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Target step
This help article provides an overview of the 'Target Step' and how to use it.
What is the 'target step'?
In NDBIs and early intervention programs, a target step refers to the current teaching step that a child is on. This step is crucial for monitoring progress, as it allows you to track data each session and evaluate the child’s progress against the criteria and prompts used for that step.
A child typically moves to the next step - "steps up" - once they’ve acquired the current step - usually when they’ve met the criteria for a set number of days/sessions, materials, or settings. As the child progresses, the skill generally becomes more independent. Sometimes, if a child is struggling with a higher step, you may need to move back to the previous step temporarily ("step down").
In GoalSpot we recommend using a target step for the following reasons:
- It helps monitor a child’s progress on the teaching step, indicating if they need extra support or adjustments, or if they’re mastering the skill quickly.
- It allows for easy graphing of progress in reports, providing a clear visual of the child’s development over time.
- It makes it easy for the entire team to be aligned on the current teaching step for that child.
Tip: it helps to set a clear criteria for progressing to the next step so therapists know when to "step up" a goal (e.g. three consecutive sessions with a '+')
How can I change the target step for a goal?
You can change the target step on both the web application or the mobile/tablet application.
1. Changing target step in the web application
This video shows how you can quickly update the target steps for a whole Goal Set in the web application:
2. Changing target step in the mobile/tablet application
This video shows how you can quickly update the target step for a goal(s) in the mobile/tablet application by clicking in to the last Session:
Showing only the target step when collecting session data
When collecting data in a session you have the option to see all steps for a goal, or to see only the target step (this can be especially helpful when collecting data on a smaller mobile screen).
Simply toggle the Target Step toggle on to show only the target step for each goal:
