Social skills IEP goals for autistic students
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Social skills IEP goals for autistic students should help the student connect in the ways they want: joining activities, keeping a conversation going on shared interests, checking what someone meant, working in a group and repairing a conflict. Each goal names the situation, an observable skill and a criterion from baseline. Skip eye contact, forced small talk and goals that train masking.
Social skills goals are among the most common goals for autistic students and among the most often written badly. Many old goals measured whether the student looked and acted like non-autistic peers: eye contact, "appropriate" play, staying on someone else's topic. Social misunderstandings go both ways, and autistic students often connect well with people who share their interests and communication style. Good goals build skills the student wants and can use with real friends.
This page gives 20 example goals in five areas, each with a fictional baseline and a measure, plus a decision table and an age table. For the full range of autism goal areas, see the IEP goals for autism pillar. For the step-by-step method, see how to write IEP goals for autistic students.
What makes a social goal affirming
Check every draft against four questions.
- Does the student want this skill? Ask them. A student who prefers one close friend does not need a goal to join large groups.
- Does any communication mode count? Speech, AAC, writing, sign and gesture all work for joining, commenting and repair.
- Does it teach understanding rather than performance? Checking what someone meant is a skill. Faking a facial expression is masking.
- Are peers part of it? Social success depends on the other person too. Peer training and interest-based clubs change the setting, not just the student.
The SLP often leads social communication goals. ASHA's practice portal on social communication covers assessment and intervention for these skills.[1]
How to choose the right goals
| What you see | Sub-skill | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Wants to join others but hovers, grabs or leaves | Starting and joining | Opportunities |
| Talks at length on a topic, or conversations end after one turn | Conversation and shared interests | Opportunities or frequency |
| Takes jokes literally, misreads intent, upset by sarcasm | Understanding others and checking meaning | Opportunities |
| Struggles with rules, turns or roles in group tasks | Play and group participation | Opportunities or rubric |
| Conflicts escalate, does not know how to fix a problem | Conflict, repair and boundaries | Opportunities |
Starting and joining goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| During free play, the student will ask a peer to play using a word, sign, picture or device in 4 of 5 opportunities (K to 2). | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| Before joining a group activity, the student will watch what the group is doing and join with a related action or comment in 3 of 4 observed opportunities. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| During free time, the student will choose an activity and invite a peer to join on 3 of 5 days. | 0 of 5 | Opportunities |
| With support from a club sponsor, the student will invite a peer to a club or interest group at least 2 times in a grading period (grades 6 to 12). | 0 | Frequency |
- Weak: The student will initiate with peers appropriately.
- Measurable: During free time, the student will choose an activity and invite a peer to join on 3 of 5 days.
Conversation and shared interest goals
Shared interests are the easiest starting point. A student who talks easily about a favorite subject has a conversation skill to build on, not a problem.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When a partner shares news, the student will respond with a related comment or question in 4 of 5 exchanges. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| When asked "How are you?" by a peer or adult, the student will answer and return the question in 4 of 5 opportunities. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| During a peer conversation, the student will reply on topic to the peer's comment for at least 3 exchanges in 4 of 5 conversations (grades 6 to 12). | 1 exchange | Frequency |
| When a peer shares a problem, the student will respond with a supportive comment or offer in 3 of 4 observed opportunities. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
- Weak: The student will stay on topic.
- Measurable: When a partner shares news, the student will respond with a related comment or question in 4 of 5 exchanges.
Understanding others and checking meaning goals
These goals teach the student to check rather than guess. That works with any conversation partner and reduces misunderstandings on both sides.
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When unsure what a peer wants, the student will ask before guessing, such as "Do you want a turn?", in 3 of 4 observed situations (K to 5). | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| Given a short scenario or video clip, the student will tell whether a speaker is joking and name the clue in 8 of 10 items. | 4 of 10 | Accuracy |
| Given a story situation, the student will tell what another person knows or feels and why in 4 of 5 situations. | 2 of 5 | Accuracy |
| Given text messages or posts, the student will interpret the tone and say how they would check if unsure in 8 of 10 items (grades 6 to 12). | 5 of 10 | Accuracy |
- Weak: The student will read social cues.
- Measurable: When unsure what a peer wants, the student will ask before guessing in 3 of 4 observed situations.
Play and group participation goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| During a table or playground game, the student will play by the agreed rules to the end in 4 of 5 games. | 2 of 5 | Opportunities |
| During partner work, the student will work on the shared task by taking turns with materials and adding to the product for 10 minutes in 4 of 5 sessions. | 3 minutes | Duration |
| During a small-group discussion, the student will contribute at least one idea by speaking, writing or typing in 4 of 5 discussions. | 1 of 5 | Opportunities |
| In a class or club group chat, the student will follow the agreed chat norms in 9 of 10 posts reviewed weekly (grades 6 to 12). | 6 of 10 | Percent of posts |
- Weak: The student will cooperate in groups.
- Measurable: During partner work, the student will work on the shared task for 10 minutes in 4 of 5 sessions.
Conflict, repair and boundary goals
| Goal | Baseline | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| When a peer says "stop," the student will stop and reply, such as "OK," within 5 seconds in 4 of 5 occasions (K to 5). | 2 of 5 | Opportunities |
| During a conflict, the student will tell the peer how they want the problem fixed using words or a choice card in 3 of 4 conflicts. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| After upsetting a peer, the student will apologize in their own way and offer a repair, such as returning an item or writing a note, in 3 of 4 occasions. | 1 of 4 | Opportunities |
| Before using a classmate's things, the student will ask first in 9 of 10 observed opportunities. | 5 of 10 | Opportunities |
- Weak: The student will resolve conflicts appropriately.
- Measurable: During a conflict, the student will tell the peer how they want the problem fixed in 3 of 4 conflicts.
Social-emotional goals that support social skills
Social skills and emotional regulation are linked. A student who is overwhelmed cannot join a game. Pair social goals with regulation supports: a quiet lunch option some days, a break plan and advance notice of group changes. For regulation goal wording, see the emotional regulation goal examples and social-emotional IEP goals.
How to measure social skills goals
- Opportunities for most goals. Arrange 4 to 5 chances a week if they do not come up naturally, such as a structured game or a coached peer. Record on the opportunity data sheet.
- Frequency for initiations and conversation exchanges, counted during a set period. See frequency recording.
- Accuracy for scenario and video tasks, on the accuracy data sheet.
- Real settings. Take at least half the data at lunch, recess, clubs or class groups. A skill shown only in a therapy room is not yet a social skill.
Video modeling and social narratives are common ways to teach these skills; describe the method in the services or supplementary aids, not in the goal itself.
Adapting by age and support needs
| Area | K to 2 | Grades 3 to 5 | Grades 6 to 12 and students with low support needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining | Asking a peer to play | Choosing and inviting | Clubs and interest groups |
| Conversation | Short back-and-forth turns | Related comments and questions | Peer conversations, group chats |
| Checking meaning | Asking before guessing | Jokes and intentions in stories | Tone in texts, sarcasm |
| Group work | Turn-taking in games | Partner tasks | Discussion roles, online norms |
| Repair | Stopping and saying "OK" | Telling how to fix it | Repair meetings, apologies at work |
For students who speak fluently and need support mainly in social understanding and self-advocacy, see IEP goals for autistic students with low support needs. For younger students, see IEP goals for autistic students in kindergarten and first grade. The general social skills IEP goal examples and peer interaction goals have more options.
Full goal wording is on the peer interaction goals page and the social skills goal hub. The IEP must state measurable annual goals and how progress is measured.[2] ASHA's autism practice portal describes communication supports for autistic students.[3] Paste drafts into the goal checker before the meeting.
Frequently asked questions
What are good social skills IEP goals for autism?
Goals the student wants and can use: asking to join, keeping a conversation going on shared interests, checking what someone meant, working with a partner and fixing a conflict. Each needs a situation, an observable skill and a criterion from baseline data.
Should social skills goals include eye contact?
No. Eye contact is uncomfortable for many autistic people and is not needed to listen or connect. Measure the actual skill, such as responding to a partner's comment or answering a question about what was said.
Who should write social skills goals for an autistic student?
Often the SLP leads, with the special education teacher, school psychologist or counselor, the family and the student. Goals work best when general education staff help collect data at lunch, recess and in class groups.
What are social skills goals for high functioning autism?
For autistic students with low support needs, goals often focus on checking meaning, conversation on shared interests, group roles, online communication and repairing misunderstandings, written so the student is not asked to mask.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Peer interaction goals (social emotional)
- Social skills goal hub
- IEP goals for autism
- Autism in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
- Social emotional IEP goals
Related guides
- IEP goals for autism: examples by area and age
- How to write IEP goals for autistic students
- IEP goals for autistic students with low support needs
- Social skills IEP goal examples
- Peer interaction IEP goals
- Video modeling for social and life skills
- Social stories: how to write one that supports a goal
Sources
- Social Communication Disorder, ASHA
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, 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.