IEP goals for Cerebral Palsy
93 templates across 12 skills in 6 areas, led by motor & sensory skills (OT, PT & adapted PE), speech & language, and vision, hearing & assistive technology. Open any goal to set the baseline and target from your own data, then print the matching data sheet.
93 templates · 12 skills · Pre-K, K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Top skills
The 8 most relevant skills, with sample goals. Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Functional Mobility Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE)
Propel a manual wheelchair to lunch on time
Wheelchair propulsion at school
By the annual IEP review date, during the passing time before lunch, on the route from the classroom to the cafeteria, the student will propel the manual wheelchair the full route, steering around people and objects with no adult pushes or prompts within 5 minutes, on 4 of 5 timed routes, as measured by duration recording collected twice weekly.
Steer a wheelchair through classroom doorways
Ramps, elevators and doors
By the annual IEP review date, when entering or leaving the classroom, the restroom or a special-class room through a standard doorway, the student will line the wheelchair up with the opening and roll through without either wheel touching the door frame, with no adult touching the chair in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected daily during the first five doorway passes.
Feeding & Mealtime Skills Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE)
Scoop soft food with a spoon
Spoon and fork use
By the annual IEP review date, during snack or lunch, given a food that holds on a spoon (such as yogurt, applesauce or mashed food) in a bowl, the student will scoop the food with the spoon and bring it to the mouth, keeping most of the food on the spoon with no adult hands on the spoon in at least 7 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
Spear bite-size pieces with a fork
Spoon and fork use
By the annual IEP review date, during lunch, given bite-size pieces of a firm food such as fruit, cooked vegetables or pasta, the student will spear a piece of food with the fork and bring it to the mouth without the piece falling off, with no adult help in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
Motor Speech (Apraxia & Dysarthria) Speech & Language
Speak phrases a new listener can follow
Phrase intelligibility for unfamiliar listeners
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short phrases chosen from the student's practice set, said to an unfamiliar adult listener who cannot see the pictures and writes down what they hear, the student will say each phrase so the listener can write or repeat the words independently with at least 70% accuracy on words understood by the unfamiliar listener, in 3 of 4 monthly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected monthly with a different unfamiliar listener.
Repair a message a listener missed
Repair strategies
By the annual IEP review date, during class discussions, small groups, or lunch, when a listener asks the student to repeat or shows they did not understand, the student will repair the message with a different strategy than the first try (slower speech, a different word, a gesture, the first letter, or a device message) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly.
Keyboarding & Computer Access Vision, Hearing & Assistive Technology
One-handed typing at a working rate
One-handed keyboarding
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed passage at an easy reading level, during a 3-minute timing (total divided by 3 for the per-minute rate), using a standard or one-handed keyboard, the student will type the passage with one hand from the one-handed home position independently at a rate of at least 12 correct words per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected every two weeks.
Move through a document with keyboard commands
Keyboard navigation
By the annual IEP review date, given a document or online form and a list of navigation tasks, with the mouse put away, the student will carry out each task with keyboard commands (such as moving by word, line, or page, jumping to the start or end, and tabbing between fields) independently with at least 85% accuracy on navigation tasks completed, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected every two weeks.
Assistive Technology Use Vision, Hearing & Assistive Technology
Press a switch to make something happen
Switch access: cause and effect
By the annual IEP review date, given a switch placed at the body site chosen by the OT, connected to a computer or tablet cause-and-effect activity, the student will press the switch to start the activity and press again when it stops independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected each session.
Select answers through a keyguard
Touch screen with a keyguard
By the annual IEP review date, given a tablet with a keyguard and touch accommodations set, during a learning app activity with 4 to 6 answer buttons, the student will touch the chosen answer button once through the keyguard independently with at least 90% accuracy on intended buttons selected, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Community Access & Travel Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Book a paratransit trip by phone or online
Booking paratransit or a ride
By the annual IEP review date, when the student needs a ride to a job, class, or appointment, using the paratransit booking line or website with a family member nearby, the student will book the trip with the right addresses, times, and needs and record the confirmation, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, on 3 consecutive bookings, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each booking, at least every two weeks.
Wait at the curb for the pickup window
Booking paratransit or a ride
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of each booked pickup window, at home, school, or a job site, the student will be at the pickup spot with belongings when the pickup window opens independently in at least 7 of 8 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected at each scheduled pickup.
Low Vision & Visual Efficiency Vision, Hearing & Assistive Technology
Scan toward the side of field loss
Scanning for field loss
By the annual IEP review date, given a page or a screen with targets placed across the whole width, the student will turn their head or eyes toward the side of field loss to check the whole page and mark each target independently with at least 90% accuracy on targets found on the side of field loss, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Toileting Functional & Independence Skills
Set up a step stool and seat insert
Accessible restrooms and adaptive equipment
By the annual IEP review date, during toileting trips in a bathroom with an adult-size toilet, a seat insert and a step stool kept in the same place, the student will set up the step stool and seat insert, climb up, and sit with both feet on the stool, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily at one scheduled trip.
Transfer to the toilet using grab bars
Accessible restrooms and adaptive equipment
By the annual IEP review date, during restroom trips to an accessible stall with grab bars, the student will complete the transfer steps from the wheelchair to the toilet and back using the grab bars, performing all 8 steps independently, across 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily at one restroom trip.
All 12 skills
Every skill with goals for this group, by area. The number is how many of its goals are tagged here.
Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE)
Speech & Language
Vision, Hearing & Assistive Technology
Functional & Independence Skills
Transition & Postsecondary Skills
Goals often written for students with cerebral palsy: mobility, fine motor access, AAC, feeding, and assistive technology. Cerebral palsy is not its own IDEA category; students are often served under orthopedic impairment, or multiple disabilities when other needs are present. Goals cover the access the student needs to learn: mobility and transfers, fine motor and computer access, AAC or motor speech when speech is affected, and academics written with the student's tools and positioning in the condition.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 25 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 16 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 39 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 4 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 5 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 1 goal here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 3 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What IEP goals are common for students with cerebral palsy?
Functional mobility, transfers, fine motor or switch access, assistive technology, and communication goals are common, depending on the student. Academic goals follow the same rules as for any student, with the response mode named in the condition. The team chooses from the student's present levels.
Who writes goals for a student with cerebral palsy?
The special educator usually works with the PT, OT, and SLP, each of whom writes or advises on goals in their area. The family and student share what matters most at home and in the community.
How do I write an academic goal for a student who cannot write by hand?
Name the response mode in the condition, such as using a switch, eye gaze, a keyboard, or a scribe, and measure the academic skill itself. The goal should not depend on a motor skill that is not the target.
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