IEP goals for anger management

Anger is a normal emotion. An anger management goal does not ask a student to stop feeling it. It asks the student to do something safe with it: notice the build-up sooner, use a planned calming step, say what is wrong in words, and repair things afterward.

The 20 goals below follow that order. Each one has a condition, a behavior, a criterion and a fictional baseline, and each links to a template you can edit. The numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks. For the wider set of regulation goals, see emotional regulation goal examples. The social-emotional IEP goals pillar covers every area in this cluster.

Start with the function, not the outburst

Before you pick a goal, find out what the anger is doing for the student. A student who yells to get out of a hard writing task needs a different goal from a student who explodes when a peer takes a turn. Two weeks of ABC data usually shows the pattern. When outbursts are frequent or unsafe, an FBA is the better starting point; the FBA and BIP guide walks through it.

When behavior gets in the way of the student's learning or other students' learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports.^[1] Goals are one part of that. The other part is changing the setting: shorter tasks, warnings before transitions, a seat away from the busiest table. Practice guides on classroom behavior point to the same pairing of teaching new skills and changing what sets off the behavior.^[3]

How to choose an anger management goal

Pick one or two rows. A student with anger needs across all six does better with two well-taught goals than six thin ones. The goal prioritizing guide helps the team choose.

Goals for noticing early warning signs

Many students can only describe anger once it is at full strength. These goals move the noticing earlier, while there is still time to use a strategy.

1. After an episode, once calm, Marcus will mark the body signals he felt on a body map in 4 of 5 debriefs over 6 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. At three daily check-ins, Leah will name one body signal and a matching strategy, such as "tight fists, push the wall", on 12 of 15 check-ins per week. Baseline: 4 of 15. Template.
3. When she notices an early signal during class, Leah will tell or signal an adult before the episode grows at least 3 times per week for 4 consecutive weeks. Baseline: 0 per week. Template.
4. With the counselor, Dante will write a personal anger signal profile listing at least 3 early, 2 middle and 1 late sign, scoring 6 of 6 on the profile checklist. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.

Weak: "Marcus will recognize when he is getting angry." Measurable: Goal 3 above. Telling an adult is an action someone can see and count.

Goals for using a calming step in the moment

These goals count use of a strategy at the moment it is needed. Latency is the most useful number here, because a strategy started at 10 seconds works far better than one started at 3 minutes.

1. When a known trigger occurs, Marcus will start one strategy from his calming menu within 30 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 2 minutes or more in 4 of 5. Template.
2. When he rates himself at a 4 or 5 on the class scale, Dante will go to the break area within 1 minute and return within 8 minutes on 4 of 5 occasions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
3. When anger rises during seated work, Ana will use a grounding step at her desk, such as pressing her palms together for 10 counts, and stay in her seat in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. After using the calm-down space, Ana will return to the group and restart the task within 5 minutes on 4 of 5 uses. Baseline: 15 minutes. Template.

Weak: "Dante will use coping strategies when angry with 80% accuracy." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the trigger point, the action and two time limits. Percent accuracy does not fit a strategy that either happens or does not.

Goals for safe words for anger

Anger needs an outlet. These goals teach a safe way to say "I am angry and here is why" so the student does not need hitting, throwing or swearing to be heard. A student who uses AAC or picture cards can meet every one of these goals in their own mode.

1. When upset, Jayden will state what is wrong using words, sign or his device, such as "Stop, that is mine", in 4 of 5 opportunities instead of pushing. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. During a disagreement, Leah will state the problem with an I-message ("I feel ___ when ___ because ___") in 3 of 4 observed conflicts. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
3. When he wants an activity to stop, Jayden will say or sign "stop" or "all done" instead of throwing materials in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
4. When angry at a peer, Ana will ask for a cool-down, then return and talk the problem through with adult support on 3 of 4 occasions. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Jayden will control his temper." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names what Jayden will do and gives the team a count to graph.

Goals for responding to hard triggers

Most anger episodes come from a short list of triggers. Correction, being told no, teasing and losing are common ones. Write the goal for the trigger that costs the most learning time.

1. When given a correction or a consequence, Marcus will respond with a neutral reply or silence and continue the task in 4 of 5 corrections, measured across reading and math. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. When teased or provoked by a peer, Dante will use his planned response, such as walking away or saying "Not cool," and tell an adult afterward in 3 of 4 incidents. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
3. When told no or not now, Leah will answer with a taught reply, such as "Okay, can I have it later?", in 4 of 5 denied requests. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. When a problem happens, Ana will rate its size on a 1-to-5 scale and choose a response that matches it in 4 of 5 problems, checked by an adult. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Leah will accept no without getting angry." Measurable: Goal 3 above. A taught reply is a concrete replacement that any adult can hear.

The anger management goal hub has more trigger-specific templates. For teasing that keeps happening, the school has obligations of its own; see IEP goals for bullying and teasing.

Goals for repair and reflection

An episode is not over when the student is calm. Repair keeps relationships intact, and reflection gives the student a plan for next time. Keep reflection short and private. A long lecture right after an episode usually starts a second one.

1. After an episode, once calm, Dante will complete a 4-question reflection sheet with an adult (what happened, what I felt, what I did, what I will try next time) after 4 of 5 episodes. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
2. During an adult-led restorative conversation, Marcus will listen to the other person and state one thing he could do to fix the harm in 3 of 4 conversations. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
3. In a debrief after a conflict, Ana will name her own part in it, such as "I grabbed the ball," in 4 of 5 debriefs. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
4. After hurting or upsetting someone, Jayden will apologize in his own way, in words, writing, sign or a drawing, and offer one repair on 4 of 5 occasions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Marcus will take responsibility for his actions." Measurable: Goal 3 above, applied to Marcus. Naming one's own part is a specific statement that can be scored.

How to measure anger management goals

Pick one primary number per goal and record it every time the chance comes up. Recording only the bad moments is the most common mistake. If you only log outbursts, the data shows the problem but never the progress.

• Latency for calming steps: start a timer at the trigger and stop it when the strategy begins. The latency data sheet has columns for both.
• Frequency for safe statements and outbursts: tally both on the same frequency data sheet. The ratio tells the story better than either number alone.
• Duration for long episodes: log start and end times on the duration data sheet, then report the median per week.
• Opportunities for trigger goals: every correction, every no, every loss is one opportunity. Use the opportunity data sheet and add a prompt column.

Here is a fictional four-week picture for Marcus's calming goal:

The median latency fell from 140 to 25 seconds, and the share of fast starts rose from 2 of 9 to 5 of 7. Both numbers belong in the progress report. The IEP itself must say how progress will be measured and when it will be reported.^[2] For report wording, see behavior progress report comments.

Short-term objectives for anger goals

Fade adult help before you raise the target. For Marcus's calming-menu goal:

1. Starts a calming strategy within 30 seconds after an adult points to the menu, in 4 of 5 opportunities.
2. Starts it after a nonverbal cue only, in 4 of 5 opportunities.
3. Starts it with no cue in 4 of 5 opportunities in 1 class, then across 3 classes.

Adapting anger goals by grade

The emotional regulation goals page lists all 45 templates in this area, and the coping skills goal hub gathers strategy goals by type. Teaching the calming steps themselves is covered in teaching coping strategies by age. Paste your finished draft into the goal checker to catch vague wording.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Anger management goal hub
• Emotional regulation goals (social emotional)
• Coping skills goal hub
• Self regulation in the IEP glossary
• Latency data sheet
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• Social-emotional IEP goals: examples you can actually measure
• Emotional regulation and self-regulation IEP goals
• Coping skills IEP goals
• Teaching coping strategies by age
• FBA and BIP: a practical guide for IEP teams

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
3. Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences

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.