Social-Emotional & Communication IEP goals for Emotional or Behavioral Disability
196 social-emotional & communication templates across 9 skills: conflict resolution, emotional regulation, relationships, boundaries & personal safety, peer interaction, social awareness & perspective taking, self-advocacy, requesting help, play & social participation, functional communication. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
196 templates · 9 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.
Conflict Resolution Social-Emotional & Communication
Use a named problem-solving sequence when a disagreement occurs
Using a problem-solving sequence during disagreements
By the annual IEP review date, when a disagreement with a peer occurs during unstructured times, the student will use the steps of their taught problem-solving sequence (stop, say the problem, suggest a solution, agree or get an adult) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly, supplemented by staff incident notes.
State the problem using an I-message
Stating the problem with an I-message
By the annual IEP review date, when a peer does something the student objects to (such as takes their materials, cuts in line, interrupts), the student will state the problem using an I-message that names the situation and what they want (such as "I don't like it when you take my pencil. Please ask first.") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly data collection sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly through role-play probes and observed conflicts.
Emotional Regulation Social-Emotional & Communication
Begin a chosen regulation strategy soon after a known trigger
Starting a chosen regulation strategy after a trigger
By the annual IEP review date, after a known trigger occurs (such as an unexpected loud noise, a difficult task, a correction), as identified in the student's regulation plan, the student will begin using To choose for the student: the strategy from their personal regulation menu (such as deep breathing, a squeeze ball, headphones, a movement break, the break area) independently within 60 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities, as measured by latency recording collected daily during the settings where triggers most often occur.
Return to the class activity after a regulation break
Returning to activity after a break
By the annual IEP review date, after a timed break in the designated break area ends, the student will return to the class activity and begin the next step of the assigned task independently within 2 minutes, on 4 of 5 consecutive breaks, as measured by latency recording collected daily.
Relationships, Boundaries & Personal Safety Social-Emotional & Communication
Sort public and private places
Public and private places
By the annual IEP review date, given 12 photos of everyday places at school, home, and in the community, and a two-column board labeled public and private, the student will sort each place as public or private and say one reason independently with at least 90% accuracy on place photos, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Tell a safe secret from an unsafe secret
Safe and unsafe secrets
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short scenarios read aloud about secrets and surprises (such as a birthday surprise, or an older student saying not to tell an adult about a touch), the student will say whether each secret is safe to keep or should be told to a trusted adult, and give a reason independently with 100% accuracy on secret and surprise scenarios, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
See all 30 relationships, boundaries & personal safety goals
Peer Interaction Social-Emotional & Communication
Give a peer a compliment or encouragement
Giving compliments and encouragement
By the annual IEP review date, during a 20-minute group game, team activity, or cooperative task with peers, the student will give a peer a specific compliment or encouragement about something the peer did (such as "Nice shot," "Good idea to use the ruler") independently at least 2 times per 20-minute group activity, across 3 consecutive observed activities, as measured by frequency recording collected twice weekly.
Introduce themselves to a new peer
Introducing oneself to a new peer
By the annual IEP review date, when placed in a new group, class, or club with peers they do not know, the student will introduce themselves by stating their name and asking the peer's name or one getting-to-know-you question independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive monthly probe sets, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected monthly through planned mixers plus natural new-peer events.
Social Awareness & Perspective Taking Social-Emotional & Communication
Notice when a classmate is sad or hurt
Noticing a peer who is upset
By the annual IEP review date, during free play, centers, or the playground, when a nearby peer cries, falls, or shows they are upset, the student will respond to the upset peer by going over, asking "Okay?", bringing a comfort item, or telling an adult independently in at least 3 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected 3 times per week.
Name a character's emotion and the clue
Character emotions and clues
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture-book pages or short story events at the student's listening level, with an emotion word bank, the student will name the character's emotion and one clue from the words, picture, or situation that shows it independently with at least 80% accuracy on story events (emotion and clue both given), in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Self-Advocacy Social-Emotional & Communication
Ask a teacher for an extension before an assignment is late
Requesting a deadline extension or workload adjustment
By the annual IEP review date, when they are not going to finish an assignment by the due date and an extension applies under their IEP, the student will ask the teacher for an extension before the due date, naming the assignment and proposing a new date independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive grading periods, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly during planner checks, confirmed with the gradebook.
Set up and attend a meeting with a teacher or counselor about a concern
Scheduling and holding a meeting with a staff member
By the annual IEP review date, when they have a concern about a grade, schedule, support, or situation at school that requires a staff member's help, the student will arrange and carry out a meeting with the staff member about the concern, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, across 3 consecutive meetings, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected after each meeting, at least monthly.
Requesting Help Social-Emotional & Communication
Request help promptly after getting stuck
Reducing time spent stuck before requesting help
By the annual IEP review date, during independent work, after they stop making progress on an item, the student will initiate a help request using their help signal or a spoken, signed, or typed request independently within 90 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities, as measured by latency recording collected twice weekly during independent work.
Send a written help request about an assignment
Requesting help in writing or online
By the annual IEP review date, when an assignment is missing, unclear, or not started by the day before it is due, the student will send a written help request by email or learning management system message that names the assignment and asks a specific question independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive monthly reviews, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly by reviewing sent messages and the gradebook with the student.
Play & Social Participation Social-Emotional & Communication
Play a game by the agreed rules to the end
Playing by the rules of a game
By the annual IEP review date, during a board, card, or playground game with 1 to 3 peers after the rules are reviewed, the student will play by the agreed rules and stay in the game until it ends independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly during games.
Switch to a different game when peers change activities
Switching activities with peers
By the annual IEP review date, during recess or free play when the peers they are playing with move to a different activity, the student will go with the peers to the new activity or choose another activity from their list within 2 minutes independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly during recess and structured play.
All 9 skills
Every skill with goals for this group, by area. The number is how many of its goals are tagged here.
Self-advocacy, requesting help, peer interaction, conflict resolution, and regulation. Goals under Emotional Disturbance (called Emotional or Behavioral Disability in many states) describe what the student will do instead of the behavior of concern, and they are measured with frequency, duration, or opportunity data that a behavior plan can share. A replacement behavior goal is only as good as the definition of the behavior being counted.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 11 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 103 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 24 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 17 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 14 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 11 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 16 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What is a replacement behavior goal?
A goal that teaches a specific, acceptable behavior that serves the same function as the behavior of concern, such as requesting a break instead of leaving the room. The goal measures the replacement behavior increasing, and a separate measure can track the original behavior decreasing.
Should the IEP goal match the behavior intervention plan?
They should use the same behavior definitions and the same data. The BIP describes the supports and responses; the IEP goal states the measurable outcome. If they drift apart, the data stops being useful for either.
How are social-emotional goals measured for students with emotional or behavioral disability?
By opportunities in which the student used a taught skill, frequency of a behavior during a period, latency to use a strategy after a cue, or a rubric for multi-part skills. The behavior is defined so two observers would agree.
Should the goal name the strategy?
Yes, when the strategy is observable: 'request a break using a card' or 'state the problem and one solution'. That makes the goal countable and tells staff what to teach.
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