her own accord but would only swim right next to the boat doing laps, and finally, when Mr. Phil got in and asked to play catch… she forgot all about where she was relative to holding on. She was relaxed, playing, and having FUN! What a victory. 
And now we have the memory to build off of. 
I will say, being on a boat without lots of commotion with other kids and not other distractions to process while doing something “hard”… it makes a difference. The lake was calm and quiet, which allowed her to better regulate which allowed her to work through things more easily and more quickly. Plus having her people of course.
Cannot thank Brianna and Mr. Phil enough. 💦