Cane skills progression for O&M goals

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A cane skills progression moves from body and protective techniques, to holding the cane in diagonal technique, to two-point touch and constant contact, then to stairs, drop-offs, shorelining and street crossings. Order follows the student's readiness, not age. O&M goals name the technique, the route and the steps scored, usually with a task analysis.

The long cane gives a student who is blind or has low vision information about what is ahead: a step down, a wall, a backpack on the floor. Using it well takes years of instruction from an orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist. O&M is a related service under federal rules, and it includes teaching students to use the long cane.^[1]

The progression below is the order many O&M specialists follow. It is not a fixed curriculum. A preschooler might start with a short cane or a pre-cane device on the playground, while a teenager who lost vision last year moves through early steps in weeks. The O&M evaluation sets the starting point.

The 16 goals are grouped by stage. Baselines and criteria are illustrations. Templates link to the orientation and mobility goals page.

The cane skills progression at a glance

Stage	Skills	Typical setting	Measure
1. Body and pre-cane	Body concepts, protective techniques, trailing, human guide	Classroom, hallway	Opportunities
2. Cane basics	Grip, diagonal technique, storing the cane	Hallway	Task analysis
3. Arc techniques	Two-point touch, constant contact, touch and slide	Hallways, sidewalks	Task analysis
4. Changes in surface	Drop-offs, curbs, stairs, doors	School campus	Opportunities or task analysis
5. Outdoor travel	Shorelining, residential blocks, landmarks	Neighborhood	Task analysis
6. Street crossings	Stop-sign and signalized crossings, accessible signals	Community	Task analysis

Each stage builds on the one before, but stages overlap. A student may learn stairs with the cane while still refining two-point touch. Write goals for the current stage and one step ahead.

For human guide technique, sometimes called sighted guide, see IEP goals for sighted guide.

Choosing the right goal

If the student...	Stage to target	Measure	Data sheet
Bumps into doors and walls, walks with arms down	Protective techniques	Opportunities	Opportunity data sheet
Holds the cane loosely or drags it behind	Diagonal technique	Task analysis	Task analysis data sheet
Uses an arc that is too narrow or out of step	Two-point touch	Task analysis	Task analysis data sheet
Misses curbs or step-downs	Drop-off detection	Opportunities	Opportunity data sheet
Veers off the sidewalk outdoors	Shorelining	Opportunities	Opportunity data sheet
Travels the neighborhood but not across streets	Street crossings	Task analysis	Task analysis data sheet

Body, pre-cane and diagonal technique goals

Before the cane, a student needs body and spatial concepts and a few protective habits. Then the cane comes in diagonal technique: held across the body, tip just above the floor, used mostly indoors in familiar places.

#	Goal	Baseline	Template
1	When moving through the classroom, the student will use upper and lower body protection near furniture and doorways on 8 of 10 observed opportunities.	3 of 10	Use upper and lower body protection
2	Trailing a wall with the back of the hand, the student will travel from the classroom door to the restroom door and stop at the right door on 4 of 5 trips.	1 of 5	Trail a wall to a familiar door
3	Using the long cane in diagonal technique, the student will walk a familiar hallway with 6 of 6 technique steps correct on 4 of 5 trials.	2 of 6 steps	Hold the cane in diagonal technique
4	When sitting down in class, the student will fold or place the cane safely out of the walkway on 9 of 10 observed periods.	4 of 10	Orientation and mobility goals

Weak: "The student will learn cane skills."

Measurable: "Using the long cane in diagonal technique, the student will walk a familiar hallway with 6 of 6 technique steps correct on 4 of 5 trials."

Two-point touch and constant contact goals

In two-point touch, the cane tip touches the ground at each side of an arc as wide as the body, in rhythm with the feet: tip left as the right foot steps. Constant contact keeps the tip sliding along the ground to catch small drop-offs. Touch and slide mixes the two on uneven ground.

#	Goal	Baseline	Template
5	Using two-point touch on a school sidewalk, the student will keep an arc as wide as the shoulders and in step with the feet for 50 consecutive feet on 4 of 5 trials.	15 feet	Two-point touch on a school sidewalk
6	Using constant contact, the student will detect and stop at a step-down or curb on 9 of 10 encounters on a set route.	5 of 10	Stop at curbs and drop-offs
7	On a route with grass and gravel edges, the student will switch to touch and slide when the surface changes on 4 of 5 changes.	1 of 5	Orientation and mobility goals
8	At curb ramps with detectable warnings, the student will find the street edge with the cane and stop before stepping off on 9 of 10 encounters.	6 of 10	Find the street edge at curb ramps

Weak: "The student will use a correct cane arc."

Measurable: "Using two-point touch on a school sidewalk, the student will keep an arc as wide as the shoulders and in step with the feet for 50 consecutive feet on 4 of 5 trials."

Detection of drop-offs is a safety skill. Set the criterion high. Missing 1 curb in 5 is not acceptable for independent travel.

Stairs, doors and indoor space goals

Indoors, the student applies cane technique to stairs, doors, open spaces and crowded hallways.

#	Goal	Baseline	Template
9	Using the cane and handrail, the student will go up and down a flight of school stairs with 8 of 8 steps of the task analysis independent on 4 of 5 trials.	4 of 8 steps	Use stairs with the cane and handrail
10	At the edge of the gym, the student will square off against the wall and cross to the opposite door within 3 feet of it on 4 of 5 trials.	1 of 5	Square off and cross an open space
11	During passing periods, the student will travel with the cane to each class on time without bumping into peers more than once per trip on 9 of 10 trips.	5 of 10	Get to each class during passing periods
12	In an unfamiliar public building, the student will find the service desk using the cane and asking for help as needed on 4 of 5 outings.	1 of 5	Find a service desk in a public building

Weak: "The student will move safely around the school."

Measurable: "Using the cane and handrail, the student will go up and down a flight of school stairs with 8 of 8 steps of the task analysis independent on 4 of 5 trials."

Outdoor and street crossing goals

Outdoor travel adds traffic, wind, uneven ground and fewer walls. Street crossings are the last and most complex stage. For general street safety goals for students without visual impairments, see street crossing IEP goals.

#	Goal	Baseline	Template
13	Using the grass line as a shoreline, the student will stay on the sidewalk for a full residential block on 4 of 5 trials.	1 of 5	Use a shoreline to stay on the sidewalk
14	Starting from home, the student will walk a 2-block residential route to a set destination with 14 of 15 route steps independent on 3 consecutive trips.	8 of 15 steps	Walk a residential block
15	At a stop-sign intersection, the student will align, listen for a clear gap and cross with 10 of 10 crossing steps on 4 of 5 crossings.	6 of 10 steps	Cross at a stop-sign intersection
16	At an intersection with an accessible pedestrian signal, the student will locate the pushbutton, read the tactile arrow and cross on the walk signal with 8 of 8 steps on 4 of 5 crossings.	3 of 8 steps	Use an accessible pedestrian signal

Weak: "The student will cross streets independently."

Measurable: "At a stop-sign intersection, the student will align, listen for a clear gap and cross with 10 of 10 crossing steps on 4 of 5 crossings."

How to measure cane skill goals

Most cane goals use task analysis: list the steps, score each one every trial, graph the percent independent. Detection and protective habits use opportunities: each curb or doorway is one chance.

Write the task analysis with the O&M specialist, using their terms, so classroom staff score the same steps.
Record the route, weather and time of day. Wind and traffic noise change performance outdoors.
Score prompts by level, such as verbal, gestural or physical, so fading shows on the graph. The prompt hierarchy examples help here.

The orientation and mobility data sheet guide walks through a full route sheet with real numbers. Paste drafts into the goal checker before the meeting.

Adapting by grade

Grade band	Typical cane focus	Example
Preschool	Body concepts, pre-cane device, protective techniques	Uses a push-style pre-cane device on the playground
K to 2	Diagonal technique, trailing, school routes	Walks the hallway in diagonal technique
3 to 5	Two-point touch, stairs, drop-offs	Stops at curbs on a campus route
6 to 8	Passing periods, open spaces, residential travel	Gets to class on time with the cane
9 to 12	Street crossings, bus travel, business areas	Uses accessible pedestrian signals

For bus travel and community routes, see public transportation IEP goals. For the full set of ECC areas, see expanded core curriculum goals by area. The O&M specialist goals page lists templates by role, and the low-incidence disabilities guide explains how O&M fits the services page. The American Foundation for the Blind publishes family guidance on O&M and cane use.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

At what age should a child start using a long cane?

There is no set age. Many O&M specialists introduce a cane or pre-cane device in preschool so it becomes a natural tool. The O&M evaluation, not age, decides when to start and which stage to teach.

What is the difference between two-point touch and constant contact?

In two-point touch, the cane tip taps the ground at each side of the arc. In constant contact, the tip stays on the ground and slides across. Constant contact catches small drop-offs better; two-point touch is often faster and quieter.

Who collects data on cane goals?

The O&M specialist collects most data during lessons. Classroom staff can score daily routes, such as passing periods, with a simple task analysis the O&M specialist writes.

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Sources

34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
American Foundation for the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind

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.