OT goals explained for parents

If your child gets occupational therapy (OT) at school, their IEP will have OT goals. These goals can look technical. This page explains them in plain words, with an example you can hold next to your child's paperwork.

At school, OT helps children do the tasks of the school day. That includes writing, cutting, managing a backpack, eating lunch, getting dressed for recess and handling a busy, noisy room. School OT is about taking part in daily activities.^[1] Read more about occupational therapy in the glossary.

What makes school OT different

School OT is a "related service." That means it is there to help your child benefit from special education.^[2] So school OT goals focus on school tasks. A goal about pencil grip should connect to writing in class. A goal about buttons should connect to getting ready for recess.

OT at a clinic may work on other things, like play at home or hand strength for its own sake. Both kinds can help. They just have different jobs.

The four parts of an OT goal

Most IEP goals have four parts. Here is a simple way to read them:

If a goal is missing one of these parts, it is fair to ask about it.

An OT goal page, with notes

Below is a short example for a made-up 3rd grader named Lily.

Present levels. "Lily writes with a tight fist grip and presses hard. In weekly writing samples, about 6 of 10 words are readable to an adult who does not know her. She stops to shake her hand after about 3 minutes of writing. She opens her lunch containers with help in 3 of 5 lunches."

Goal 1: handwriting. "When copying a 10-word sentence from a model on her desk, Lily will write it with at least 9 of 10 words readable to an unfamiliar adult, on 4 of 5 weekly samples."

Goal 2: hand endurance. "During a writing task, Lily will keep writing for 8 minutes without stopping to rest her hand, in 4 of 5 observed tasks." Baseline: 3 minutes.

Goal 3: lunch independence. "At lunch, Lily will open all of her containers and packages on her own in 4 of 5 lunches." Baseline: 2 of 5.

Accommodations. "Lily may use a pencil grip and a slant board. She may type answers longer than 3 sentences."

OT services. "Occupational therapy: 30 minutes per week in a small group, plus 15 minutes per month consulting with the classroom teacher."

Common kinds of OT goals

You might see goals in these areas:

• Handwriting: letter size, spacing, copying, writing speed. See handwriting goal examples.
• Fine motor: scissors, glue, opening containers, using classroom tools.
• Typing: using a keyboard when writing by hand is very slow.
• Self-care: zippers, buttons, shoes, toileting, eating lunch.
• Visual skills: finding the right line on a page, copying from the board.
• Sensory needs: asking for a break, using headphones. See sensory needs and the IEP.

You can see many sample goals, written by school OTs, on the OT role page and the motor skills goals page.

Signs a goal could be stronger

• It names a skill but not a school task. "Will improve grip strength" could be rewritten as "will write for 8 minutes without stopping."
• It has no number. "Will improve handwriting" cannot be measured.
• The number is always 80%. Targets should come from where your child is now, not a default.
• It only describes what adults will do. "Will receive OT" is a service, not a goal.

Questions to ask the team

1. "What school tasks is OT helping my child with this year?"
2. "Can you show me a work sample from the start of the year?"
3. "How will you measure each goal, and how often?"
4. "Is the OT time with my child, with the teacher, or both?"
5. "What does the teacher do between OT sessions to practice these skills?"
6. "Which tools, like a pencil grip or keyboard, will my child use in class?"
7. "Should my child learn to type, and when?"
8. "What can we practice at home in 5 minutes a day?"
9. "What will happen if the numbers are not going up by the next report?"
10. "How will we know when my child no longer needs OT?"

What to do next

1. Keep a work sample from home. A short note or list your child wrote in September helps you see change by spring.
2. Read each progress report next to the goal. The page on how to read a progress report walks through one. OT reports often use comments like the examples in OT progress report comments.
3. Ask for an OT evaluation in writing if you think your child needs OT and does not have it. The guide on school OT evaluations explains what happens next.
4. Ask questions any time. You do not have to wait for the annual meeting.
5. Get free help. Every state has at least one Parent Training and Information Center, which helps families with IEPs at no cost.^[3]

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Goals for the OT role
• Occupational therapy in the IEP glossary
• Motor skills IEP goals
• Handwriting goals (motor skills)

Related guides

• Occupational therapy IEP goals: examples for school-based OT
• IEP progress report comments for OT goals
• Occupational therapy IEP goals for autism
• OT IEP goals for handwriting
• Sensory needs and the IEP
• School OT evaluations: what they cover and when to request one
• Occupational therapy IEP goals for executive functioning

Sources

1. American Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA
2. 34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
3. Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR

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.