Occupational therapy IEP goals for autism

Autistic students are often referred to OT for sensory differences, motor planning, self-care or handwriting. The OT goal should describe what the student will be able to take part in, such as the lunch routine, an art project or an assembly. It should not describe how the student's body should feel, and it should never aim to stop harmless self-regulating movement like rocking or hand-flapping.

These 24 goals are grouped into 6 areas of the school day. Each has a fictional baseline, a criterion and a link to its template. The numbers are illustrations. For autism goals in every area, see IEP goals for autism. The occupational therapy IEP goals pillar covers OT goals for all students.

Principles for OT goals with autistic students

The IDEA definition of autism names unusual responses to sensory experiences as one feature that may be present.^[1] Autism looks different in every person,^[2] so goals must come from the student's own profile and present levels, not from the label.

Four rules keep these goals useful and respectful.

1. Target participation. The goal measures taking part in a school activity. The weighted lap pad or headphones are listed as supports.
2. Teach the student to request what helps. A student who asks for headphones has a skill for life. A student who "tolerates" a loud room has learned to hide distress.
3. Respect regulating movement. Stimming that is not harmful is not a target. If a movement is unsafe, work with the team on a safer option that meets the same need.
4. Use the student's communication. Requests can be spoken, signed, typed, pictured or made on an AAC device. All count.

Occupational therapy is a related service, provided when the student needs it to benefit from special education.^[3] In practice, OT goals for autistic students often sit beside goals from the SLP, teacher and BCBA, and the strategies should be shared.

How to choose an OT goal for an autistic student

Self-care routine goals

Self-care goals in school usually focus on the bathroom, lunch and clothing. A picture or written routine is a common support.

1. During a bathroom trip, Ezra will follow picture steps from entering to washing hands, completing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 trips. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
2. When the bathroom is noisy, Ezra will enter using his sensory plan, such as headphones or waiting for a quiet stall, in 4 of 5 trips. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
3. At lunch, Ava will complete the cafeteria routine from line to clean-up, doing 7 of 7 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 3 of 7. Template.
4. When she is too hot or cold, Ava will add or remove a layer in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ezra will improve toileting skills." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Five picture steps show which step still needs help.

Classroom work routine goals

Structure helps many autistic students know what to do, how much and what comes next. These goals build independence inside that structure.

1. During independent work time, Liam will complete a 3-bin work station rotation and put work in the finished bin, doing 6 of 6 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.
2. Through the morning, Liam will check his tablet picture schedule and move to the next activity, completing 5 of 5 transitions on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
3. At the start of the day, Maya will set up her sensory-friendly desk space, completing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
4. When a scheduled break comes, Maya will take it and return to her work within the set time, completing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 breaks. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Liam will stay on task." Measurable: Goal 1 above. The work system makes "on task" concrete.

Sensory self-advocacy goals

These goals turn sensory needs into requests the student can make in any setting. The OT IEP goals for sensory processing page covers sensory goals for all students; the goals here add settings and tools that come up often with autistic students.

1. When the room is too bright or there is glare on his screen, Ezra will ask to move or change his seat in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
2. At the start of each work block, Noor will choose a seating option, such as a wobble stool or standing desk, in 4 of 5 blocks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
3. Each morning, Noor will pack her sensory kit, such as headphones, chewy tool and sunglasses, completing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
4. After a sudden loud sound, Liam will put on his headphones within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 60 seconds with adult help. Template.

Weak: "Ezra will tolerate fluorescent lights." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It teaches him to change the setting, not to endure it.

The noise sensitivity hub and the break requests hub have more templates for these requests.

Fine motor and tool use goals

Many autistic students find fine motor tasks hard because of motor planning, not strength. Break the task into steps, show a model and keep the materials the same at first.

1. During computer work, Sam will use a mouse or trackpad to click and drag items to the target with 90% accuracy on 3 sessions. Baseline: 40%. Template.
2. Given a picture model, Sam will complete a multi-step craft, doing 5 of 5 steps on 3 of 4 projects. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
3. During art, Grace will cut card stock, felt and yarn for her project in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. For each written task, Grace will choose handwriting or typing based on length, and finish the task, in 4 of 5 tasks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Sam will improve fine motor skills." Measurable: Goal 2 above. A picture model and 5 steps fit the way Sam learns.

Motor planning and play goals

Motor planning is figuring out how to do a new movement. It affects games, recess and building tasks. Play goals should give the student a way into play they enjoy, not force a specific kind of play.

1. During centers, Theo will complete an interlocking puzzle by matching shapes and pictures in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. During indoor recess, Theo will complete the routine from choosing an activity to cleaning up, doing 5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
3. During choice time, Rosa will plan, do and clean up an activity, completing 5 of 5 steps on 3 of 4 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
4. During a class card game, Rosa will shuffle and deal cards in 4 of 5 games. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Theo will play appropriately at recess." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the routine and the steps, not a judgment of the play.

Transition and change goals

Changes in the day can be hard. A warning, a timer or a change card often helps. Measure how quickly the student moves to the next activity.

1. When the schedule changes, Noor will use a change card and move to the new activity in 4 of 5 changes. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. When the timer sounds, Sam will end a preferred activity and move to the next one in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
3. During a school assembly, Ava will stay with her class for 25 minutes, using her headphones and seat choice, on 3 of 4 assemblies. Baseline: 5 minutes. Template.
4. After a break, Theo will return to the group within 2 minutes in 4 of 5 breaks. Baseline: 8 minutes. Template.

Weak: "Sam will transition without problem behavior." Measurable: Goal 2 above. The timer is the support; moving on is the skill.

How to measure OT goals for autistic students

• Task analysis for routines. Write the steps the student actually uses, score each one and record the prompt level. Use the task analysis data sheet. The task analysis examples show how to write steps.
• Opportunities for requests and tool use. Count each time the need came up and whether the student acted. Use the opportunity data sheet.
• Latency or duration for transitions and assemblies. Use the latency data sheet or the duration data sheet.

Record the setting and the supports in place. A request goal at 4 of 5 in the quiet resource room and 1 of 5 in the cafeteria tells you the next step.

Short-term objectives

Fade the support, then widen the setting. For the headphones goal:

1. Puts on headphones within 10 seconds after an adult hands them over.
2. Gets them from his bag and puts them on within 10 seconds after an adult points.
3. Gets and puts them on within 10 seconds with no prompt, in class and at lunch.

The short-term objectives guide covers the format.

Adapting by grade

Older students can take these requests further with the self-advocacy goal examples. Speech and language goals for the same students are in speech therapy goals for autism.

More templates sit on the goals for autism page, the autism motor skills goals page and the goals for the OT role page. Paste your draft into the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Goals for the OT role
• Occupational therapy in the IEP glossary
• IEP goals for autism
• Autism motor skills goals
• Autism in the IEP glossary
• Noise sensitivity goal hub
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• Occupational therapy IEP goals: examples for school-based OT
• Occupational therapy IEP goals for executive functioning
• OT IEP goals for sensory processing
• IEP progress report comments for OT goals
• IEP goals for autism: examples by area and age
• OT goals explained for parents

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.8: Child with a disability, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASHA
3. 34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
4. Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University
5. American Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA

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.