Don’t Just Track Behaviour, Track Joy

Why are most of our notes and progress reports filled with “incidents” and “risks of harm”, but hardly anything about joy?

Why do we record moments of dysregulation down to the minute, but not the time someone smiled at a support worker, made a new friend, or found the courage to try something new?

Imagine if we started documenting:
– Spontaneous laughter during a session
– A calm school drop-off after weeks of anxiety
– A participant choosing to use their words instead of hitting
– A moment of connection that visibly changed the energy in the room

These aren’t “extras.” They’re evidence of growth. Of safety. Of trust.

And they absolutely deserve a place in our reports.

When it comes time for a plan review, imagine handing over a document that doesn’t just say, “Here’s how many times things went wrong.”

But instead: “Here’s everything that’s going right.”

Because we’re not just tracking behaviour, we’re tracking lives.

And those lives are full of meaning, humour, effort, resilience, and yes - joy.