IEP goals for frustration tolerance
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A frustration tolerance IEP goal measures how long or how often the student keeps going, or uses a planned step, when something is hard or blocked. Example: when stuck on a math problem, Eli will choose a break, a hint or a smaller chunk within 1 minute and return to the task in 4 of 5 opportunities, recorded on an opportunity sheet.
Frustration tolerance is the ability to stay with something hard, wait for something wanted, or accept a blocked plan without the situation falling apart. In the IEP it shows up as a student who tears up work after one wrong answer, shoves a game board after a loss, or cannot wait 30 seconds for a turn.
The 16 goals below cover four kinds of frustration. Each has a fictional baseline and a link to its template; the numbers are illustrations only. For the full set of regulation goals, see emotional regulation goal examples, and for the whole area, the social-emotional IEP goals pillar.
Check the task before you write the goal
Many "frustration tolerance" problems are task problems. If a student melts down every time a worksheet appears, check whether the work is at the student's instructional level or well above it. A student reading at a frustration level for 30 minutes is having a reasonable reaction to an unreasonable task.
Look at the data before you write a goal:
- When does it happen? Hard academic work, waiting, losing and schedule changes need different goals.
- What happens right after? If the work goes away after an outburst, the outburst is working for the student. A functional behavioral assessment can confirm that, and the replacement goal should give the student a better way to get the same result, such as asking for a break. The functional communication training goals page covers this approach.
- How long can the student last now? Minutes of work before quitting, or seconds of waiting, is the baseline for most of these goals.
When behavior impedes learning, the IEP team has to consider positive behavioral supports as part of the plan.[1] Adjusting the task, adding warnings and building in breaks are part of that, alongside the goal.
How to choose a frustration tolerance goal
| What the team sees | Sub-skill | How to measure |
|---|---|---|
| Quits or refuses after the first hard item | Staying with hard work | Duration of work before stopping |
| Escalates when stuck instead of asking | Asking for help, a break or a smaller chunk | Opportunities with prompt level |
| Cannot wait for turns, help or preferred items | Waiting and delays | Latency or seconds waited |
| Big reaction to mistakes, losing or a change of plan | Handling setbacks | Opportunities per setback type |
Goals for staying with hard work
These goals build tolerance for effort. Start the target close to the baseline. If a student lasts 3 minutes now, a 20-minute target in one year is a guess, not a plan.
- During independent math, Eli will keep working on a non-preferred task for 12 minutes using one strategy from his card on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 3 minutes. Template.
- When she gets stuck during hard work, Rosa will use a frustration strategy, such as reading the directions again or skipping and coming back, within 1 minute in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- After a wrong answer on practice software, Eli will reset and try the next item within 20 seconds in 8 of 10 wrong answers across 2 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
- With the school psychologist, Rosa will build a personal plan for frustrating work listing 3 warning signs and 3 steps, then use one step in 3 of 4 observed hard tasks. Baseline: no plan. Template.
Weak: "Eli will increase his frustration tolerance." Measurable: Goal 1 above. Minutes of work is a number anyone with a timer can record.
Goals for asking for help, a break or a smaller chunk
Asking is the safest replacement for a blow-up. These goals give the student a quick, accepted way to get relief, and they work best when adults honor the request every time at first.
- When stuck on a task, Eli will choose a break, a hint or a smaller chunk from a 3-choice card within 1 minute and return to the task in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
- When work feels too hard, Sam will request a break using a break card, sign or words instead of pushing materials away in 8 of 10 opportunities. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
- When stuck during independent work, Rosa will ask for help within 2 minutes of getting stuck in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: waits 8 minutes, then crumples the page. Template.
- Before asking the teacher, Sam will try one strategy from his list, such as checking the example, on 4 of 5 help requests. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
Weak: "Sam will ask for help appropriately when frustrated." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the mode, the situation and a count.
Goals for waiting and delays
Waiting is a frustration skill for young students and for many older students with ADHD or autism. Count seconds or minutes, and give the student something to do while waiting. Executive function goals for waiting are covered in waiting IEP goals; the ones below focus on the emotional side.
- When asked to wait for a preferred item, Mateo will use a waiting strategy, such as holding a wait card, for 2 minutes without grabbing on 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 20 seconds. Template.
- When the teacher is helping someone else, Mateo will wait with a fill-in task for up to 3 minutes without calling out on 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 30 seconds. Template.
- When told to wait for a turn, Ava will start a planned fill-in activity within 30 seconds in 4 of 5 waits. Baseline: 90 seconds of protest. Template.
- When a preferred activity ends, Ava will stop and move to the next activity within 1 minute after a 2-minute warning on 4 of 5 transitions. Baseline: 6 minutes. Template.
Weak: "Mateo will be patient." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It states a time and a behavior to avoid, tied to a strategy.
Goals for handling setbacks
Mistakes, losses and changes of plan are short events with big reactions. Write the goal for the setback that happens most.
- After a mistake or a loss, Rosa will use a coping response, such as saying "Next time" or taking 3 breaths, within 30 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- After a small mishap in play, such as a tower falling, Ava will say "That's okay" and keep playing on 4 of 5 mishaps. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- After a wrong answer on a hard task, Sam will make a second attempt within 1 minute in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- After a mistake on classwork, Eli will use a fix-it phrase, such as "I can fix that," and correct the error on 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: erases the whole page on 3 of 5. Template.
Weak: "Ava will accept losing." Measurable: Goal 2 above. "Says that's okay and keeps playing" is a clear behavior. For game losses with peers, see IEP goals for good sportsmanship. For changes in routine, cognitive flexibility IEP goals has more.
How to measure frustration tolerance
Record every opportunity, not just the blow-ups. An opportunity is each time the student meets the frustrating event: a hard item, a wait, a loss.
| Date | Event | What the student did | Prompt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3 | Stuck on problem 4 | Chose hint card | Gesture | 40 seconds |
| Mar 3 | Wrong answer on software | Reset and tried again | None | 15 seconds |
| Mar 4 | Lost a board game | Pushed board, then breathed | Verbal | 3 minutes |
| Mar 4 | Waited for teacher help | Used fill-in task | None | 2 minutes waited |
Use the opportunity data sheet with a prompt column for the asking and setback goals. Use the duration data sheet for work stamina, and the latency data sheet for starting a strategy. The IEP has to describe how each goal's progress will be measured,[2] so match the sheet to the criterion before the year starts.
Short-term objectives
Raise one thing at a time: the time, the difficulty or the independence. For Eli's work stamina goal:
- Works for 6 minutes on a non-preferred task with an adult checking in at 3 minutes, on 4 of 5 days.
- Works for 9 minutes with one check-in, on 4 of 5 days.
- Works for 12 minutes with a self-check card and no adult check-in, on 4 of 5 days.
Adapting by age and support needs
| Group | Typical focus | Measurement change |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool and K | Waiting with a visual timer, ending a preferred activity | Seconds waited; adult records |
| Grades 1 to 3 | Break card, help card, small mishaps in play | Opportunities with prompt level |
| Grades 4 to 8 | Strategy plans for hard work, setbacks, timed practice | Minutes of work; student self-check |
| High school | Hard tasks at a job site, feedback from supervisors | Student logs plus supervisor check |
| Students using AAC | Break and help requests on the device | Same counts; device mode noted |
The emotional regulation goals page holds all 45 templates in this area. For the anger side of frustration, see IEP goals for anger management. Paste any draft into the goal checker before the meeting.
Frequently asked questions
What is a frustration tolerance IEP goal?
A goal that measures how the student responds when something is hard, delayed or blocked. It counts minutes of work, seconds of waiting or how often the student uses a planned step, such as asking for a break, instead of escalating.
How do you measure frustration tolerance?
Pick the number that fits the goal. Use duration for work stamina, latency or seconds waited for waiting goals, and opportunities with a prompt level for asking and setback goals. Record every frustrating event, including the ones the student handled well.
Is low frustration tolerance a behavior problem?
It can look like one, but the cause is often a task that is too hard, a missing way to ask for help, or a skill that has not been taught. Check the task level and the function of the behavior before writing the goal.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Emotional regulation goals (social emotional)
- Instructional level in the IEP glossary
- Break requests goal hub
- Duration 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
- Functional communication training goals
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, 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.