IEP goals for transfers

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A transfer IEP goal names the transfer, the method in the PT's plan, the help level and the steps the student completes. Example: using a slide board, Ava will transfer from her wheelchair to a classroom chair, completing 8 of 8 steps with standby help, in 4 of 5 transfers. Measure transfers as task steps and record who helped and how.

Transfers are moves from one surface to another: wheelchair to classroom chair, chair to toilet, wheelchair to the floor mat, onto the bus lift or into a car seat. They happen many times a day, and each one carries a risk of a fall for the student and an injury for staff. A transfer goal teaches the student to do more of the transfer, or to do their part of an assisted one, within the method the PT has set.

This page gives 20 goals in five groups. Each has a baseline and a template link. The numbers are illustrations. For other PT goals, see the physical therapy IEP goals pillar.

Safety first: the PT plan and trained staff

Every transfer at school follows a written method from the PT: the type of transfer, the equipment (slide board, gait belt, grab bar, mechanical lift), how many adults, where they stand and what help they give. Only staff the PT has trained should help with transfers, and the school should keep a record of that training. If a student's needs change after surgery or a growth spurt, the PT updates the plan before anyone tries the old method.

The school nurse may keep a health plan for students with complex needs, including positioning and transfer notes.^[1] PT is a related service under IDEA, and staff training can be part of it.^[2]

Nothing on this page tells you how to transfer a student. The goals describe what the student does inside the PT's method.

How to choose the right transfer goal

What you see now	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Pushes up from the chair with help or drops into the seat	Sit to stand and chair transfers	Trials with control, out of 5
Adults do most of the wheelchair to chair transfer	Slide-board or stand-pivot transfer	Steps completed out of the task total, with help level
Needs two adults in the restroom	Toilet transfer	Steps completed; help level
Lifted onto the bus or into a car	Bus lift and vehicle transfers	Steps completed
Fully assisted or lift transfers	The student's part of an assisted transfer	Student actions done, out of the planned actions
Cannot get up from the floor or after a fall	Floor transfers and fall recovery	Seconds to stand; trials without an adult lift

Sit to stand and chair transfer goals

At the end of a lesson, Theo will stand up from his classroom chair without using his arms in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: pushes on the desk in 5 of 5. Template.
Coming to sit at his desk, Theo will sit down with control, without dropping into the seat, in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: drops into the seat in 4 of 5. Template.
Standing up from his chair into his walker, Noah will scoot forward, place his hands on the armrests, stand and then reach for the walker, completing 4 of 4 steps, in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: grabs the walker first, 1 of 4 steps. Template.
During table activities, Mia will move from her chair to her stander using the PT's stand-pivot method, completing 3 of 5 student steps with one trained adult, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Theo will improve sit to stand." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the chair, the rule about arms and the trials.

Wheelchair to chair and mat goals

Score these with a task analysis built from the PT's steps. See task analysis.

Using a slide board, Ava will transfer from her wheelchair to a classroom chair, completing 8 of 8 steps with standby help, in 4 of 5 transfers. Baseline: 4 of 8 with moderate help. Template.
Before a slide-board transfer, Ava will park, lock both brakes, remove the armrest and swing the footrest away, completing 4 of 4 setup steps without a cue, in 4 of 5 transfers. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
During PT and floor activities, Marcus will transfer from his wheelchair to the therapy mat with the PT's method and one trained adult at contact guard, completing 6 of 7 steps, in 4 of 5 transfers. Baseline: 3 of 7. Template.
During a two-person or lift transfer, Leo will do his part (cross his arms, tuck his chin, keep his head up on the count) on 3 of 3 planned actions in 4 of 5 transfers. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.

Weak: "Ava will be independent with transfers." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the method, the surfaces, the steps and the help.

Toilet transfer goals

Toilet transfers are private. Keep the data simple and collect it with the trained adult who already helps. The guide to the toileting data sheet shows a discreet format.

Using the grab bar, Ava will transfer from her wheelchair to the toilet with one trained adult at standby, completing 7 of 7 steps, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 3 of 7 with moderate help. Template.
Using the grab bar, Noah will turn from his walker, lower himself to the toilet and stand back up into the walker, completing 6 of 6 steps with standby help, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 3 of 6. Template.
During restroom routines, Zoe will tell the adult which transfer steps she will do herself before starting, naming 2 of 2 steps, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 0 of 2. Template.
After using the toilet, Marcus will transfer back to his wheelchair and lock his brakes before reaching for the sink, completing 5 of 5 steps, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ava will use the restroom independently." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the grab bar, the steps and the help level.

Bus lift and vehicle transfer goals

At dismissal, Ava will roll onto the bus lift, lock her brakes, hold the rail and wait for the driver's signal, completing 5 of 5 steps, on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
On community outing days, Noah will transfer from his walker into the van seat using the PT's steps, completing 5 of 6 steps with standby help, on 3 of 4 outings. Baseline: lifted in. Template.
On community outings, Zoe will roll up the city bus ramp, move to the wheelchair area and lock her brakes, completing 4 of 4 steps, on 3 of 4 outings. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
On the bus, Zoe will tell the driver or aide when her chair is secured and her belt is on, using her AAC device or words, on 4 of 5 rides. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ava will get on the bus safely." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It lists the lift steps and counts days.

Securing a wheelchair on the bus is done by trained transportation staff. The goal is the student's part of the routine.

Floor transfer and fall recovery goals

At the end of carpet time, Lina will rise from the floor to standing without pulling on furniture or an adult in 4 of 5 transitions. Baseline: pulls on a chair in 5 of 5. Template.
Going to the carpet, Lina will lower herself from standing to sitting on the floor with control in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: drops to the floor. Template.
After a fall at recess or in the hall, Grace will get up from the floor using the method her PT taught (roll to hands and knees, half kneel, stand with a hand on a surface) within 20 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: waits to be lifted. Template.
When she cannot get up after a fall, Zoe will stay down and call for the adult on her plan instead of letting peers lift her, in 4 of 4 practice drills. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Grace will recover from falls." Measurable: Goal 3 above. It names the taught method, the time limit and the count.

How to measure transfer goals

List the steps from the PT's plan on the data sheet in the same order every time. Use the task analysis data sheet.
Score each step: done by the student, done with a cue, or done by the adult. Count the student's steps.
Record the help level and the number of adults for the whole transfer: independent, standby, contact guard, minimal, moderate or maximal help.
Note equipment: slide board, gait belt, lift. A change in equipment is a change in the task.

Probe once or twice a week during real routines, not in a special session. Trained classroom staff can score their own transfers on a short card. The guide on gross motor data collection explains how to keep probes consistent, and task analysis examples show how to write steps.

Adapting transfer goals by grade

Grade band	Typical focus	Example condition
Preschool	Floor to stand, helping during lifts, sitting with control	Circle time; diaper changing table routine
K to 2	Chair transfers, toilet with grab bar, bus steps	Restroom routine; arrival
Grades 3 to 5	Slide-board transfers, brake and setup steps	Classroom chair for group work
Middle and high school	Directing their own transfer, vehicles, job sites	Telling staff the steps; community van

For older students, directing an assisted transfer is a strong goal, since it carries into adult life. Equipment goals are on mobility equipment goals and the full template set is on functional mobility goals. Related pages: wheelchair IEP goals, walker and crutch goals and braces and prosthetics goals. Check your draft in the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Who can help a student with transfers at school?

Staff the PT has trained on that student's method. The PT writes the method, shows staff where to stand and what help to give, and updates it when the student's needs change. Untrained staff and peers should not help with transfers.

How do you measure a transfer goal?

Use a task analysis built from the PT's steps. Score each step as done by the student, done with a cue or done by an adult, and record the overall help level and the number of adults.

Can a student who needs a mechanical lift have a transfer goal?

Yes. The goal can target the student's part, such as holding a position on the count or telling staff the steps. Those actions make the transfer safer and give the student more say in their own care.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

NASN Position Statement: Individualized Healthcare Plans (IHPs), Promoting Health and Learning for Students With Complex Needs (2025), National Association of School Nurses, Journal of School Nursing, via PubMed
34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
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.