Spear bite-size pieces with a fork
When to use this goal
For children who scoop with a spoon but pick up pieces of food with their fingers or need an adult to load the fork. Observed meals with foods that can be speared, not grade, decide fit.
- Baseline
- Count ten fork bites at three meals, noting whether the child speared it, the piece fell off, or they switched to fingers. Note the food; soft foods split and slippery foods slide, so pick foods that hold for the first phase.
- Tips
- Fingers are a fine way to eat many foods; this goal opens up the foods and settings where a fork is expected. Teach pushing straight down with the index finger on top of the handle.
- Limits
- Food textures, liquid thickness, positioning for safe swallowing and any swallowing precautions come from the student's feeding or swallowing plan, which this goal never changes. Food pieces must already be cut to a size the plan allows. The goal does not cover cutting food.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID mt-fd-002.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given bite-size pieces of a firm food such as fruit, cooked vegetables or pasta, the student will spear a piece of food with the fork and bring it to the mouth without the piece falling off, with no adult help in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
Baseline: 3 of 10 opportunities.
- 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. Opportunities fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Opportunity (trial) recording gives opportunities 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 Feeding & Mealtime Skills.
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
- Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE) - Feeding & Mealtime Skills
- Baseline
- 3 of 10 opportunities.
- Annual goal392 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given bite-size pieces of a firm food such as fruit, cooked vegetables or pasta, the student will spear a piece of food with the fork and bring it to the mouth without the piece falling off, with no adult help in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- During lunch, given bite-size pieces of a firm food such as fruit, cooked vegetables or pasta
- Behavior
- The student will spear a piece of food with the fork and bring it to the mouth without the piece falling off, with no adult help
- Criteria
- In at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals
- Evaluation method
- Opportunity-by-opportunity data
- Schedule
- Three meals a week
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Opportunity tracker. One box per opportunity in each session.
Opportunity tracker
Opportunities- Student label:
- Target:
- in at least 8 of 10 opportunities
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 of 4 observed meals
- Collection schedule:
- three meals a week
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given bite-size pieces of a firm food such as fruit, cooked vegetables or pasta, the student will spear a piece of food with the fork and bring it to the mouth without the piece falling off, with no adult help in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
Key: + demonstrated independently · P demonstrated with a prompt (note type) · − not demonstrated · NA no opportunity occurred
| Date | Activity / context | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | # + (of 10) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Record up to 10 opportunities per session, matching the goal's denominator.
- Define in advance what counts as an opportunity so every data collector records the same thing.
- Count only + marks toward the criterion unless the goal specifies prompted responses.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.