Performance skills often become which type of goals?

• A. Short-term goals
• B. Long-term goals
• C. Environmental goals
• D. Process goals

Answer: (A)

When you focus on performance skills in OT, you’re looking at how a task is carried out—the coordination, speed, dexterity, and effort involved. Improvements in these observable skills are usually achievable and measurable in the near term, making short-term goals the best fit. These goals pin down specific changes in the way a task is performed and can be tracked over a few sessions as you build toward larger outcomes. In contrast, long-term goals describe broader functional outcomes over extended periods, environmental goals involve adjusting the surroundings, and process goals target the approach or strategy rather than the skill itself. So focusing on performance skills naturally aligns with short-term goals.