What to do if lost: safety IEP goals
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
What to do if lost IEP goals teach a student to stop and stay in one place, find a safe helper such as a uniformed worker, show or say their name and a contact number, and go to a planned meeting spot or call a contact. A strong goal uses staged practice and a high criterion, such as completing 5 of 5 lost-routine steps on 4 consecutive trials.
Getting separated from the group is one of the most common safety incidents on community outings. A student who wanders further, hides or leaves with the first person who talks to them is at real risk. A student who stops, shows a help card to a cashier and waits is found in minutes. The difference is a practiced routine.
The 12 goals below follow that routine in four groups, with illustrative baselines and template links. A measurement section shows the task analysis and a filled-in data sheet. Practice always uses a staged separation with an adult watching from a distance, planned with the site in advance. The life skills IEP goals pillar covers the other safety goals.
Choosing a goal
| Student profile | Sub-skill | Measure | Data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanders off or bolts on outings | Staying with the group | Intervals with the group | Interval recording data sheet |
| Keeps moving or hides when separated | Stopping and staying put | Lost-routine steps independent | Task analysis data sheet |
| Stays put, will not ask anyone | Finding and asking a safe helper | Steps independent | Task analysis data sheet |
| Older student with a phone | Meeting spots, calls and map apps | Correct responses out of trials | Opportunity data sheet |
A student who leaves on purpose (elopement) needs a behavior assessment and plan, not only a skills goal. See FBA and BIP.
Staying with the group
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. On community outings, the student will stay within 10 feet of the assigned adult on 95% of 1-minute intervals across 3 outings. | 60% of intervals | Interval | Template |
| 2. At each stop on a field trip, the student will complete a 4-step check (find adult, look at the meeting spot, count with buddy, wait for go) on 4 of 4 stops across 2 trips. | 1 of 4 steps | Task analysis | Template |
| 3. When the adult calls the student's name from 20 feet away, the student will stop and turn toward the adult within 3 seconds on 9 of 10 trials. | 4 of 10 | Latency | Template |
Weak: "The student will stay with the group."
Measurable: "On community outings, the student will stay within 10 feet of the assigned adult on 95% of 1-minute intervals across 3 outings, measured by interval recording."
Stopping and staying put
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. When the student notices they cannot see the group during a staged separation, the student will stop, stay in one spot and take out a help card within 1 minute on 4 of 4 trials. | Walks to look for the group on 4 of 4 | Task analysis | Template |
| 5. While waiting in one spot during a staged separation, the student will stay there for up to 5 minutes or until a helper or adult arrives on 4 of 4 trials. | Leaves the spot after 30 seconds | Duration | Template |
| 6. When separated in a store, the student will go to the agreed meeting spot (front registers or entrance) on 4 of 4 staged trials. | Wanders the aisles | Opportunities | Template |
Teach one rule per setting: in a store, go to the registers; outdoors at a park, stay put. Mixing rules confuses students.
Weak: "The student will know what to do if lost."
Measurable: "When separated during a staged trial, the student will stop, stay in one spot and take out a help card within 1 minute on 4 of 4 trials, measured by task analysis."
Finding and asking a safe helper
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. When lost in a store during a staged trial, the student will find a worker in uniform or at a register, say or show "I am lost," and give the help card, 5 of 5 steps, on 4 consecutive trials. | 1 of 5 | Task analysis | Template |
| 8. Given photos of people in a store, park and mall, the student will point to the safest helper (uniformed worker, parent with children, security) with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 4 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 9. When a helper asks "What's your name?" or "Who are you with?", the student will answer with speech, AAC or the card on 4 of 4 trials. | Silent or runs | Opportunities | Template |
The help card is the backbone of this routine. It lists the student's name, "I am lost, please call," a contact number and any communication needs. Students who do not speak benefit most, since the card speaks for them.
Weak: "The student will ask for help when lost."
Measurable: "When lost in a store during a staged trial, the student will find a worker in uniform, say or show 'I am lost,' and give the help card, 5 of 5 steps, on 4 consecutive trials, measured by task analysis."
Meeting spots, calls and map apps
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. When separated during a community outing, the student will call or text the staff contact and say where they are (store name or a landmark) within 2 minutes on 4 of 4 staged trials. | Does not use the phone | Opportunities | Template |
| 11. Using a map app, the student will share their location with the staff contact and follow directions to rejoin the group, 6 of 6 steps, on 3 of 3 trials. | Has not used location sharing | Task analysis | Template |
| 12. When the group signal sounds (a whistle or a set phrase), the student will go to the meeting spot within 2 minutes on 9 of 10 trials. | 5 of 10 | Opportunities | Template |
Students who are blind or have low vision learn reorientation from an orientation and mobility specialist; see the reorientation template.
Weak: "The student will use a phone if lost."
Measurable: "When separated during a community outing, the student will call or text the staff contact and say where they are within 2 minutes on 4 of 4 staged trials, measured on an opportunity data sheet."
How to measure
Use task analysis for the lost routine itself. A 5-step routine for a store:
- Stop walking.
- Stay in one spot or go to the meeting spot.
- Find a worker in uniform or at a register.
- Say or show "I am lost."
- Give the help card and wait.
Probe frequency: one staged separation every 2 weeks on community outings, planned with the site. Between outings, run short role-plays at school (library, gym, cafeteria) weekly. After the criterion is met, probe monthly and in each new setting.
Staging safely: brief the site staff in advance, keep a second adult in sight of the student at all times, and stop the trial if the student becomes upset. Debrief right after with praise for each step done.
Here is a filled-in task analysis data sheet for a fictional student on goal 7.
| Step | Trial 1 (school) | Trial 2 (school) | Trial 3 (store) | Trial 4 (store) | Trial 5 (store) | Trial 6 (new store) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Stop walking | V | I | I | I | I | I |
| 2. Stay or go to the meeting spot | G | G | I | I | I | I |
| 3. Find a worker | M | G | G | I | I | I |
| 4. Say or show "I am lost" | M | M | G | I | I | I |
| 5. Give card and wait | P | G | I | I | I | I |
| Steps independent | 0 of 5 | 1 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
Trials 4, 5 and 6 are at 5 of 5, and trial 6 was in a store the student had not visited, a good sign of generalization. One more consecutive trial meets the goal.
Adapting by age and support level
| Student | Focus | Criterion example |
|---|---|---|
| K-2 | Stay with adult, stop on name, stay put | 95% of intervals near adult |
| Grades 3 to 5 | Help card, meeting spots, safe helpers | 5 of 5 steps on 4 trials |
| Middle school | Asking workers, answering helper questions | 4 of 4 answers given |
| High school and transition | Phone calls, location sharing, map apps | 6 of 6 app steps on 3 trials |
More templates are on the community safety goals, the street and stranger safety hub and the functional skills hub. Related guides: stranger safety goals, public transportation goals and community-based instruction planning. Check each draft in the goal checker.
Goals should come from functional needs in present levels.[1] When wandering or bolting is part of the picture, the team also considers positive behavior supports under the special factors.[2]
Frequently asked questions
How do I practice being lost safely?
Plan staged separations with the site in advance, keep a second adult in sight of the student the whole time, and keep trials short. Stop if the student becomes upset, and praise every step done right afterward.
What goes on a help card?
The student's name, a short message like 'I am lost, please call,' a contact phone number and any communication needs. Some families add a photo. Keep it in the same pocket or on a lanyard every outing.
Should a lost student stay put or look for the group?
Pick one rule per setting and teach it the same way every time. In stores, going to the registers works well. Outdoors, staying in one place usually helps adults find the student faster.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Community safety goals (functional skills)
- Street and stranger safety goal hub
- Functional skills IEP goals
- Task analysis measurement guide
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- IEP goals for stranger safety
- Home safety IEP goals: fire, electrical, poisons, sharp objects
- Public transportation IEP goals
- IEP goals for seizure safety
- Safety signs IEP goals
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.