IEP goals for vending machines and self-checkout
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A vending machine IEP goal teaches a student to choose an item the money covers, pay, enter the code and collect the item and change. Example: given $2 in coins and bills, the student will buy a snack from the school vending machine, completing 8 of 8 steps independently on 4 of 5 trials. Self-checkout goals add scanning, bagging and getting help.
Vending machines and self-checkout lanes are machine-based purchases. There is no cashier to wait for or talk to, which makes them a good first purchase for many students. They also fail in predictable ways: the bill comes back out, the item gets stuck, the scale says "unexpected item." A good goal teaches the purchase and the fix.
Below are 12 goals in four groups. Baselines are illustrations. Each goal links to a library template. The life skills IEP goals pillar shows where these fit among other community skills. Staffed checkout and the full grocery trip are on the grocery shopping goals page.
Choosing a goal
| Student profile | Sub-skill | Measure | Data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picks items without checking the price | Choosing what the money covers | Correct choices out of trials | Opportunity data sheet |
| Can choose, needs help paying and entering codes | Vending purchase steps | Steps independent out of 8 | Task analysis data sheet |
| Shops with a list, never used self-checkout | Self-checkout steps | Steps independent out of 10 | Task analysis data sheet |
| Walks away or bangs the machine when it fails | Getting help when a machine fails | Correct responses out of problems | Opportunity data sheet |
A vending machine task analysis
- Read the price on the item's label.
- Check that the money in hand covers the price.
- Insert bills flat side up, or coins one at a time, or tap a card.
- Check the display shows enough money.
- Enter the letter and number code for the item.
- Wait for the item to drop.
- Take the item from the bin.
- Press the coin return if needed and take the change.
Practice on the real machine. Machines differ: some take cards only, some return change automatically. Write steps to match.
Choosing what the money covers
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Given $1.50 and a vending machine with 8 visible prices, the student will choose an item that costs $1.50 or less on 9 of 10 trials. | 4 of 10 | Opportunities | Template |
| 2. Given a photo of a vending machine and a price card, the student will say whether they have enough money for 5 named items with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes. | 2 of 5 | Accuracy | Template |
| 3. Given an item price, the student will pay with the next-dollar method (one more dollar than the dollar amount) on 9 of 10 purchases. | 3 of 10 | Opportunities | Template |
The next-dollar strategy works well for vending prices like $1.25 or $1.75: the student pays $2 and expects change.
Weak: "The student will use money at a vending machine."
Measurable: "Given $1.50 and a vending machine with 8 visible prices, the student will choose an item that costs $1.50 or less on 9 of 10 trials, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
Vending purchase goals
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. Given $2 in coins and bills, the student will buy a snack from the school vending machine, completing 8 of 8 steps independently on 4 of 5 trials. | 3 of 8 steps | Task analysis | Template |
| 5. At a vending machine, the student will pay, enter the code and collect both the item and the change, with 0 adult prompts, on 4 of 5 purchases. | Leaves change in the slot on 4 of 5 | Task analysis | Template |
| 6. At a change machine, the student will insert a $5 bill and collect the coins, 5 of 5 steps, on 3 consecutive trials. | 1 of 5 | Task analysis | Template |
The school vending machine is a good place to start because staff can practice daily, and the break room at a work site is the natural next setting. Many students use the vending machine on job site breaks.
Weak: "The student will buy items from a vending machine."
Measurable: "Given $2 in coins and bills, the student will buy a snack from the school vending machine, completing 8 of 8 steps independently on 4 of 5 trials, measured by task analysis."
Self-checkout goals
A short self-checkout task analysis: choose an open lane, press start, scan each item, place it in the bag, enter produce codes or search, press pay, tap or insert the card, take the receipt, take the bags, and leave.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. At a store self-checkout, the student will scan and bag 3 to 5 items and pay by card, completing 9 of 10 steps independently on 3 consecutive trips. | 4 of 10 | Task analysis | Template |
| 8. Using a debit card at self-checkout, the student will tap or insert the card, enter the PIN while shielding the keypad, and take the receipt on 4 of 5 purchases. | Adult runs the card | Task analysis | Template |
| 9. For a produce item, the student will use the screen search or picture menu to find the item and place it on the scale on 3 of 4 trials. | 0 of 4 | Task analysis | Template |
Weak: "The student will use self-checkout."
Measurable: "At a store self-checkout, the student will scan and bag 3 to 5 items and pay by card, completing 9 of 10 steps independently on 3 consecutive trips, measured by task analysis."
Getting help when a machine fails
These goals matter as much as the purchase. A student who leaves without the item or the money loses both. Set up problems on purpose when you can: a bill folded so the machine rejects it, or an item placed off the scale.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. When a vending machine keeps the money or the item sticks, the student will find a staff member or the posted phone number and report it with a script on 3 of 3 occasions. | Hits the machine or walks away | Opportunities | Template |
| 11. When self-checkout stops with an error message, the student will wait at the lane and signal the attendant with the light or a wave on 4 of 4 occasions. | Tries to leave on 3 of 4 | Opportunities | Template |
| 12. When a bill is rejected, the student will flatten it, try once more, then switch to another bill or coins on 4 of 5 trials. | Gives up after first try | Opportunities | Template |
Weak: "The student will problem solve at a vending machine."
Measurable: "When self-checkout stops with an error message, the student will wait at the lane and signal the attendant on 4 of 4 occasions, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
How to measure these goals
Score purchases on the task analysis data sheet: one column per purchase, 8 steps for vending or 10 for self-checkout. Mark each step I, V, G, M or P and count only the I steps. Two or three purchases a week give a clear trend. The task analysis guide has the scoring rules.
Use the opportunities method for choosing goals and for problem goals. Each trial or each machine failure is one opportunity. Since real failures are rare, plan 1 contrived problem per week and record the response.
When most practice happens at the school machine, probe at a new machine at least once a month. Vending machines in a library, a hospital lobby or a job site break room all count. Graph new-machine probes as their own line so generalization is visible.
Adapting by support level
| Support level | Focus | Criterion example |
|---|---|---|
| Extensive | One machine, exact money, picture code card | 6 of 8 steps on 4 of 5 trials |
| Limited | Coins and bills, change, school and work machines | 8 of 8 steps on 4 of 5 trials |
| Intermittent | Self-checkout, card payment, handling errors | 9 of 10 self-checkout steps on 3 trips |
More templates are on the money skills hub, the community services goals skill, the personal finance goals, the community access goals and the community setting goals. Related guides: restaurant goals, teaching banking skills for debit cards, and community-based instruction data. Check each draft in the goal checker.
The IEP must describe how progress on each goal will be measured.[1] A short task analysis scored at the real machine meets that need in under a minute per purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Is a vending machine goal too small for an IEP?
Not for a student who cannot yet buy anything alone. It teaches choosing within a budget, paying, collecting change and handling a problem, all in under a minute. It often comes before store purchases and fits job site breaks.
How do I practice a machine failure?
Set one up on purpose about once a week: a folded bill the machine rejects, or an item placed off the self-checkout scale. Tell store staff ahead of time when the practice happens in a store. Record whether the student asks for help.
Should students use cash or cards at vending machines?
Teach the method the student will use as an adult. Many machines now take cards and phones. Cash still teaches money value and the next-dollar method, so many teams teach both.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Money skills goal hub
- Community services goals (transition)
- Personal finance goals (transition)
- Next dollar strategy in the IEP glossary
- Community access goals (transition)
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- IEP goals for grocery shopping
- IEP goals for ordering at a restaurant
- How to measure community-based instruction goals
Sources
- 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.