Return to the task after a nonverbal redirection
When to use this goal
For students who drift off task often and respond to spoken corrections but not to the quieter cues teachers use to keep a lesson moving (a tap on the desk, a point to the task, a picture card). Fit depends on behavior data from the work period, not grade.
- Baseline
- Agree on one cue first and teach it outside the moment. Then time three redirections per day for a week from the cue to the first sign of work (writing, turning a page, answering). Record how many cues were needed and whether a spoken direction was used anyway.
- Tips
- Nonverbal cues keep the redirection private and avoid public correction, which matters for students who escalate when corrected aloud. Pair the cue with praise once the student is working. If off-task time is long or frequent, look at the task difficulty first.
- Limits
- Latency to return does not show how long the student stays on task afterward; pair with a duration goal in the executive-function area if that is the concern. "Hands on materials" should be defined so two observers agree.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID bh-dir-038.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, when the student is off task during independent work and the adult gives the agreed nonverbal cue (a tap on the desk or a point to the task), the student will start working on the assigned task again (hands on the materials, writing, or answering the adult) independently within 10 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days, as measured by latency recording collected 3 timed redirections per day.
Baseline: 45 seconds.
- Condition
- Observable behavior
- Criterion
- Measurement method
Measurability check11 of 11 met
Met: Observable behavior. Stated as an action.
Met: Condition. Stated.
Met: Unit fits the behavior. Latency fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Latency recording gives latency data.
Met: Review timeframe. Stated.
Met: Baseline and target compatible. Same unit, change in the right direction.
Met: Aligned with area of need. Still about Following Adult Directions.
Met: Level of support. Defined.
Met: Blanks filled in. Nothing left to fill in.
Checks structure and wording only. Whether the goal fits the student is the team's call.
Short-term objectives (optional)
When are objectives required?Required for students on alternate assessments (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)); some states require them for everyone.
Paste into your IEP system
Most district systems have a separate box for each part of a goal. Copy them one at a time, or all at once as labeled text.
- Area of need
- Behavior & Classroom Expectations - Following Adult Directions
- Baseline
- 45 seconds.
- Annual goal431 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, when the student is off task during independent work and the adult gives the agreed nonverbal cue (a tap on the desk or a point to the task), the student will start working on the assigned task again (hands on the materials, writing, or answering the adult) independently within 10 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days, as measured by latency recording collected 3 timed redirections per day.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- When the student is off task during independent work and the adult gives the agreed nonverbal cue (a tap on the desk or a point to the task)
- Behavior
- The student will start working on the assigned task again (hands on the materials, writing, or answering the adult) independently
- Criteria
- Within 10 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days
- Evaluation method
- Latency recording
- Schedule
- 3 timed redirections per day
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Latency tracker. Records the cue time and the response time.
Latency tracker
Latency- Student label:
- Target:
- within 10 seconds
- Mastery rule:
- on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days
- Collection schedule:
- 3 timed redirections per day
- Method:
- Latency recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, when the student is off task during independent work and the adult gives the agreed nonverbal cue (a tap on the desk or a point to the task), the student will start working on the assigned task again (hands on the materials, writing, or answering the adult) independently within 10 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days, as measured by latency recording collected 3 timed redirections per day.
| Date | Instruction / cue | Cue given (time) | Response began (time) | Latency (seconds) | Support levele.g., independent, 1 verbal prompt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Start timing when the cue ends (for example, the end of the direction). Stop when the defined response begins.
- Record latency in seconds. Shorter latency means faster starts.
- Use a stopwatch or a timer app. Avoid estimating from the clock when measuring seconds.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.