Nutrition Interventions for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Appendix Q
Goals Considerations for Writing
5. To improve food preparation and meal time skills
• open can, box, carton package
• make sandwhich
• make snack
• pour, stir, slice, etc.
• set table
• clear table
• clean table, utensils
6. To improve growth rates
• weight maintenance with continued linear growth
• gradual weight loss with continued linear growth
• weight gain and linear growth
7. To maintain lab data within normal limits*
• blood glucose levels (Diabetes)
• phenylalanine levels (PKU)
Objectives
• identify practice periods and
exercises or steps for skill
development
• identify supervision needed to
monitor skill development
• identify positive reinforcement for
successful attempts
• identify person(s) responsible for
tracking growth
• develop a school weight control
program
• identify dietary supplements and
modifications provided by the
school and/or the family
• identify extra snacks scheduled
during the school day
• identify positive reinforcers for
growth changes
• identify a method to obtain and
communicate specific lab values
• identify methods of monitoring
this data
*These are very specific nutrition goals which may not be appropriate for the school to
monitor. However, other goals may be written which relate to this data.
Example: For the child with diabetes, the goal is to decrease episodes of hypoglycemia.
Reprinted with permission from Horsley JW, Allen ER, Daniel PW. Nutrition Management of
School Age Children with Special Needs. 2nd ed. Virginia Department of Health and Virginia
Department of Education; 1996.
378 Nutrition Interventions for Children With Special Health Care Needs