Independent living IEP goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Independent living IEP goals teach the routines a young adult needs to run a home: cooking, cleaning, managing a schedule, handling mail and appointments, and solving household problems. A strong goal names the task, the setting, the support and a criterion, such as cooking a stovetop meal from a picture recipe, 14 of 15 steps, on 3 consecutive probes.

Independent living goals are the transition-age half of the life skills domain. Self-care routines such as dressing and toileting come first and are covered on the daily living skills IEP goals page. Independent living is what comes next: running a kitchen, keeping a space clean, getting to appointments, and knowing who to call when the sink leaks.

For students 16 and older (younger in some states), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals, and where appropriate one of those is independent living.^[1] The annual goals below are the skills that move a student toward that postsecondary goal. The 12 examples have illustrative baselines and link to templates. The life skills IEP goals pillar covers the full domain.

How to choose an independent living goal

Use transition assessment results and the student's own plan for where they will live after school. A student moving into a supported apartment needs different goals than one staying with family.

Student profile	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Will live with some support, eats mostly prepared food	Simple meal preparation	Recipe steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Cooks with help, no planning	Meal planning and food storage	Correct items out of total	Accuracy data sheet
Leaves rooms messy, waits to be told	Cleaning and household upkeep	Checklist steps independent	Task analysis data sheet
Misses appointments, relies on family to remind	Schedule and appointments	Tasks started at the alert	Opportunity data sheet
Freezes when something breaks	Household problem solving	Correct actions out of scenarios	Accuracy data sheet

Money at home (paying bills, budgets) sits with budgeting lessons, and laundry has its own laundry goals page.

Meal preparation goals

Cooking is the most motivating independent living skill. Start with a no-cook or microwave meal and build toward the stovetop. The cooking activities guide covers how to run cooking lessons safely.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. In the transition program kitchen, using a picture recipe, the student will cook a one-pan stovetop meal, completing 14 of 15 steps independently, including turning off the burner, on 3 consecutive probes.	6 of 15 steps	Task analysis	Template
2. Given a week of dinners chosen by the student, the student will write a grocery list with 12 of 12 needed items and no duplicates on 3 of 4 weekly probes.	7 of 12 items	Accuracy	Template
3. After a meal, the student will store leftovers in a container, label it with the date and refrigerate it within 1 hour, 5 of 5 steps, on 4 of 5 opportunities.	Leaves food out on 4 of 5	Task analysis	Template

Weak: "The student will learn to cook."

Measurable: "In the transition program kitchen, using a picture recipe, the student will cook a one-pan stovetop meal, completing 14 of 15 steps independently, including turning off the burner, on 3 consecutive probes."

Cleaning and household upkeep goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
4. Using a 10-item photo checklist, the student will clean a bathroom (sink, mirror, toilet, floor, trash) to the checklist standard on 4 of 5 weekly probes.	4 of 10 items	Task analysis	Template
5. Each week, the student will change the bed sheets and make the bed, 9 of 9 steps, on 3 of 4 weeks by home or apartment check.	3 of 9 steps	Task analysis	Template
6. Given a shared chore chart, the student will finish 5 of 5 assigned weekly chores by the due day for 4 consecutive weeks.	2 of 5 chores	Opportunities	Template

Chores at home and school for younger students are on the chores IEP goals page. The new household skills goals skill holds templates for wiping, sweeping, dishes and trash.

Weak: "The student will keep the apartment clean."

Measurable: "Using a 10-item photo checklist, the student will clean a bathroom to the checklist standard on 4 of 5 weekly probes, measured by task analysis."

Schedule, mail and appointment goals

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
7. Using a schedule app, the student will start each of 5 morning tasks within 2 minutes of its alert on 4 of 5 school days.	1 of 5 tasks on time	Latency	Template
8. Given a phone script, the student will call a clinic, give name and date of birth, and book an appointment, 8 of 8 steps, in 3 of 3 practice calls and 1 real call.	Has never made a call	Task analysis	Template
9. Given 10 pieces of household mail, the student will sort bills, personal letters and junk mail and set bills in a bill folder with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes.	5 of 10 correct	Accuracy	Template

Calendar and time skills that support these goals are collected on the calendar skills hub.

Weak: "The student will manage their schedule."

Measurable: "Using a schedule app, the student will start each of 5 morning tasks within 2 minutes of its alert on 4 of 5 school days, measured by latency."

Household problem-solving goals

Things break. A young adult who knows the difference between "call 911," "call the landlord" and "fix it myself" is far safer living alone.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
10. Given 12 household problem cards (clogged toilet, power outage, broken lock, burnt-out bulb), the student will choose who fixes it (self, landlord, emergency) with 11 of 12 correct on 2 probes.	6 of 12 correct	Accuracy	Template
11. When a household problem comes up in the training apartment, the student will use a help card to pick a first action and carry it out on 4 of 5 opportunities.	Waits for staff on 5 of 5	Opportunities	Template
12. Each night in a supported living placement, the student will run a 6-item safety check (stove off, doors locked, water off, appliances unplugged) on 9 of 10 nights.	3 of 6 items	Task analysis	Template

Emergencies that need 911 are covered on the emergency IEP goals page, and fire, poison and sharp-object rules on the home safety goals page.

Weak: "The student will solve problems at home."

Measurable: "Given 12 household problem cards, the student will choose who fixes each problem with 11 of 12 correct on 2 probes, measured by accuracy."

How to measure independent living goals

Task analysis handles any routine with steps. Score each step as independent or prompted and graph the independent count. Probe once or twice a week in the real setting: the program kitchen, a training apartment or the student's home.

Percent accuracy fits sorting and decision goals, such as mail or problem cards. Use new cards on each probe so the student is not memorizing the set.

Home data counts, but label it. A family check sheet for bed-making is self-report or family report. Pair it with a monthly staff probe when you can, so the progress report has at least one observed data point.

Short-term objectives

If the IEP needs benchmarks, split by steps or by setting. For the stovetop meal: 8 of 15 steps by the first period, 11 by the second, 14 by the third. Or split by setting: program kitchen, then a home kitchen, then a new recipe. Keep the same unit throughout.

Adapting by support level

Support level	Typical focus	Criterion example
Extensive support	One routine with photos, adult nearby	10 of 15 recipe steps on 3 probes
Limited support	Full routines with a checklist, staff check after	5 of 5 weekly chores for 4 weeks
Intermittent support	Planning, scheduling, problem solving	11 of 12 problem cards correct

More templates are on the transition independent living goals page, the daily living goals page and the functional skills hub. For postsecondary goal wording, see transition IEP goals examples. The independent living skills checklist helps the team decide where to start. Paste each draft into the goal checker.

Transition services must be based on the student's needs, strengths, preferences and interests, and can include daily living skills.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between daily living and independent living goals?

Daily living goals usually cover self-care: dressing, eating, grooming and toileting. Independent living goals cover running a home: cooking, cleaning, schedules, mail, appointments and solving household problems. Many IEPs for transition-age students include both.

When must an IEP address independent living?

Federal rules require measurable postsecondary goals for training or education and employment, and for independent living skills where appropriate, starting with the IEP in effect when the student turns 16. Some states start earlier.

Can independent living goals be practiced at home?

Yes. Home is often the most realistic setting. Use a simple family check sheet and label the data as family report. Add a staff probe in a school or program setting when possible so progress reports include observed data.

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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
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative, NTACT:C

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.