| Children who live with failure experience negative | | | | their belief in their goals. When they encounter |
| feelings such as shame, isolation, and anger. These | | | | setbacks, they reevaluate, making adjustments if |
| students need guidance to develop personal skills that | | | | necessary, rather than continuing on a non-productive |
| support their success. According to research | | | | course of action. |
| conducted by the Frostig Center in Pasadena, six | | | | Goal setting |
| personal attributes form the core characteristics that | | | | People who are successful have learned how to set |
| contribute to success for special needs students. | | | | long-term goals. They also have developed the |
| Successful individuals do not necessarily have all six of | | | | capacity to break the long-term goal into bite-size |
| these qualities. These attributes are: | | | | pieces that represent actions they can take to achieve |
| Self-awareness and self-acceptance | | | | their goal. They are flexible, being open to unexpected |
| Individuals who understand their strengths and | | | | opportunities, yet they don't lose site of their overall |
| limitations, who realize that they have many talents, | | | | goal. |
| and who do not define themselves in terms of their | | | | Use of effective support systems |
| weaknesses, are more resilient to life's challenges than | | | | Both successful and unsuccessful individuals have |
| those who see themselves as overall failures. | | | | support systems; however, the successful individuals |
| Proactivity | | | | learn to set realistic, achievable goals. They learn to |
| Engaging in a variety of activities and interacting with | | | | seek support when they need it, rather than waiting |
| different types of people encourages individuals to | | | | passively for help to be offered. |
| understand the power they have to create their own | | | | Strong emotional coping strategies |
| lives. Proactive (as opposed to reactive) individuals | | | | Those who develop ways to reduce stress, feelings |
| believe in their capacity to achieve. They look for | | | | of failure, isolation, and the desire to quit, find the internal |
| opportunities to grow. They do not blame others for | | | | resources to persist until they succeed. Successful |
| their problems; instead they take responsibility for their | | | | individuals have learned to identify situations that can |
| own part in their situation and realize they can change | | | | trigger negative reactions, they can monitor their |
| their circumstances with their own actions. | | | | internal reactions to sense when negative reactions |
| Perseverance | | | | are present, and they have a set of strategies to |
| Successful people see their setbacks or failures as | | | | reduce these negative reactions so they can keep on |
| temporary, not as life-defining. They don't give up in | | | | track. |