IEP goals for Special Olympics athletes

Many students with intellectual disabilities play sports through Special Olympics, and some schools run unified sports teams or unified PE classes where students with and without disabilities play together. Those programs give a student a reason to practice, a team and a season to look forward to. They are one option among several, alongside school teams, community leagues and adapted PE.

An IEP goal still has to be a school goal. The team writes it around a need the student has at school, measures it in PE, unified PE or school practice, and reports progress on it. Sport participation outside school is the family's choice and is not run by the IEP. This page gives 20 goals that connect the two. The numbers are illustrations.

For adapted PE eligibility, see adapted PE: who qualifies. PT goals are on the physical therapy IEP goals pillar.

Where sport fits in the IEP

IDEA treats physical education as part of special education.^[1] It also expects schools to give students with disabilities an equal chance to take part in nonacademic and extracurricular activities, which can include athletics, with the supports the IEP team decides they need.^[2] So the IEP can address sport-related skills in two places:

• PE goals, practiced and measured in PE or adapted PE.
• Supports for school athletics, such as a paraprofessional at a unified practice or a visual schedule for game days, when the student takes part in a school-run team.

Special Olympics and its unified sports program set their own rules for events, divisions and eligibility. Check those with the program, not with the IEP team.

How to choose the right goal for an athlete

Sport fitness goals

1. During the track unit, Lina will run 400 meters without stopping in under 3 minutes on 3 of 4 trials. Baseline: stops twice, 4 minutes 20 seconds. Template.
2. During PE, Ava will wheel 4 laps of the gym in her sports chair in under 6 minutes on 3 of 4 trials. Baseline: 9 minutes. Template.
3. During the PE warm-up, Sam will walk or jog continuously for 8 minutes on 3 of 4 PE days. Baseline: 3 minutes. Template.
4. After each PE fitness check, Marcus will record his laps in his fitness log and say whether it was more or less than last time, on 4 of 5 checks. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Lina will improve her running for Special Olympics." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the distance, the time and where it is measured.

Event skill goals

1. During the basketball unit, Sam will catch a chest pass and shoot within 3 seconds on 5 of 10 tries. Baseline: holds the ball about 8 seconds, then passes it back. Template.
2. During the bowling unit, Leo will bowl a full frame at the school's portable lanes, knocking down at least 3 pins on 6 of 10 frames. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
3. During the track unit, Lina will start on the "set, go" command without a false start and run through the finish line on 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 1 of 5; starts early or slows before the line. Template.
4. During a soccer passing drill, Kai will trap a pass and pass it on to the next player within 5 seconds on 6 of 10 tries. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Sam will get better at basketball." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the action, the time limit and the count.

Practice and training routine goals

1. At the start of PE, Omar will complete the 5-step warm-up with the class, doing 5 of 5 steps with a picture sequence, on 4 of 5 PE days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
2. During drill rotations, Ruby will move to the next station on the whistle and start the drill within 30 seconds on 4 of 5 rotations. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
3. Before a game, Leo will set up his bowling ramp and adapted equipment, completing 4 of 4 steps, on 4 of 5 PE days. Baseline: an adult sets up. Template.
4. At the end of PE, Marcus will lead the 4-stretch cool-down for his group, naming and showing each stretch, on 3 of 4 PE days. Baseline: follows with cues. Template.

Weak: "Ruby will follow practice routines." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the signal and the time limit.

Unified team play goals

Unified teams pair athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. These goals fit a school's unified PE class or unified team practice.

1. During unified basketball games, Kai will move to his assigned position when the team is on defense on 4 of 5 possessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. During unified soccer practice, Omar will run the set play called by the coach, going to the right spot, on 3 of 4 plays. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
3. During unified PE games, Ruby will wait behind the line for her turn without stepping in early on 4 of 5 turns. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
4. During team games, Sam will take turns with equipment and rotate positions when the teacher calls the change on 4 of 5 rotations. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Kai will be a good teammate on the unified team." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the game, the action and the count.

Sportsmanship and competition goals

1. At the end of PE games, Lina will shake hands or give a high five and say "good game" to the other team on 4 of 5 games, win or lose. Baseline: walks away on 4 of 5. Template.
2. When she feels upset during a game, Ruby will ask for a short break using a break card instead of leaving the gym on 4 of 5 times. Baseline: leaves the gym on 3 of 5. Template.
3. During modified games, Omar will follow the 3 posted rules of the game on 4 of 5 games. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. When a game leader makes a call he disagrees with, Kai will accept it and keep playing on 4 of 5 calls. Baseline: argues or stops playing on 4 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Lina will show good sportsmanship." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the action, when it happens and the count.

Social goals around winning and losing are covered in more depth in sportsmanship IEP goals.

How to measure these goals

• Time and distance for fitness and race events. Record the best of 2 or 3 trials, same track or pool.
• Successes out of 10 for event skills: shots, frames, passes.
• Steps and stations for routines. Use the task analysis data sheet.
• Game actions out of chances for team play and sportsmanship. A coach or peer helper can tally on a card.

Measure in school settings, since that is where the IEP team is responsible. Families can share times or scores from outside competition as extra information for present levels. The guide on how to measure fitness goals in adapted PE covers fitness probes.

Adapting by grade

For transition-age athletes, goals can shift to community fitness, such as checking in at a gym. See physical fitness PE goals and the adapted PE role page. Ball skills and sport units are on ball skills IEP goals and adapted PE IEP goals by sport. Check your draft in the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Physical fitness PE goals (motor skills)
• Sport and game skills goals (motor skills)
• Goals for the Adapted PE role
• Adapted physical education in the IEP glossary
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• Physical therapy IEP goals: examples for school-based PT
• Adapted PE: who qualifies and what goes in the IEP
• IEP goals for ball skills (throwing, catching, kicking)
• IEP goals for adapted PE by sport
• How to measure fitness goals in adapted PE

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.108: Physical education, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
2. 34 CFR §300.117: Nonacademic settings, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
3. 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.