Planning for the future

What does it mean to look toward the future? I feel it is so important for people to at least be thinking about the future and what they would like to see not only for themselves, but for their children as well. In the schools we tend to only look one year down the road. Why is that?

This point has been driven home to me several times this week and I felt like this would be the perfect time to write about planning. This seems to be the time of year when schools and families start thinking toward the next year. This can also be the time when problems start to crop up as we go through that long stretch between Christmas and spring break. This being said, I find it very helpful to at least think about long range when making plans for kids in the school system. I think parents should be encouraged to at least think a little bit about where they would like to see their children in the future.

Well in at least two instances this week I have been told by superiors that this is not a good thing. Parents aren't ready to think about this. They are too new to the diagnosis of autism and the special education system. Well if not now, when?

Having some type of long term goal helps in establishing the short term goals we want for our children. I know as a school district employee it helps me to make short term goals if I know what the long term expectation is.

It has been a very frustrating week for me. I hope that the parents that read this blog take this information and at least think about what they would like for their children in the future. One of my favorite things about the RDI program is the mission previews we do with families in the very first appointment. I think this gives all of us a sense of direction. Does this mean that these plans or thoughts can't change along the way? No way it just gives a direction to drive our car in.

So take a few minutes this week and put some mission previews together (what do you want for your child 2 years from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now). I think having this helps us not only to see where we are going, but all of the progress we make along the way. We all have thoughts about our own future why not have some for our children?

Talk to you next week,
Erin