Respond to no or not now and move on
When to use this goal
For young students who drop to the floor, cry for a long time, or grab when an adult says no or not now to a request. Base the choice on a log of denied requests. The goal teaches options, not silent acceptance: asking when is a full success.
- Baseline
- For a week, record each denied or delayed request, what the student asked for, what the adult said, and what the student did in the next 2 minutes. Look for requests that are often denied; some may be possible to grant, which reduces the need for the goal.
- Tips
- Always say when the answer will be yes if it will ("after lunch") and keep that promise. Count any communication mode, including a device message asking "when?". Crying briefly and then choosing still counts as met within 2 minutes; set the window as a team.
- Limits
- Adults control how often the student hears no, so data vary with staff and schedule. The goal is not about compliance with every direction; pair it with a requesting goal so the student has a way to ask. Very frequent denials point to a schedule or environment change instead.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID se-er-051.
Sign in to add this goal to a student.
Goal
By the annual IEP review date, when an adult says no or not now to a request for an item, activity, or turn and offers a reason or a time, the student will respond to the no or not now by choosing another option, asking when they can have it, or using a coping strategy, and go on to the next activity independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during centers and transitions.
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 Emotional Regulation.
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
- Social-Emotional & Communication - Emotional Regulation
- Baseline
- 1 of 5 opportunities.
- Annual goal487 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, when an adult says no or not now to a request for an item, activity, or turn and offers a reason or a time, the student will respond to the no or not now by choosing another option, asking when they can have it, or using a coping strategy, and go on to the next activity independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during centers and transitions.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- When an adult says no or not now to a request for an item, activity, or turn and offers a reason or a time
- Behavior
- The student will respond to the no or not now by choosing another option, asking when they can have it, or using a coping strategy, and go on to the next activity independently
- Criteria
- In at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days
- Evaluation method
- Opportunity-by-opportunity data
- Schedule
- Daily during centers and transitions
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:
- across 3 consecutive data collection days
- Collection schedule:
- daily during centers and transitions
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, when an adult says no or not now to a request for an item, activity, or turn and offers a reason or a time, the student will respond to the no or not now by choosing another option, asking when they can have it, or using a coping strategy, and go on to the next activity independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during centers and transitions.
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.