Naile Valieva, an internationally certified behavioral analyst working with children with special needs, spoke about the importance of the initial assessment of the motivational sphere and the methods of its formation. She noted that motivation should not be sought, but developed. An important aspect of the specialist's work is the primary testing she developed, which helps assess the motivational characteristics of the child and form their motivational profile.
According to her, adults often subjectively interpret children's interests, deciding for them what is suitable. As a result, certain stimuli and demonstrations of play with toys are offered, but such approaches do not promote independence, and the child will not be able to reproduce actions without prompts.
Valieva also added that the initial assessment helps identify individual deficits in the motivational sphere. Based on the data obtained, goals should be set for the formation of a new skill set, for example:
* If the child does not approach toys independently, the goal is to teach them to do so;
* If the child uses a toy incorrectly, they need to be taught functional play;
* Goals can also include teaching new actions or deeper interaction with objects.
The expert emphasized that the motivational sphere is an indicator of development with growth potential. Conducting an assessment allows for the precise determination of goals that correspond to the individual characteristics of the child and the development of effective intervention methods.
In her opinion, without an initial assessment, it is impossible to properly develop skills.
"Each child has their own deficits, and the approach to developing their motivational sphere should be adapted," Valieva concluded.
