Personal information IEP goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Personal information IEP goals teach a student to give their own name, a caregiver's phone number and their address when a safe helper needs them, to show an ID card, to write or type the information on forms and to know when not to share it. A strong goal names the items, the response mode and the setting, with every item correct.

If a student gets separated on a field trip, the first thing a police officer or store worker will ask is "What's your name? Who can I call?" A student who can answer, or show a card that answers, is far safer. Personal information goals build that skill in steps, from saying a first name to filling out a job application, and they also teach the other half: personal information is for safe helpers and forms, not for strangers online.

This page gives 20 goals in five groups, each with an illustrative baseline and a link to a template. For the rest of the safety and daily living goals, see the life skills IEP goals pillar and the personal information goal hub.

Before you write the goal: talk to the family

The family decides what information is taught and in what form. Confirm the current address and the best phone number every year. For a student in foster care, experiencing homelessness or living under a safety plan, the family or caseworker may want the student to give only a caregiver's phone number or a school contact, not a home address. Teach what the family approves.

Choosing a personal information goal

Student profile	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Cannot yet give full name or age	Saying basic information	Items correct out of items asked	Accuracy data sheet
Knows information but freezes with unfamiliar adults	Giving information to a helper	Correct responses out of role-plays	Opportunity data sheet
Limited speech or recall	Showing an ID card or device	Steps completed	Task analysis data sheet
Older student facing forms	Writing or typing personal information	Fields correct out of fields	Accuracy data sheet
Shares details with anyone	Knowing when to share	Correct decisions out of scenarios	Accuracy data sheet

Saying personal information

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. When a familiar adult asks, the student will say or sign their first and last name and age on 5 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks.	First name only	Opportunities	Template
2. When asked by 3 different staff members, the student will state their full name, a caregiver's phone number and their home address, with 3 of 3 items correct on 3 consecutive probes.	1 of 3 items	Accuracy	Template
3. In a role-play with a community helper (staff in a uniform), the student will tell their name and a caregiver's phone number, all digits correct, on 4 of 4 role-plays.	Name only	Opportunities	Template
4. When asked "When is your birthday?", the student will state the month and day on 5 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks.	Month only	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will know their personal information."

Measurable: "When asked by 3 different staff members, the student will state their full name, a caregiver's phone number and their home address, with 3 of 3 items correct on 3 consecutive probes."

Score a phone number correct only when every digit is right and in order. Seven of ten digits is not a phone number anyone can call.

Showing identification

Many students with limited speech, and many who freeze under stress, are safer with an ID card or a phone screen they can show. These goals do not replace saying the information; they back it up.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
5. When an adult asks "What's your name?" or "Who can I call?" during a community outing, the student will take out an ID card and hand it over or show it, completing 3 of 3 steps on 4 consecutive opportunities.	0 of 3 steps	Task analysis	Template
6. In a role-play with a police officer or school resource officer, the student will keep hands visible, say "I have an ID card" and show it when asked, completing 4 of 4 steps on 3 role-plays.	1 of 4 steps	Task analysis	Template
7. In a role-play with a first responder, the student will show a communication card or device message that explains how they communicate, on 4 of 4 role-plays.	Does not show	Opportunities	Template
8. When separated from the group in a store during a planned practice, the student will stay in one spot and show a help card with a caregiver's number to a staff member on 3 of 3 trials.	Wanders on 2 of 3	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will carry an ID."

Measurable: "When an adult asks 'Who can I call?' during a community outing, the student will take out an ID card and show it, completing 3 of 3 steps on 4 consecutive opportunities, measured by task analysis."

Reading, writing and typing personal information

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
9. Given 10 cards with personal information words (own name, street, city, school, caregiver's name), the student will read each with 10 of 10 correct on 3 probes.	4 of 10	Accuracy	Template
10. Given a simple school form, the student will write their first and last name, the date and their grade in the correct fields with 4 of 4 fields correct on 4 consecutive forms.	2 of 4	Accuracy	Template
11. Using an ID card as a model, the student will copy their name, address and phone number onto a form with 8 of 8 fields correct on 3 consecutive forms.	5 of 8	Accuracy	Template
12. On a practice job application, the student will complete the personal section (name, address, phone, email, date of birth) from memory or a personal information card with 10 of 10 fields correct on 3 applications.	6 of 10	Accuracy	Template
13. On a practice online form, the student will type their name, address, phone and email in the correct fields and check each entry before submitting, with 8 of 8 fields correct on 3 consecutive forms.	5 of 8	Accuracy	Template
14. Given an envelope, the student will write their own return address and a recipient address in the correct places, with all lines correct on 3 of 3 envelopes.	Return address missing	Accuracy	Template

Weak: "The student will fill out forms."

Measurable: "On a practice job application, the student will complete the personal section from a personal information card with 10 of 10 fields correct on 3 applications."

For keyboard entry of a name and login, see the keyboarding template; for signatures, the signature line template.

Personal information in an emergency

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
15. In a practice call with a role-played dispatcher, the student will state their name, address and the problem, and answer the dispatcher's questions, completing 5 of 5 steps on 3 consecutive practice calls.	2 of 5 steps	Task analysis	Template
16. Given a phone, the student will call or text a family member from the contacts list and say where they are, on 4 of 4 practice opportunities.	Needs help finding contact	Task analysis	Template
17. When lost in a store during a planned practice, the student will go to a store worker and say their name and that they are lost, on 3 of 3 trials.	Does not approach	Opportunities	Template

Use a disconnected practice phone or a role-play script for emergency calls. Never have a student call 911 for practice. The emergency IEP goals page covers more emergency routines.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
18. Given 12 cards with kinds of information (favorite color, home address, school name, phone number, password), the student will sort safe to share online and keep private with 12 of 12 correct on 3 probes.	7 of 12	Accuracy	Template
19. Given 10 scenarios (a police officer when lost, a stranger online, a form at the doctor's office, a caller asking if parents are home), the student will decide whether to share their information with 10 of 10 correct on 2 probes.	5 of 10	Accuracy	Template
20. When a caller asks "Are you home alone?" in a role-play, the student will give a safe answer without sharing that they are alone on 4 of 4 calls.	Says yes	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will keep personal information private."

Measurable: "Given 10 scenarios, the student will decide whether to share their information with 10 of 10 correct on 2 probes."

The stranger safety goals and body safety lessons pages cover boundaries in more depth.

How to measure personal information goals

Recall goals use percent accuracy: items correct out of items asked. Showing an ID, making a practice call and filling a form have steps, so use task analysis. Role-plays and real community moments use opportunities.

Probe frequency. Probe recall twice a week at first, asked by different adults in different places, since a student who answers only their teacher has not generalized. Probe role-plays and forms weekly. After mastery, check monthly and recheck after any move or phone number change.

Here is a filled-in task analysis sheet for goal 5, showing an ID card on community outings. (+ = independent, P = prompted, all data illustrative.)

Step	Oct 3	Oct 17	Oct 31	Nov 14	Dec 5
1. Responds to "What's your name?" or "Who can I call?" by reaching for the card	P	P	+	+	+
2. Takes the card out of the pocket or lanyard	P	+	+	+	+
3. Hands it over or holds it up so the adult can read it	P	P	P	+	+
Steps independent	0 of 3	1 of 3	2 of 3	3 of 3	3 of 3

The criterion is 3 of 3 steps on 4 consecutive opportunities, so the team keeps probing after November 14. Each outing uses a different adult asking the question, so the student learns to respond to anyone in a helper role.

Adapting by age and support level

Student	Focus	Criterion example
Preschool to K	First and last name, age, caregiver's first name	3 of 3 items to 3 adults
Grades 1 to 5	Phone number, address, birthday, ID card	All 10 digits on 3 probes
Middle school	Help card or phone, emergency practice, online privacy	12 of 12 privacy sorts
High school and transition	Forms, job applications, ID documents, dispatcher calls	10 of 10 fields on 3 applications
Students who use AAC	Personal information page on the device, ID card	Shows device page on 4 of 4 asks

SLPs often co-write goals 1 to 4 for students with expressive language needs, and can program the information into a communication device. More templates are on the functional skills IEP goals page and the community safety goals. Related guides: independent living IEP goals, functional IEP goals examples and safety signs IEP goals. Check each draft in the goal checker.

Goals should address the functional needs in present levels,^[1] and the IEP team should consider the student's communication needs when deciding how the student will give the information.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

What personal information should a student with an IEP know?

At minimum, first and last name and a caregiver's phone number, which a helper needs if the student is lost. Then add home address, birthday and, for older students, the information found on forms and applications. The family decides what is taught.

What if a student cannot memorize a phone number?

Teach the student to carry and show an ID card, help card or phone screen with the information. Showing a card is a real, measurable skill, and many adults rely on the same backup.

Should students practice calling 911?

Not on a live line. Use a disconnected practice phone or a role-play with an adult acting as the dispatcher. Practice giving name, address and the problem, and staying on the line until told to hang up.

Use it in IEP Atlas

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

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.