IEP goals for bilateral coordination

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A bilateral coordination IEP goal names a school task that needs both hands, says what each hand does and counts how often the student does it. Example: while writing or cutting, Leah will hold the paper steady with her helper hand in 9 of 10 observed opportunities across 3 weeks. The goal measures the task, not a therapy exercise.

Bilateral coordination is the two hands working together. Sometimes they do the same thing at once, like pushing a rolling pin. Sometimes they take turns, like climbing a ladder. Most often in school, one hand leads and the other assists: the writing hand moves the pencil while the helper hand holds the paper. When the helper hand sits in the lap, the paper slides, the ruler slips and the lid will not come off.

"Will improve bilateral coordination" is a description of a need, not a goal. The 16 goals below turn it into tasks a teacher can see. Each has a fictional baseline and a link to its template. The numbers are illustrations. For other hand skills, see fine motor IEP goals. The occupational therapy IEP goals pillar covers how to judge whether a need is educationally relevant.

Three kinds of two-handed work

Type	What the hands do	School examples
Symmetrical	Both hands do the same movement at the same time	Catching a large ball, pushing a wheelchair, rolling dough, carrying a tray
Alternating	Hands take turns doing the same movement	Climbing, jumping rope, typing, pedaling with hands on an arm bike
Lead and assist	One hand does the skilled work; the other holds or positions	Writing, cutting, opening a container, using a ruler, threading a needle

Lead-and-assist tasks cause most classroom problems. Watch the helper hand. Is it in the lap, holding the wrong place, or gripping so hard that the lead hand cannot move?

How to choose a bilateral coordination goal

What staff see	Sub-skill	Measurement method
Paper slides while writing or cutting	Helper hand stabilizing	Opportunities: helper hand in place
Cannot open a yogurt cup, milk carton or glue stick	Lead and assist with containers	Containers opened out of trials
Ruler slips, lines go crooked	Stabilizing a tool	Lines drawn correctly out of trials
Struggles with zippers, pulling up pants	Two hands in self-care	Steps independent on a task analysis
Drops catches, cannot jump rope	Symmetrical and alternating gross motor	Catches or jumps out of trials
Switches hands mid-task, no clear lead hand	Hand preference in tasks	Tasks done with one lead hand out of total

A student who keeps switching hands has no steady lead hand to build skill in, and lead-and-assist tasks suffer. Note which hand starts each task over a week before choosing a goal.

Bilateral coordination activities

These activities build the skill in therapy and in class centers. They go in the therapy plan; the goal measures the school task.

Lead and assist: lacing cards, stringing beads, tearing paper strips for collage, opening a variety of containers at snack, screwing nuts onto bolts, peeling stickers off a sheet.
Symmetrical: rolling dough with a rolling pin, pulling apart linking cubes, catching a beach ball, ripping hook-and-loop strips apart, wheelbarrow walking.
Alternating: climbing the playground ladder, playing a drum with alternating hands, crawling through a tunnel, keyboard practice with both hands.
Classroom versions: holding the paper while coloring a map, holding a ruler to underline, taping a corner of a poster while the other hand smooths it.

Helper hand goals in written work

While writing or cutting, Leah will hold the paper steady with her helper hand in 9 of 10 observed opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
During a coloring task on a map or diagram, Leah will turn the paper with her helper hand to reach each area instead of twisting her body in 4 of 5 tasks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When drawing a line with a ruler, Marcus will hold the ruler flat with his helper hand so the line stays straight on 8 of 10 lines across 3 sessions. Baseline: ruler slips on 6 of 10. Template.
When folding paper in half for a class booklet, Marcus will hold one edge and line it up with the other before creasing, with edges within a quarter inch, in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Leah will improve bilateral coordination." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Teachers can see whether the helper hand holds the paper.

Container and class tool goals

At lunch, Noah will hold the container with one hand and twist or pull off the lid with the other on 4 of 5 containers per day across 2 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
During a class project, Noah will hold the tape dispenser steady and tear off a piece of tape in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: pulls the dispenser off the table in 4 of 5. Template.
Given a glue stick, Kira will hold the base and twist the bottom to raise the glue, apply it and replace the cap in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
During math centers, Kira will snap together and pull apart linking cubes to build trains of 10 within 2 minutes in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: about 5 minutes for 10. Template.

Weak: "Noah will open containers." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Containers opened out of total, counted at lunch.

Two hands in self-care goals

At dismissal, Ella will hold the bottom of her coat with one hand and pull the zipper up with the other, zipping it to the top in 4 of 5 days. Baseline: needs adult to hold the bottom. Template.
After using the restroom, Ella will grasp both sides of her waistband and pull her pants up evenly in 4 of 5 trips. Baseline: pulls one side and leaves pants twisted. Template.
In the cafeteria line, Dev will carry his tray with both hands level from the line to his table without spilling on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: tilts and spills on 3 of 5. Template.
When washing hands, Dev will rub both hands together for 20 seconds, front and back, in 4 of 5 trips. Baseline: rubs one hand briefly. Template.

Weak: "Ella will use both hands for dressing." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Each hand has a named job.

Two hands in PE and play goals

These goals are often shared with the PE teacher or the PT. Pick the ones that matter for joining peers.

Given a playground ball tossed from 8 feet, Theo will catch it with two hands in 7 of 10 tosses during PE. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
During recess, Theo will climb the playground ladder using alternating hands and feet to reach the platform in 4 of 5 attempts. Baseline: stops at the second rung. Template.
During a jump rope station, Sara will turn a short rope and jump it 5 times in a row in 3 of 4 trials. Baseline: 0 jumps in a row. Template.
During a parachute game, Sara will lift and lower the parachute with both hands in time with the group for the full 3-minute song in 4 of 5 classes. Baseline: lets go after about 30 seconds. Template.

Weak: "Theo will improve two-handed ball skills." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Catches out of 10 at a set distance.

How to measure bilateral coordination goals

Count opportunities for helper hand and container goals: every time the task comes up, mark whether both hands did their jobs. Use the opportunity data sheet.
Task analysis for self-care routines with several steps. The task analysis data sheet fits.
Trials for catching and jumping, with the distance or ball size recorded.
Write the role of each hand in the definition. "Helper hand flat on the paper within 3 inches of the pencil" is scorable. "Uses both hands" is not.

Classroom staff can score helper hand use during any written work. Agree on the definition, score one lesson together, then collect separately.

Short-term objectives

For the helper hand goal:

Holds the paper with the helper hand after a tap cue, 9 of 10 opportunities.
Holds the paper with a sticker on the desk as a visual cue, 9 of 10 opportunities.
Holds the paper with no cue, 9 of 10 opportunities.

See the short-term objectives guide.

Adapting by grade

Grade band	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	Symmetrical play, holding paper while coloring	Dough, large ball catching
K to 2	Helper hand in writing and cutting, containers, coats	Lunch containers, glue sticks
Grades 3 to 5	Rulers, tape, folding, lab tools	Projects and science labs
Middle school and up	Keyboarding, lab and shop tools, cafeteria trays	Tool use in electives

All templates are on the fine motor goals page. See fine motor skills and motor planning in the glossary. For cutting, see scissor skills goals; for laces, shoe tying goals; and for younger students, fine motor goals for preschoolers. Paste your draft into the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

What is a bilateral coordination goal example?

While writing or cutting, the student will hold the paper steady with the helper hand in 9 of 10 observed opportunities across 3 weeks. It names a school task and what each hand does, so a teacher can score it.

What are the types of bilateral coordination?

Symmetrical, where both hands do the same thing at once; alternating, where hands take turns; and lead and assist, where one hand does the skilled work and the other holds or positions. Lead and assist causes most classroom problems.

Should crossing midline be an IEP goal?

Rarely on its own. Crossing midline is a component, not a school task. If it causes a problem, such as switching hands mid-line while writing, write the goal around the task and keep midline activities in the therapy plan.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

American Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA
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.