Reporting pain, illness and injury IEP goals
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Reporting pain IEP goals teach a student to tell an adult when they are hurt or sick, show where it hurts, rate how much and describe when it started. A strong goal names the communication method (speech, AAC, body chart, faces scale) and a criterion, such as showing the location and rating pain on a faces scale on 9 of 10 practice scenarios.
Students who cannot report pain are at real risk. An ear infection, a sprained wrist or a toothache can go unnoticed for days, and what adults see instead may be crying, self-injury, refusal or sleep problems. Teaching a student to tell, show and rate pain gives adults the information they need and often reduces behavior that was really a message.
The 12 goals below cover four sub-skills, with illustrative baselines and template links, and a measurement section with a filled-in data sheet. SLPs often co-write these goals, since they depend on vocabulary and AAC. Any medical response belongs to the school nurse and the family; the IEP goal covers only the student's report. The life skills IEP goals pillar covers the other health and safety goals.
Choosing a goal
| Student profile | Sub-skill | Measure | Data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shows pain only through behavior | Telling an adult | Reports out of opportunities | Opportunity data sheet |
| Tells, but cannot say where | Showing where it hurts | Correct locations out of trials | Accuracy data sheet |
| Says "hurts" for everything | Rating how much | Correct ratings out of scenarios | Opportunity data sheet |
| Verbal, gives vague reports | Describing symptoms | Report steps out of 4 | Task analysis data sheet |
Before writing a goal, check that the student's AAC system or picture set has words for pain, sick, body parts, "help" and "nurse." Many devices are missing them.
Telling an adult
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. When hurt during the school day (a fall, a bump, a cut), the student will tell or sign "hurt" to an adult within 2 minutes on 4 of 5 observed occasions. | Cries or hides on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
| 2. In role-play scenarios with a pretend injury, the student will get an adult's attention and say or select "I need help, I'm hurt" on 9 of 10 trials. | 3 of 10 | Opportunities | Template |
| 3. When feeling sick (stomach ache, headache), the student will ask to see the nurse using speech, AAC or a nurse pass on 4 of 4 occasions. | Lays head down, does not ask | Opportunities | Template |
Weak: "The student will communicate when in pain."
Measurable: "When hurt during the school day, the student will tell or sign 'hurt' to an adult within 2 minutes on 4 of 5 observed occasions, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
Showing where it hurts
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. Given a body chart, the student will point to the body part named in a pretend scenario ("Your knee hurts") with 10 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 5 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 5. When asked "Where does it hurt?" during a real or pretend complaint, the student will point to the place on their body or the chart on 9 of 10 trials. | 4 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 6. Given 12 body part words on the AAC device (head, ear, tooth, stomach, arm, leg), the student will select the named part with 12 of 12 correct on 3 probes. | 6 of 12 | Accuracy | Template |
Weak: "The student will identify body parts."
Measurable: "When asked 'Where does it hurt?' during a real or pretend complaint, the student will point to the place on their body or a body chart on 9 of 10 trials, measured by accuracy."
Rating how much it hurts
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Given a faces pain scale and a pretend scenario (stubbed toe, broken arm, paper cut), the student will pick a rating that fits the scenario on 9 of 10 trials. | Picks the same face every time | Opportunities | Template |
| 8. After telling an adult about pain, the student will rate it on a faces or 0 to 10 scale when asked on 4 of 5 real complaints. | Does not rate | Opportunities | Template |
| 9. Given 10 scenarios, the student will sort "small hurt, fix it myself" (paper cut) from "tell an adult now" (bleeding, hit head) with 10 of 10 correct on 2 probes. | 5 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
Teach the scale with the same faces and words the school nurse uses, so a rating means the same thing in both places.
Weak: "The student will rate pain."
Measurable: "Given a faces pain scale and a pretend scenario, the student will pick a rating that fits the scenario on 9 of 10 trials, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
Describing symptoms
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. When reporting pain, the student will give 4 of 4 facts (where, how much, when it started, what happened) to the nurse or an adult on 4 of 5 reports. | 1 of 4 facts | Task analysis | Template |
| 11. At a practice medical visit (school nurse office or role-play), the student will share 2 symptoms and 1 question using a prepared card, scored on a 3-point rubric, averaging 2.5 or higher on 3 visits. | Average 1.0 | Rubric | Template |
| 12. When a symptom happens more than once (headache, stomach ache), the student will log it in a tracker with date and rating on 4 of 5 occasions. | Does not track | Opportunities | Template |
These goals support the student's health self-advocacy as an adult, and connect to medication goals and seizure safety goals for students with health plans.
Weak: "The student will describe symptoms."
Measurable: "When reporting pain, the student will give 4 of 4 facts (where, how much, when it started, what happened) to the nurse or an adult on 4 of 5 reports, measured by task analysis."
How to measure
Real pain is rare and unplanned, so most data comes from practice scenarios. Use role-plays with pretend injuries, picture scenarios and video clips weekly. Record real complaints too, but do not wait for them.
Use the opportunities method for telling and rating, percent accuracy for body charts and sorting, and task analysis for the full report. A 4-step reporting task analysis:
- Tell an adult (speech, sign, AAC or card).
- Show where it hurts.
- Rate how much on the scale.
- Say when it started or what happened.
Probe frequency: practice scenarios 2 or 3 times a week; formal probes weekly with new scenarios; record every real complaint as it happens.
Here is a filled-in task analysis data sheet for a fictional student working on goal 10. Columns 1 to 5 are weekly role-play probes; column 6 was a real complaint (a headache).
| Step | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Real |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tell an adult | V | I | I | I | I | I |
| 2. Show where | G | G | I | I | I | I |
| 3. Rate on scale | M | M | G | I | I | I |
| 4. When or what happened | M | M | V | G | I | G |
| Steps independent | 0 of 4 | 1 of 4 | 2 of 4 | 3 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 3 of 4 |
The real complaint scored 3 of 4: the student told, showed and rated without help but needed a gesture to say when it started. That is useful information. The team kept the goal running and added practice on time words ("this morning," "at lunch").
Adapting by age and support level
| Student | Focus | Criterion example |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool and K-2 | Tell an adult, point to the place | 4 of 5 real occasions |
| Grades 3 to 5 | Faces scale, body chart, small vs big hurts | 10 of 10 sorts |
| Middle school | Full report to the nurse | 4 of 4 facts on 4 of 5 reports |
| High school and transition | Medical visits, symptom tracking | Rubric average 2.5 on 3 visits |
More templates are on the health self-management goals page and the functional skills hub. Related guides: AAC goals examples and emergency goals. Check each draft in the goal checker.
School health services and school nurse services are related services under IDEA when a student needs them to benefit from special education.[1] The IEP goal teaches the student's part: telling, showing and rating.
Frequently asked questions
How can a nonspeaking student report pain?
Add pain, sick, body part and nurse words to the AAC device, and keep a body chart and faces scale nearby. Practice with pretend injuries every week so the student can find the words quickly when it matters.
Should behavior changes be treated as pain reports?
They can be signs of pain. When behavior changes suddenly, such as new self-injury or refusal, tell the nurse and family so a medical cause can be ruled out. Then teach a clearer way to report.
Who should teach pain reporting?
The SLP and teacher usually teach the vocabulary and the routine, with the school nurse helping choose the pain scale and practice scenarios. The nurse and family handle any medical response.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Health self-management goals (functional skills)
- Functional skills IEP goals
- Task analysis measurement guide
- Task analysis data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- Functional IEP goal examples for independence at school, home and work
- Independent living IEP goals
- Daily living skills IEP goals
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), ASHA
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, 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.