How to measure O&M route goals with an orientation and mobility data sheet
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
An orientation and mobility data sheet for a route goal lists each step of the route in order, from start to destination, and scores every step on every trip as independent or by prompt level. Add columns for technique errors, safety stops, time and conditions. Graph the percent of steps done independently and the minutes taken, and change the plan when the trend stalls.
O&M route goals measure whether a student who is blind or has low vision can travel a specific route, such as homeroom to the cafeteria, safely and on their own. Orientation and mobility services are a related service under federal rules, and they include teaching students to travel safely in school, at home and in the community.[1] Route goals are the most common O&M goal in school IEPs because they are concrete, functional and easy to observe.
They are also easy to measure badly. "Travels to the cafeteria with minimal assistance" cannot be graphed. A task analysis of the route can. The steps below build one, then walk through a fictional student's data from baseline to mastery.
What you need before you start
- The route, walked by the O&M specialist with the student at least once.
- The student's travel method: long cane, human guide, low vision devices, or a mix. See the cane skills progression for technique stages.
- A prompt scale everyone agrees on.
- A data sheet: the task analysis data sheet works, with route steps as rows and trips as columns.
- A watch or phone timer.
Step 1: Walk and map the route
Walk the route and break it into segments at each decision point: a turn, a door, a landmark, a change in surface, a crossing. Each decision point becomes a step. Most school routes have 8 to 15 steps. More than 20 usually means the route should be split into two goals.
Name each step by what the student does and where: "Turns right at the drinking fountain," not "Turns right."
Step 2: Write the task analysis
Write orientation steps (where to go) and note mobility technique separately. A student can make every turn correctly with poor cane technique, or have perfect technique and get lost. Mixing them hides both.
| Step | Route step | Landmark or clue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exits homeroom and turns left | Door frame on the right |
| 2 | Trails or shorelines to the end of the lockers | Lockers end, open space |
| 3 | Turns right at the drinking fountain | Sound of the fountain motor |
| 4 | Walks to the stairwell door | Carpet changes to tile |
Keep the task analysis examples nearby for wording. Agree on the steps with every adult who will score them.
Step 3: Set the scoring codes
Use a short code for each step on each trip. A common set:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I | Independent, correct the first time |
| SC | Self-corrected without help |
| V | Verbal prompt, such as "Where is your landmark?" |
| G | Gesture or tap prompt |
| P | Physical prompt or guided |
| S | Safety stop by the adult |
Decide in advance whether a self-correction counts as independent. Most O&M specialists count it, because self-correction is what independent travelers do. Write the decision on the sheet.
A safety stop always scores as not independent, and any step with a safety stop gets a note. Safety comes before data.
Step 4: Add technique, time and conditions
Next to the route steps, add a few columns:
- Technique errors: count of cane arc or rhythm breaks, or a yes or no for each technique the goal names.
- Time: minutes from start to destination.
- Conditions: time of day, crowds (empty hall or passing period), weather for outdoor routes, and the travel tool.
Conditions matter more in O&M than in most goals. The same route in an empty hallway and at passing time are different tasks.
Step 5: Score every trip and calculate
After each trip, count the I and SC codes and divide by the total steps. Report the percent of steps independent and the minutes. For a progress report, use the median of the last 3 to 5 trips.
Step 6: Graph and decide
Graph the percent independent by date, with the goal line. Add time as a second line if speed is part of the goal. The IEP data graph and aimline guide shows how to draw the aimline. If 4 to 6 points in a row fall below it, change something: the prompt level, the number of practice trips, or the way a landmark is taught.
Worked example from start to finish
Jonah is a fictional sixth grader who is blind and uses a long cane. His new middle school has a band room in a separate wing. His O&M goal targets that route.
Mapping. The O&M specialist broke the route from homeroom to the band room into 12 steps, including 2 turns at landmarks, a stairwell, a fire door and an open commons area.
Baseline. Three trips in the first week of school, during class time with empty halls:
| Trip | Steps independent | Percent | Minutes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 of 12 | 42% | 7.0 | Lost in commons; 1 safety stop at stairwell |
| 2 | 6 of 12 | 50% | 6.5 | Missed fountain turn |
| 3 | 6 of 12 | 50% | 6.0 | Veered in commons |
The median was 6 of 12 steps, or 50%, at about 6.5 minutes. Steps 7 to 9, crossing the open commons, accounted for most errors.
Goal. "Using a long cane, Jonah will travel from homeroom to the band room with 11 of 12 route steps independent, with no safety stops, on 4 of 5 trips during passing periods."
Instruction. The O&M specialist taught squaring off at the commons entrance and using the vending machine hum as a clue. Jonah practiced the route twice a week with the O&M specialist and once a day with a trained para, at first in empty halls.
Progress. Weekly medians of percent independent:
| Week | Median steps independent | Minutes | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 7 of 12 | 6.0 | Empty halls |
| 4 | 9 of 12 | 5.0 | Empty halls |
| 6 | 11 of 12 | 4.0 | Empty halls |
| 7 | 8 of 12 | 5.5 | First passing period trips |
| 9 | 10 of 12 | 4.5 | Passing periods |
| 11 | 11 of 12 | 4.0 | Passing periods |
The dip in week 7 came from changing conditions, not lost skill. The team expected it and kept going. Jonah met the goal in week 12 with 11 or 12 of 12 steps on 4 of 5 passing period trips. The next goal added a second route, to the library.
Common mistakes
Weak: "Jonah traveled to band with minimal assistance." Better: "Jonah completed 9 of 12 route steps independently in 5 minutes, with 1 verbal prompt at the commons."
Weak: One score for the whole trip. Better: A score for each step, so you can see which part of the route needs teaching.
Weak: Mixing cane technique errors into the route steps. Better: Separate columns for orientation and technique.
Weak: Not recording the conditions. Better: Note the time, crowd level and weather on every trip so a dip can be explained.
Weak: The para walks ahead and the student follows the footsteps. Better: The adult follows behind or beside, out of the student's path, and steps in only for safety.
Weak: Counting a guided trip as a data point. Better: Score a guided trip as P on every step, or leave it off the graph and note it.
Templates and tools
- Orientation and mobility goals, including Travel from the classroom to the cafeteria and Get to each class during passing periods.
- Task analysis data sheet with route steps as rows.
- Task analysis measurement page for scoring and graphing.
- Free IEP data sheets for opportunity and duration sheets.
- Goal checker to test a draft route goal.
For human guide routes, see IEP goals for sighted guide. For community routes and bus travel, see public transportation IEP goals. For academic access and other vision goals, see IEP goals for students with visual impairments, and for who owns each section, the low-incidence disabilities guide. The American Foundation for the Blind publishes family background on O&M instruction.[2]
Frequently asked questions
What should an orientation and mobility data sheet include?
Each route step in order, a prompt code for every step on every trip, columns for technique errors, safety stops, time and conditions, and a summary row with the percent of steps done independently.
Who collects O&M data at school?
The O&M specialist collects data during lessons. A trained para or teacher can score daily practice trips using the same steps and codes, and the O&M specialist reviews the sheets at each visit.
Should a self-correction count as independent?
Most O&M specialists count it, because independent travelers correct themselves. Decide before collecting data and write the rule on the sheet so everyone scores the same way.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Orientation mobility goals (access skills)
- Goals for the O&M specialist role
- Task analysis data sheet
- Task analysis measurement
- Orientation and mobility in the IEP glossary
- Free IEP data sheets
Related guides
- Low-incidence disabilities in the IEP: vision, hearing, deaf-blindness and physical needs
- Cane skills progression for O&M goals
- IEP goals for sighted guide (human guide)
- IEP goals for students with visual impairments
- Braille reading rate: how to measure it
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.