Cut soft food with a fork edge
When to use this goal
For students who use a fork and spoon but cannot cut soft foods such as pancakes, cooked vegetables or pasta, and wait for an adult or eat pieces too large for comfort. Observed meals, not grade, decide fit.
- Baseline
- Offer five cuts at three meals and score each as cut and speared, cut but too large, or adult cut. Check the plate; a plate that slides undoes the cut.
- Tips
- Fork-side cutting is a stepping stone to using a knife and fork. A non-slip mat helps. Students who cannot yet cut can ask for help, which is a skill in itself.
- 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. Piece size must still meet the plan; some students need food cut by an adult as part of the plan. The goal does not cover knife use.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID mt-fd-012.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given a soft food that can be cut with a fork, such as a pancake, cooked vegetable or casserole, the student will press down with the side of the fork to cut a bite-size piece and then spear it with no adult help in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly at lunch.
Baseline: 1 of 5 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
- 1 of 5 opportunities.
- Annual goal397 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given a soft food that can be cut with a fork, such as a pancake, cooked vegetable or casserole, the student will press down with the side of the fork to cut a bite-size piece and then spear it with no adult help in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly at lunch.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- During lunch, given a soft food that can be cut with a fork, such as a pancake, cooked vegetable or casserole
- Behavior
- The student will press down with the side of the fork to cut a bite-size piece and then spear it with no adult help
- Criteria
- In at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals
- Evaluation method
- Opportunity-by-opportunity data
- Schedule
- Twice weekly at lunch
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 4 of 5 opportunities
- Mastery rule:
- on 3 of 4 observed meals
- Collection schedule:
- twice weekly at lunch
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given a soft food that can be cut with a fork, such as a pancake, cooked vegetable or casserole, the student will press down with the side of the fork to cut a bite-size piece and then spear it with no adult help in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly at lunch.
Key: + demonstrated independently · P demonstrated with a prompt (note type) · − not demonstrated · NA no opportunity occurred
| Date | Activity / context | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | # + (of 5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Record up to 5 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.