IEP goals for walker and crutch use at school

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A walker IEP goal names a school route or routine, the device, the help level and a criterion. Example: using his posterior walker, Noah will walk from the bus loop to his classroom within 8 minutes on 4 of 5 mornings. Target the walking pattern, the route, or a routine like doors and carrying, one per goal.

A walker, crutches or a cane let a student walk at school, but the device adds steps to every routine. Doors, desks, carrying a lunch tray and crowded halls all get harder. Good walker goals pick one of three targets: the walking pattern itself, a school route, or a routine that the device complicates.

This page gives 12 goals in four groups, each with a baseline and a template link. The numbers are illustrations. For PT goals across other areas, see the physical therapy IEP goals pillar.

Safety and the PT plan come first

The gait pattern, weight-bearing limits, device height and whether a student uses stairs with the device come from the physician and the PT plan. Classroom staff learn the same cue words from the PT and use only the help the PT has trained them to give. Goals on this page measure how the student uses the device at school within that plan. They do not set medical limits.

Check the device before you take a baseline. A walker at the wrong height, worn crutch tips or a loose cane foot produce a poor pattern that no goal will fix.

How to choose the right walker or crutch goal

What you see now	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Pushes the walker far ahead, leans over it, shuffles	Walking pattern	Walks on-pattern out of 5, rated by the PT
Late to class, rests often on the route	Route speed and endurance	Minutes on a fixed route
Waits at doors, cannot park or reach the desk	Doors, parking, sit-to-stand	Task steps completed
Cannot carry anything while walking	Carrying with a device	Trips completed with no drop, out of 5
Uses crutches after surgery or long term	Crutch pattern and care	Trips with the taught pattern; steps of the check
Uses a cane or a gait trainer	Cane use; gait trainer in class	Trials on-pattern; minutes taking part

Walker pattern and route goals

During a 50-foot hallway walk outside her classroom, Nora will move the walker a short distance and step into the frame, standing tall, on 4 of 5 walks. Baseline: 1 of 5 on-pattern. Template.
Using his posterior walker, Noah will walk the 420-foot route from the bus loop to his classroom with no more than 1 rest stop, arriving within 8 minutes, on 4 of 5 mornings. Baseline: 14 minutes, with 3 rest stops. Template.
During passing periods, Jay will walk between his math and science classes with his walker without stopping to rest on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 2 rest stops per trip. Template.

Weak: "Noah will improve ambulation with his walker." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the device, the route, the distance and the time.

Walker routines in the classroom

Score routines with a task analysis. See task analysis and the task analysis data sheet.

Using her walker, Nora will pull open the heavy classroom door, hold it with her hip and walk through before it closes, completing 5 of 5 steps without help, on 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: waits for an adult. Template.
At his desk, Noah will turn his walker, back up to the chair, reach back for the seat and sit down with control, completing 4 of 4 steps, on 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Using a walker basket, Noah will carry his lunch box and folder from his cubby to the cafeteria table with no drops on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: an adult carries his items. Template.

Weak: "Nora will be independent in the classroom with her walker." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the door, the steps and the help level.

Parking and folding the walker at the desk is on the walker parking template. Turning in tight spaces is on the walker turns template.

Crutch goals

Walking the hallway to lunch, Sofia will keep the crutch pattern the PT taught (for example, crutches and weaker leg together, then the stronger leg) for the full route on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: switches patterns or hops on 3 of 5. Template.
Each morning, Marcus will check crutch height against the PT's tape mark, look at both rubber tips and grips, and tell an adult about any problem, completing 4 of 4 steps on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
During passing periods, Sofia will walk with her crutches from her locker to math (about 200 feet) and arrive before the bell on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: arrives 2 minutes late on 4 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Sofia will use crutches correctly." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It points to the PT's taught pattern and counts days.

Cane and gait trainer goals

Walking to the library with her quad cane, Lina will move the cane forward with her weaker leg, then step with her stronger leg, on 4 of 5 walks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
On the walk to the bus, Lina will step down and up the curb with her cane without a loss of balance on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: needs an adult hand on 3 of 5. Template.
In his gait trainer, Kai will walk from his table to the group carpet (25 feet) and join the circle with standby help on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: an adult pushes the trainer. Template.

Weak: "Kai will walk in his gait trainer." Measurable: Goal 3 above. It names the route, the distance and the help.

A gait trainer at recess is covered by the gait trainer recess template. The long cane used for blind travel is a different skill; see cane skills progression.

How to measure walker and crutch goals

Pattern goals: the PT defines "on-pattern" in one or two sentences, and staff score each walk yes or no. Count walks of a set length, such as 50 feet.
Route goals: time the same route each probe, door to door. Note rest stops. See the duration data sheet.
Routine goals: task steps done without help, out of the total.
Help level: record it every time. A drop from contact guard to standby is progress.

Classroom staff can time the morning route on a card while the PT probes the walking pattern weekly. The guide on gross motor data collection explains probe schedules and how to keep conditions the same.

Adapting walker goals by grade

Grade band	Typical focus	Example condition
Preschool and K	Gait trainer to group areas; walker to the carpet	Joining circle time
Grades 1 to 5	Arrival route, doors, carrying with a basket	Cubby to cafeteria
Middle school	Passing periods, lockers, stairs with crutches	Between periods with materials
High school	Campus routes, device care, community and job routes	Job site route; bus stop

When a walker is not enough for long routes, a student may use a wheelchair for distance; see wheelchair IEP goals. Braces and prostheses are on braces and prosthetics goals, and stair routines on IEP goals for stairs. Walkers and crutches are often listed as assistive technology devices in the IEP, with training for the student and staff as the related service.^[1]^[2] Full template wording is on functional mobility goals and mobility equipment goals. Check the draft in the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Should a walker goal target speed or the walking pattern?

Choose based on what limits the student at school. If the student walks safely but arrives late, target the route time. If the pattern is unsafe or tiring, target the pattern first, using the PT's definition of a correct walk.

Can classroom staff help a student with a walker or crutches?

Yes, within the help the PT has trained them to give. The PT shows staff the cue words, where to stand and what not to do, and the IEP or a staff plan records that training.

Do temporary crutches after an injury need an IEP goal?

Usually not. A short-term injury is often handled with a health plan or temporary accommodations. A goal fits when the student uses crutches long term and needs to learn a skill to move around school.

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Sources

34 CFR §300.5: Assistive technology device, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.6: Assistive technology service, 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.