IEP goals for autistic students in kindergarten and first grade
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
IEP goals for an autistic kindergartner or first grader should build skills for the school day: communicating needs by any means, joining play, coping with changes, following class routines and early reading and math. A strong goal names the classroom situation, the skill, a criterion from the child's baseline and how it is measured, such as "requests help in 4 of 5 opportunities."
Kindergarten and first grade ask a lot of a young autistic child: long days, group instruction, noisy rooms, new routines and the start of reading and math. Good goals at this age build the skills that make the school day work. They do not aim to make the child look less autistic.
This page gives 24 example goals in six areas, each with a fictional baseline and measure. Every goal names a condition, an observable skill and a criterion. The baselines are illustrations; yours must come from your own data. For the general method, see how to write IEP goals for autistic students. For the full set of ages and areas, see the IEP goals for autism pillar.
How to choose the right goals
Start from present levels, family priorities and what the child enjoys. Then use the table to find the area and the measure.
| What you see in class | Area | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Cries, drops or leaves when they need something | Communication | Opportunities |
| Plays alone and seems to want to join, or peers invite and get no response | Play and peers | Opportunities or frequency |
| Long upsets after a change or a "no" | Regulation and transitions | Latency or opportunities |
| Needs an adult beside them for arrival, centers or cleanup | Routines and independence | Task analysis or prompt level |
| Not yet linking sounds and letters, or not following stories | Early literacy | Accuracy |
| Counts by rote but cannot give a set or compare amounts | Early math | Accuracy |
Pick two to five goals. A kindergartner with ten goals gets a little of everything and a lot of nothing.
Communication goals
Any mode counts: speech, signs, pictures, a speech-generating device or gestures. The SLP usually leads these goals.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| During centers and snack, the student will request help with a functional task, such as opening a container, using any mode in 4 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| When the adult is busy, the student will get the listener's attention by tapping, calling a name or using a device before giving a message in 3 of 4 opportunities. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| At morning meeting, the student will share one piece of news using words, a photo or a recorded device message on 4 of 5 days. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| After a familiar activity, the student will tell one thing they did, using any mode, when asked an open question, in 7 of 10 probes. | 2 of 10 | Opportunities |
- Weak: The student will use words to communicate.
- Measurable: During centers and snack, the student will request help using any mode in 4 of 5 opportunities.
Play and peer goals
These goals build access to play the child wants. A child who prefers parallel play is not doing anything wrong.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When a peer offers a toy or invites them to play, the student will respond to the invitation by taking the toy, joining or saying "no thanks" in 4 of 5 bids. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| During a structured table game with 1 or 2 peers, the student will take their turn within 10 seconds of the turn cue for 8 of 10 turns. | 4 of 10 | Opportunities |
| During centers with shared materials, the student will notice when a peer wants a turn and offer a turn or say "after me" in 3 of 4 observed opportunities. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| At recess, the student will play a playground game with peers, such as tag or a ball game, for at least 4 minutes on 3 of 5 days. | 1 minute | Duration |
- Weak: The student will play appropriately with peers.
- Measurable: When a peer invites them to play, the student will take the toy, join or say "no thanks" in 4 of 5 bids.
Regulation and transition goals
Pair these with accommodations such as a visual schedule, warnings before changes and access to a calm space. See autism accommodations in the classroom.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When upset, the student will go to the calm-down space and return to the group within 8 minutes in 4 of 5 occasions. | Median 22 minutes | Latency |
| When told "no" or "not now," the student will respond and move on by choosing another activity or asking "later?" within 2 minutes in 4 of 5 occasions. | Median 9 minutes | Latency |
| When a preferred item is unavailable, the student will accept a different item from a choice of 2 within 1 minute in 4 of 5 opportunities. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| After an upset, the student will show what upset them by choosing a feelings picture and a cause picture in 3 of 4 occasions. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
- Weak: The student will not have meltdowns.
- Measurable: When upset, the student will go to the calm-down space and return to the group within 8 minutes in 4 of 5 occasions.
Routine and independence goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| At the center signal, the student will join the assigned center within 1 minute with no more than a gestural prompt in 8 of 10 transitions. | 3 of 10 | Opportunities |
| On arrival, the student will put belongings in the assigned cubby, completing 4 of 4 steps with no more than a picture cue on 4 of 5 days. | 1 of 4 steps | Task analysis |
| Using a picture checklist, the student will self-check a routine, such as cleanup, by marking each step done on 4 of 5 days. | 0 of 5 | Opportunities |
| When a material is missing, the student will ask for it rather than wait, using any mode, in 4 of 5 opportunities. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
- Weak: The student will follow the class routine.
- Measurable: On arrival, the student will complete 4 of 4 cubby steps with no more than a picture cue on 4 of 5 days.
For more routine goals, see independent work goals.
Early literacy goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Given a spoken letter sound and a field of 4 letters, the student will point to the letter that makes the sound for 16 of 20 sounds on 3 consecutive probes. | 6 of 20 | Accuracy |
| Given a word said in syllables, the student will blend the syllables into the word by saying it or choosing its picture for 8 of 10 words. | 3 of 10 | Accuracy |
| After a picture book is read aloud, the student will put 3 story pictures in order in 4 of 5 stories. | 1 of 5 | Accuracy |
| Given a decodable action sentence, such as "Hop to the mat," the student will read it and do the action for 4 of 5 sentences (first grade). | 1 of 5 | Accuracy |
- Weak: The student will know the alphabet.
- Measurable: Given a spoken letter sound and 4 letters, the student will point to the right letter for 16 of 20 sounds.
The pointing format works for students who speak few words. More are in the autism reading goals.
Early math goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When asked for a number of objects from 1 to 10, the student will give the requested number in 8 of 10 trials. | 3 of 10 | Accuracy |
| Given two sets of up to 10 objects, the student will say or point to which has more in 9 of 10 trials. | 5 of 10 | Accuracy |
| Given an AB pattern of colored cubes, the student will copy and extend it by at least 4 cubes in 4 of 5 trials. | 1 of 5 | Accuracy |
| Given a story problem within 5 read aloud, the student will act it out with objects and give the answer in 7 of 10 problems. | 2 of 10 | Accuracy |
- Weak: The student will improve math skills.
- Measurable: When asked for 1 to 10 objects, the student will give the requested number in 8 of 10 trials.
How to measure these goals
- Opportunities for requests, play responses and help-seeking. Use the opportunity data sheet and plan 4 to 5 chances a day if they do not come up naturally.
- Latency for recovery and moving on after a "no." Start the timer when the event happens and stop when the child joins the next activity. Use the latency data sheet.
- Task analysis for routines, scoring each step and the prompt level on the task analysis data sheet.
- Accuracy for literacy and math probes, on the accuracy data sheet.
Collect data on most goals once or twice a week. Young children's performance varies a lot from day to day, so look at the trend across several weeks, not one session.
Short-term objectives for young autistic students
Break goals down by setting, prompt level or criterion. For the center goal:
- By the first progress report, the student will join the assigned center within 1 minute with a gestural prompt in 5 of 10 transitions.
- By the second report, 7 of 10 transitions with a gestural prompt.
- By the third report, 8 of 10 transitions with a gestural prompt or less, across two different center rotations.
The goal-to-objectives guide shows other ways to split a goal.
Adapting for kindergarten vs first grade
| Area | Kindergarten | First grade |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Requests and greetings across the day | Adds sharing news and telling what happened |
| Play | Responding to peers, short turns | Longer games with rules, choosing to join |
| Regulation | Calm-down routine with adult cue | Choosing a strategy with less adult help |
| Routines | Arrival and cleanup with pictures | Full centers rotation and independent work |
| Literacy | Letter sounds, syllables, story order | Decoding CVC words and sentences |
| Math | Counting sets to 10, comparing | Story problems within 10, patterns |
The K to 2 goal bank and the general IEP goals for kindergarten have more options at this age. For children who use AAC or speak few words, see IEP goals for nonverbal autistic students. For pragmatic language goals led by the SLP, see pragmatic language goals for kindergarten.
The IEP must include measurable annual goals and describe how progress will be measured.[1] The team must consider the child's communication needs and whether assistive technology is needed.[2] ASHA's autism practice portal covers early communication assessment and intervention.[3] Paste each draft into the goal checker before the meeting.
Frequently asked questions
How many IEP goals should an autistic kindergartner have?
Most do well with two to five goals focused on the skills that most affect the school day, such as communication, regulation and routines. A long list spreads teaching too thin for young children.
Should kindergarten autism goals include academics?
Yes, when present levels show a need. Early literacy and math goals can sit alongside communication and routine goals. Use response formats like pointing or choosing a picture so speech is not required to show the skill.
What should I avoid in goals for young autistic children?
Avoid goals for eye contact, sitting still for long periods, quiet hands or playing the way other children play. Target skills the child can use, such as asking for help, joining play they want and coping with change.
How often should I take data on kindergarten goals?
Once or twice a week for most goals is enough. Young children's performance varies a lot day to day, so look at the trend over several weeks before deciding a goal is or is not working.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- IEP goals for autism
- Autism in the IEP glossary
- K to 2 IEP goals
- IEP goal checker
- Opportunity data sheet
Related guides
- IEP goals for autism: examples by area and age
- How to write IEP goals for autistic students
- IEP goals for autistic preschoolers
- Social skills IEP goals for autistic students
- IEP goals for kindergarten: examples by area
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASHA
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.