Daily living skills IEP goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Daily living skills IEP goals target the self-care routines a student does every day: dressing, eating, grooming, toileting and getting ready in the morning. A strong goal names the routine, the setting, the support and a criterion, such as putting on a coat and zipping it, 6 of 6 steps independently, before recess on 4 of 5 days.

Daily living skills are the self-care routines that decide how much adult help a student needs to get through a day. They come before household and community skills because they happen first, every morning, and because each one an adult no longer has to do returns time and privacy to the student.

The 24 goals below cover five routines. Each has an illustrative baseline, a criterion with a denominator and a measure, and links to a library template. The life skills IEP goals pillar maps all six life skills domains. For home, money and adult-living routines at transition age, see independent living IEP goals.

How to choose a daily living goal

Start with present levels in functional performance: which routines take the most adult time, and which ones keep the student out of a class or activity? Then pick the sub-skill and the measure.

Student profile	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Needs help with coats, shoes or fasteners	Dressing	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Dresses well but too slowly for PE or recess	Dressing within a time limit	Minutes to finish	Duration data sheet
Spills, needs food cut, cannot open containers	Eating and mealtime	Correct responses per opportunity	Opportunity data sheet
Arrives unkempt, needs grooming prompts	Grooming	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Needs adult help in the restroom	Toileting routine	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Can do each routine but not in sequence alone	Morning routine	Routine items done without a cue	Task analysis data sheet

Two or three daily living goals per IEP year is a practical ceiling. Each one needs daily teaching in the real setting.

Dressing goals

Dressing is the routine OTs most often co-write. Fine motor skills for buttons and zippers matter, but so does the sequence: which garment first, front versus back, and finishing before the class leaves. The new dressing goals page holds 20 templates.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. Before outdoor recess, the student will put on a coat, start the zipper and zip it, completing 6 of 6 steps independently on 4 of 5 days.	2 of 6 steps	Task analysis	Template
2. At arrival, the student will unzip and remove a coat and backpack and hang both on the hook within 3 minutes on 4 of 5 days.	9 minutes with 4 prompts	Duration	Template
3. Seated on a bench, the student will put on socks with the heel in place and fasten shoes with Velcro straps, 8 of 8 steps, on 3 consecutive probes.	3 of 8 steps	Task analysis	Template
4. Given a front-opening smock, the student will button 4 of 4 buttons, starting from the bottom, on 4 of 5 art days.	1 of 4 buttons	Task analysis	Template
5. In the PE locker room, the student will change into and out of PE clothes in under 6 minutes each way on 4 of 5 PE days.	14 minutes each way	Duration	Template
6. When a fastener sticks, the student will try once, then ask an adult or peer for help using a request card, on 8 of 10 occasions.	Cries or waits on 8 of 10	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will dress independently."

Measurable: "Before outdoor recess, the student will put on a coat, start the zipper and zip it, completing 6 of 6 steps independently on 4 of 5 days, measured by task analysis."

Eating and mealtime goals

Mealtime goals belong to the teacher, the OT or the SLP, depending on whether the barrier is motor, sensory, communication or routine. For chewing and swallowing concerns, the team follows the student's feeding plan.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
7. At lunch, the student will open 5 of 6 common lunch items (bag, yogurt lid, thermos, wrapper, string cheese, juice box) without help on 3 of 4 weekly probes.	2 of 6 items	Accuracy	Template
8. Given a plate of soft food, the student will cut bite-size pieces with a knife and fork on 8 of 10 opportunities.	2 of 10	Opportunities	Template
9. During lunch, the student will wipe mouth and hands with a napkin at least once mid-meal and once at the end on 4 of 5 days.	1 of 5 days	Opportunities	Template
10. Given a small pitcher, the student will pour a drink to a line on the cup without spilling on 9 of 10 trials.	4 of 10	Opportunities	Template
11. After eating, the student will throw away trash, sort recycling and wipe the table space, 5 of 5 steps, on 4 of 5 lunches.	2 of 5 steps	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will improve mealtime skills."

Measurable: "At lunch, the student will open 5 of 6 common lunch items without help on 3 of 4 weekly probes, measured by accuracy."

Grooming and hygiene goals

Handwashing and toothbrushing each have their own page: handwashing IEP goals and toothbrushing IEP goals. The goals here cover the rest of grooming.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
12. At the classroom mirror, the student will wash the face with a washcloth and dry it, completing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 days.	2 of 5 steps	Task analysis	Template
13. When the nose is runny, the student will get a tissue, blow, throw it away and wash hands within 2 minutes on 8 of 10 occasions.	2 of 10	Task analysis	Template
14. Before going outdoors on sunny days, the student will apply sunscreen to face, neck and arms, 6 of 6 steps, on 4 of 5 probes.	1 of 6 steps	Task analysis	Template
15. Each morning, the student will clean eyeglasses with a cloth and put them on before the first lesson on 9 of 10 days.	Wears smudged glasses, 3 of 10 days clean	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will take care of personal grooming."

Measurable: "When the nose is runny, the student will get a tissue, blow, throw it away and wash hands within 2 minutes on 8 of 10 occasions, measured by task analysis."

For teens, showering, shaving and deodorant goals are on the high school hygiene goals page.

Toileting goals

Toileting data is private. The toileting data sheet guide explains how to collect it with codes and as few adults as possible.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
16. When the need arises, the student will request the restroom using a picture card or sign on 4 of 5 trips across 2 weeks.	0 of 5 trips	Opportunities	Template
17. In the restroom, the student will pull pants down and up, including over the hips, without help on 9 of 10 trips.	Needs physical help on 8 of 10	Task analysis	Template
18. Using a picture sequence in the stall, the student will complete a 9-step toileting routine with no more than 1 gestural prompt on 4 of 5 days.	4 of 9 steps	Task analysis	Template
19. Before leaving the restroom, the student will flush, wash, and check clothing in the mirror on 9 of 10 trips.	3 of 10 trips	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will be toilet trained."

Measurable: "When the need arises, the student will request the restroom using a picture card or sign on 4 of 5 trips across 2 weeks, measured on an opportunity data sheet."

Morning and arrival routine goals

These goals tie single skills together. A student may put on a coat, wash hands and unpack, but only with an adult naming each one. A visual checklist moves the cueing to the student.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
20. At arrival, using a 6-item picture checklist, the student will complete the arrival routine without adult cues on 4 of 5 days.	2 of 6 items without cues	Task analysis	Template
21. At home, the student will complete a 7-item morning self-care routine (toilet, wash, dress, brush teeth, hair, shoes, bag) by family check sheet on 4 of 5 school days.	Family reports 3 of 7 items alone	Task analysis	Template
22. The student will be dressed and ready at the door before the bus arrives, within a 25-minute window, on 4 of 5 days.	Ready on 1 of 5 days	Duration	Template
23. Each evening, the student will lay out clothes for the next day, matching the weather icon, on 5 of 7 nights.	1 of 7 nights	Opportunities	Template
24. Before a messy activity or after a spill, the student will change into spare clothes and bag the wet ones within 10 minutes on 3 of 3 occasions.	Needs full adult help	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will follow the morning routine."

Measurable: "At arrival, using a 6-item picture checklist, the student will complete the arrival routine without adult cues on 4 of 5 days, measured by task analysis."

How to measure daily living goals

Most of these goals use task analysis. List the steps on the task analysis data sheet, score each as independent or prompted, and graph the independent count. Take 1 probe a day per routine. Probing every repetition wastes time and can make the routine slower.

Speed goals use duration recording: start the timer at the cue and stop it when the last step is done. Goals about requesting or noticing use the opportunities method.

If a goal stalls for 6 data points, look for the step where the student always gets stuck, and teach that step on its own. The task analysis examples and prompt hierarchy examples pages show how. To set a fair baseline first, use the daily living skills assessment.

Adapting by grade and support level

Student	Typical focus	Criterion example
Preschool and K-2	Coats, shoes, pants up and down, opening lunch items	6 of 6 coat steps on 4 of 5 days
Grades 3 to 5	Fasteners, cutting food, arrival routine	6 of 6 checklist items without cues
Middle school	PE changes, grooming, eating within the period	Change in under 6 minutes each way
High school and transition	Morning routine at home, ready on time, spare clothes	Ready before the bus on 4 of 5 days

More templates live on the daily living goals page and the functional skills IEP goals hub. The transition independent living goals carry these routines into adult life. Paste each draft into the goal checker before the meeting.

The IEP must describe how the disability affects functional performance and set goals that meet those needs.^[1] Daily living goals are often where that requirement does the most good.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a daily living skill on an IEP?

Self-care routines a student does every day: dressing, eating, grooming, hygiene and toileting, plus the morning and arrival routines that link them. Household and community skills, such as cooking or shopping, are usually grouped as independent living skills.

Should an OT or a teacher write daily living goals?

Either can, and many are co-written. OTs often lead when fine motor or sensory skills block the routine. Teachers and paras usually collect the daily data because they are present when the routine happens.

How many daily living goals should one IEP have?

Usually two or three. Each routine needs daily practice in the real setting, and too many goals spread instruction thin. Pick the routines that cost the student the most time, privacy or access.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
American Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA

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.