IEP goals for showering and deodorant

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

High school hygiene IEP goals target the routines teens do in private: showering, deodorant, shaving, hair care and clean clothes, plus noticing when they are needed. A strong goal names the routine, the setting, the support and a criterion, such as using deodorant after PE on 9 of 10 PE days without a reminder.

Hygiene goals get harder to write in high school for a simple reason: the routines move out of view. Nobody watches a 16-year-old shower, and most families do not want school staff involved. Yet body odor and unwashed hair can cost a student friendships, a work placement or a job interview. Good high school hygiene goals respect privacy and still produce real data.

The 24 goals below are grouped by routine. Every baseline is illustrative. Each goal names how it would be measured and links to a library template. For younger students, see the handwashing goals and toothbrushing goals pages. The life skills IEP goals pillar maps the rest of the self-care domain.

Privacy first: who measures what

Before writing a goal, agree on who will collect data and where. Three options work in most schools:

School routines the team can see: deodorant after PE, a grooming check at the locker, hair brushing at a mirror. Staff of the same gender as the student's stated preference collect data at a respectful distance.
Home routines reported by the student or family: showering, shaving, hair washing. Use a simple check sheet or phone log. Treat it as self-report and say so in the progress report.
Product checks: a quick look at clean hair, fresh clothes and no strong odor at arrival, scored yes or no on a short list. This measures the outcome without watching the routine.

Never write a goal that requires an adult to watch a student undress or shower. If the student needs hands-on help, that belongs in the health plan or a personal care plan, not in a data collection routine.

Choosing a hygiene goal

What you see	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Arrives with greasy hair or odor most days	Showering routine at home	Showers logged out of planned days	Opportunity data sheet
Smells after PE, owns deodorant	Deodorant at the right times	Uses deodorant out of PE days	Opportunity data sheet
Facial hair growing in, uneven shaving	Shaving routine	Steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Wears the same shirt 4 days in a row	Clean clothes and laundry	Clean outfit at arrival out of days	Opportunity data sheet
Does the routines when reminded, never alone	Self-monitoring and planning	Checklist items completed without a cue	Task analysis data sheet

Showering goals

Showering happens at home for nearly every student, so these goals rely on a home check sheet, a phone checklist app, or a product check at school. Some transition programs have a gym locker room with private showers, which allows a school-based probe of the setup steps.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. Using a laminated picture sequence in the shower, the student will complete a 12-step shower routine, including shampoo and soap on all body areas, on 5 of 7 days as logged on a home check sheet.	Showers 2 of 7 days with reminders	Task analysis (self-report)	Template
2. Before stepping in, the student will check the water temperature with a hand or a shower thermometer on 10 of 10 logged showers.	Steps in without checking	Opportunities	Template
3. Using a shower schedule on the phone, the student will shower on the planned evenings (4 per week) without a parent reminder on 3 of 4 weeks.	1 of 4 planned evenings without reminder	Opportunities	Template
4. In the shower, the student will wash, rinse and condition hair, rinsing until no suds remain, on 4 of 5 hair-wash days as shown by a clean-hair product check at school.	Hair greasy on 4 of 5 checks	Task analysis	Template
5. At a fitness center or school locker room, the student will store belongings, shower in a private stall and dress, completing 14 of 15 steps on 3 consecutive visits.	8 of 15 steps	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will shower regularly."

Measurable: "Using a shower schedule on the phone, the student will shower on 4 planned evenings per week without a parent reminder on 3 of 4 weeks, as logged on a home check sheet."

Deodorant and body odor goals

Deodorant is the easiest hygiene routine to measure at school, because it happens after PE and in the morning. Keep a labeled stick in the student's locker or PE bag.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
6. After changing out of PE clothes, the student will apply deodorant to both underarms before leaving the locker room on 9 of 10 PE days.	2 of 10 PE days	Opportunities	Template
7. As part of a 5-item morning checklist, the student will apply deodorant before leaving home on 5 of 5 school days for 4 consecutive weeks, confirmed by a no-odor check at arrival.	No odor at arrival on 2 of 5 days	Opportunities	Template
8. When a trusted adult gives a private, prearranged cue word, the student will go to the restroom and apply deodorant within 5 minutes on 4 of 5 cues.	Ignores or argues on 4 of 5	Opportunities	Template
9. Given 6 scenario cards (after PE, after a hot bus ride, before an interview), the student will say when to use deodorant or change a shirt on 6 of 6 cards.	2 of 6 cards	Accuracy	Template
10. Before a work-based learning shift, the student will complete a 4-item hygiene check (deodorant, clean shirt, hair brushed, hands clean) on 9 of 10 shifts.	5 of 10 shifts	Task analysis	Template

A private cue word protects dignity. Agree on it with the student, and never comment on odor in front of peers.

Weak: "The student will improve personal hygiene and odor."

Measurable: "After changing out of PE clothes, the student will apply deodorant to both underarms before leaving the locker room on 9 of 10 PE days, measured on an opportunity data sheet."

Face, hair and shaving goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
11. Using an electric razor and a mirror, the student will shave the face, checking chin, cheeks and upper lip, completing 8 of 9 steps on 3 of 4 probes.	3 of 9 steps	Task analysis	Template
12. Following a calendar with planned shaving days, the student will shave on 5 of 6 planned days across 2 weeks.	Shaves when a parent insists	Opportunities	Template
13. Each night, the student will wash the face with cleanser and apply moisturizer, completing 6 of 6 steps on 5 of 7 nights by home log.	1 of 7 nights	Task analysis	Template
14. At the locker mirror after arrival, the student will brush hair until no tangles or flat spots are visible on 4 of 5 days.	Hair unbrushed 4 of 5 days	Task analysis	Template
15. Once a week, the student will check fingernail length against a picture card and trim nails when long, on 4 of 4 weekly checks.	Nails long and dirty on 3 of 4 checks	Opportunities	Template

Shaving with a blade carries more risk than an electric razor. Start with electric, and move to a safety razor template only with family agreement.

Weak: "The student will groom appropriately."

Measurable: "Using an electric razor and a mirror, the student will shave the face, completing 8 of 9 steps on 3 of 4 probes, measured by task analysis."

Clean clothes and grooming check goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
16. Each evening, the student will put worn clothes in the hamper and lay out a clean outfit, on 5 of 7 nights by home check sheet.	2 of 7 nights	Opportunities	Template
17. At arrival, the student will pass a 5-item product check (clean shirt, clean pants, socks changed, hair brushed, no odor) with 5 of 5 items on 4 of 5 days.	2 of 5 items	Task analysis	Template
18. Before leaving the restroom, the student will check the mirror and fix untucked, unzipped or twisted clothing on 9 of 10 observed exits.	4 of 10 exits	Opportunities	Template
19. When clothing is stained or wet during the day, the student will change into spare clothes from the locker within 10 minutes on 3 of 3 occasions.	Stays in stained clothing	Opportunities	Template
20. Given a forecast and a closet photo, the student will choose a weather-fit, clean outfit on 4 of 5 school days.	2 of 5 days	Opportunities	Template

Laundry routines that support clean clothes are covered on the laundry goals page.

Weak: "The student will wear clean clothes."

Measurable: "At arrival, the student will pass a 5-item product check with 5 of 5 items on 4 of 5 days, measured on a task analysis data sheet."

Self-monitoring and planning goals

The long-term aim is a student who notices what is needed without anyone saying it. These goals shift the checking from adults to the student.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
21. Using a phone checklist app, the student will complete and check off a 6-item morning hygiene list on 18 of 20 school days.	6 of 20 days	Task analysis (self-report with spot checks)	Template
22. When hygiene supplies are low, the student will add them to a shopping list on 4 of 4 monthly checks.	Runs out without noticing	Opportunities	Template
23. During a weekly check-in, the student will rate their own hygiene on a 4-item scale and match the adult rating on 4 of 5 weeks.	Matches on 1 of 5 weeks	Accuracy	Template
24. Before a job interview or community outing, the student will complete a grooming checklist (8 of 8 items) without a reminder on 3 consecutive events.	4 of 8 items with reminders	Task analysis	Template

Self-ratings that match adult ratings show the student can see what others see. That skill transfers to every new setting.

Weak: "The student will be more aware of hygiene."

Measurable: "During a weekly check-in, the student will rate their own hygiene on a 4-item scale and match the adult rating on 4 of 5 weeks."

Teaching hygiene to a teenager with autism

Many students with autism need hygiene taught as an explicit routine, with the reasons stated plainly. Abstract hints like "freshen up" rarely work. Tell the student what to do, when and why: "Put deodorant on after PE. Sweat smells after exercise, and deodorant stops the smell."

A few practices make the difference:

Make the routine visible. A picture sequence in the shower, a checklist on the phone, a timer for brushing.
Choose products with the student. Unscented deodorant, a soft towel or a quiet razor can remove a sensory barrier.
Link it to goals the student cares about. A job, a club, or time with friends.
Use video models sparingly and privately. Clothed demonstrations of setup steps work well. Never film the student.

The high school autism goals page covers related social and self-advocacy goals.

How to measure hygiene goals

Use the task analysis method for routines with steps you can see, such as shaving or the arrival check. Use the opportunities method for routines that should happen at set times, such as deodorant after each PE class.

For home routines, give the student and family a one-page check sheet with one box per day. Graph it as self-report data. Then add 1 or 2 product checks a week at school so the report includes something staff observed directly. That pairing is honest and still practical.

Adapting by support level

Support level	Focus	Criterion example
High support	One routine at a time, picture sequence, adult cue	8 of 12 shower steps by home log
Moderate support	Full routines, timed cues on a phone	Deodorant on 9 of 10 PE days
Low support	Self-monitoring, supply planning, job readiness	Grooming checklist on 3 consecutive events

More templates are on the hygiene goal hub, the self care goal hub and the high school IEP goals page. Check each draft in the goal checker. For students 16 and older, tie hygiene goals to the transition plan, since independent living and employment goals depend on them.^[1]

Frequently asked questions

Can school staff collect data on showering?

Not by watching. Use a home check sheet or phone log completed by the student or family, and pair it with a short product check at school, such as clean hair and no odor at arrival. Report it as self-report data.

How do I bring up body odor with a high school student?

Privately, briefly and factually, using a cue word agreed on in advance. Say what you notice and what to do: deodorant, a clean shirt. Never comment in front of peers, and tie the routine to something the student wants.

Who should write hygiene goals for teens?

The special education teacher usually writes them with input from the family, the OT and sometimes the school nurse. The student should help choose products and routines, especially in transition planning.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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.