Choice-making IEP goals
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A choice-making IEP goal names the options offered, how the student shows a choice, and how the team confirms it was a real preference. For example: given 2 snack items, the student will reach for one and accept it, then reject a swapped item, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions. The 16 goals below build from objects to symbols to self-directed choices.
Choosing is one of the first ways a student controls their own day. It is also a communication skill, a self-determination skill and, later, a decision-making skill. A goal for it has to show two things: that the student made a selection, and that the selection meant something.
The second part is where most choice-making goals fall short. A student who always reaches to the right, or always takes the first item offered, can hit 10 of 10 on a goal that only counts reaching. So the goals below build in a check, such as accepting the chosen item, rejecting a wrong one, or choosing the same item when its position changes.
This page sits in the significant disabilities cluster; the pillar on IEP goals for severe and profound students covers the wider program. The early communication goal page has full template wording.
How to choose the right goal
| Student profile | Sub-skill | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Responds to objects, no consistent pointing | Choose between 2 real objects | Opportunities, with acceptance check |
| Chooses objects reliably | Choose from photos or symbols, 2 to 4 options | Opportunities with array size stated |
| Uses an AAC device or picture board | Request a choice without the items present | Frequency of spontaneous choices |
| Chooses when asked, rarely starts | Start a choice without being offered | Frequency per routine |
| Makes choices but cannot refuse | Reject or say "no" to an unwanted option | Opportunities |
| Upper grades, transition age | Choose among activities, jobs, schedules | Opportunities, rubric for stating a reason |
Choosing between objects
Start with things the student cares about: food, toys, music, a fan. Hold the items far enough apart that the response is clear, and switch the left and right positions at random so a side bias does not look like a choice.
| Goal | Baseline | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Given 2 preferred items held 12 inches apart, with sides swapped at random, the student will reach toward or look at one item for 2 seconds and accept it, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions. | 4 of 10 | Opportunity data sheet |
| 2. Given 1 preferred and 1 non-preferred item, the student will select the preferred item in 8 of 10 opportunities, with sides swapped at random, across 3 sessions. | 6 of 10 | Opportunities by side |
| 3. When given an item they did not choose, the student will push it away, turn away or vocalize within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 trials across 2 weeks. | 1 of 5 trials | Opportunities with latency |
| 4. During a 15-minute leisure period, the student will choose between 2 activities presented as objects (headphones or a light toy) within 15 seconds, on 4 of 5 days. | 2 of 5 days | Daily opportunity, latency in seconds |
Weak: "The student will make choices." Measurable: Goal 2. Pairing a preferred and a non-preferred item shows the student is choosing, not just reaching.
Choosing from pictures and symbols
Move to photos, then symbols, once object choices are reliable. Say the array size every time. Choosing 1 of 2 symbols and 1 of 4 symbols are different skills, and the chance of a lucky guess drops from 50% to 25%.
| Goal | Baseline | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Given 2 photos of snack items, the student will touch or look at one and accept the matching item, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions. | 5 of 10 | Opportunities with acceptance |
| 6. Given a 4-symbol choice board at lunch, the student will select a drink and accept it, in 4 of 5 lunches across 2 weeks. | 1 of 5 lunches | Daily opportunity |
| 7. Using partner-assisted scanning of 3 spoken options, the student will signal a choice with a head nod or vocalization in 7 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions. | 3 of 10 | Opportunities |
| 8. Given a choice board of 6 activities during free time, the student will choose a different activity at least 3 times in 1 week, accepting each. | Same 1 activity daily | Frequency of distinct choices |
Partner-assisted scanning works when a student cannot point but can give a clear yes signal. The SLP should help set up the scan order and the signal.[1]
Weak: "The student will use a picture board to choose." Measurable: Goal 6. It names the board size, the routine and a check that the student accepted what they chose.
Requesting a choice without the items present
These goals move from responding to a choice to starting one. They usually need an AAC system or picture board within reach all day. The AAC goal page and the guide to AAC goal examples have more.
| Goal | Baseline | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| 9. During snack, without items in view, the student will use a device or board to request one of 3 items, then accept it, in 4 of 5 days across 2 weeks. | 0 of 5 days | Daily opportunity |
| 10. During the school day, the student will start a choice (asking for an activity, item or break) without an adult prompt at least 4 times per day across 5 consecutive days. | 1 per day | Frequency count |
| 11. When offered "something else" as a symbol, the student will select it to reject both choices on the board, in 3 of 4 opportunities when neither item is wanted. | 0 of 4 | Opportunities |
| 12. During group, the student will choose a song or book for the class from 3 symbols and the group will use it, on 4 of 5 days. | 2 of 5 days | Daily opportunity |
Goal 11 gives the student a way to refuse. A student who has only ever been offered two options, both chosen by an adult, learns that choices are limited to what an adult wants. A "something else" or "no" symbol fixes that.
Weak: "The student will request items." Measurable: Goal 10. It counts starts without a prompt, across the whole day, with a daily target.
Choices for older students and transition
For older students, choice-making becomes self-determination: picking between jobs, schedules or ways to spend money, and saying why. The self-determination goal page and the guide to self-determination activities go further.
| Goal | Baseline | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| 13. Given 3 photos of school jobs, the student will choose one and complete it, then state or select a reason ("I like it," "it's quiet") in 4 of 5 weekly choices. | Chooses, gives no reason | Weekly opportunity, reason recorded |
| 14. Given a visual schedule with 2 open slots, the student will choose the order of 2 work tasks in 8 of 10 days. | Adult sets order | Daily opportunity |
| 15. At a café during community instruction, the student will choose a drink from a 4-photo menu card and pay, in 3 of 4 trips. | 1 of 4 trips | Task analysis with choice step |
| 16. During transition planning, the student will rate 6 job tasks as like or dislike using a 2-symbol scale, and the team will record the ratings, across 2 sessions with at least 5 of 6 ratings matching. | Not yet assessed | Agreement across sessions |
Goal 16 checks the student's ratings for consistency. If the same task gets "like" one week and "dislike" the next, the team learns the scale is not yet reliable.
How to measure and verify a choice
Use opportunity data. Each time a choice is offered, record the items, which side each was on, what the student did, and whether they accepted the item.
Three checks keep the data honest:
- Swap sides. Change positions at random. If the student picks the right side 9 of 10 times regardless of item, it is a side bias.
- Confirm by acceptance. Give the chosen item. A student who pushes it away did not really choose it.
- Pair preferred and non-preferred. If the student picks the non-preferred item often, they may not understand the task yet.
Ten opportunities per session is plenty. Graph the percent each week. Once a goal is met under one condition, change one thing at a time: more options, symbols instead of objects, or a new routine. The guide on measuring goals for nonverbal students covers defining responses like eye gaze.
Writing short-term objectives
Step one variable per benchmark. For goal 6 (4-symbol board at lunch):
- By the first grading period, 2-symbol board, 3 of 5 lunches.
- By the second grading period, 3-symbol board, 4 of 5 lunches.
- By the third grading period, 4-symbol board, 4 of 5 lunches.
Benchmarks or objectives are required in the IEP for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards.[2] Many teams write them for choice-making goals either way, because progress comes in small steps.
Adapting by grade
| Grade band | Typical choice | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool | Toy, snack, song | Play and snack |
| Elementary | Activity, book, partner, break | Classroom and recess |
| Middle school | Order of work, elective task, lunch item | Classes and cafeteria |
| High school | School job, class schedule, leisure activity | School and community |
| 18 to 21 | Job site task, purchase, weekend plan | Work and community |
Paste each draft into the goal checker to catch a missing condition or criterion. For students with several needs at once, the IEP goals for multiple disabilities page shows how choice goals fit beside motor and self-care goals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you know a student is really making a choice?
Swap the left and right positions at random, give the chosen item and watch whether the student accepts it, and sometimes pair a preferred item with a non-preferred one. Consistent selection of the preferred item across positions shows a real choice.
How many options should a choice-making goal start with?
Usually 2 real objects. Move to photos or symbols, then to 3 or 4 options, once the student chooses reliably. Always write the number of options into the goal, because a larger array is a harder task.
Should a choice-making goal include refusing?
Yes, for many students. Teaching a clear way to reject an item or select something else gives the student real control, and it makes accepted choices more meaningful.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Early communication goals (speech language)
- AAC goals
- Self-determination goals
- Joint attention in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- IEP goals for students with severe and profound disabilities
- IEP goals for students with intellectual disabilities
- IEP goals for students with Down syndrome
- How to measure goals for students who do not speak
- IEP goals for students with multiple disabilities
Sources
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), ASHA
- 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.