Behavior & Classroom Expectations IEP goals for Intellectual Disability
82 behavior & classroom expectations templates across 5 skills: safety behaviors, following adult directions, replacement behaviors, school attendance & punctuality, classroom expectations & routines. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
82 templates · 5 skills · Pre-K, K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Safety Behaviors Behavior & Classroom Expectations
Stay with the group during walks inside the building
Staying with the group
By the annual IEP review date, during a class walk between rooms with an adult at the front and back of the line, the student will stay within 2 arm's lengths of the group for the whole walk independently in 5 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly data summaries, as measured by direct observation collected daily, each walk, summarized weekly.
Stay with the group on outdoor and community outings
Staying with the group
By the annual IEP review date, during a community outing with an assigned adult and a group of up to 6 students, the student will stay within sight and within 10 feet of the assigned adult for the whole outing independently in 5 of 5 opportunities, across 5 consecutive outings, as measured by direct observation collected each outing, at least twice monthly.
Following Adult Directions Behavior & Classroom Expectations
Turn, say okay, and start: a taught response to directions
Following a first-time direction
By the annual IEP review date, when a familiar adult gives a one-step direction during a classroom routine, the student will complete the taught response to the direction (orient to the adult, acknowledge, start the task), performing all 4 steps independently, on 8 of 10 consecutive scored directions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily, 5 scored directions, summarized weekly.
Stop a preferred activity when the timer ends
Transitioning on request
By the annual IEP review date, when a visual timer ends a preferred activity and the adult gives the stop direction once, the student will independently stop the activity and hand over or put away the item within 30 seconds without the defined problem behavior in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily at the end of 1 to 2 timed preferred activities.
Replacement Behaviors Behavior & Classroom Expectations
Ask for a break instead of leaving the task
Requesting a break
By the annual IEP review date, during a non-preferred academic task when the student shows a defined precursor (pushing materials away, putting the head down, or saying the work is too hard), the student will request a break using the taught form (spoken "break please," signed BREAK, or a break card handed to the adult) before leaving the seat or stopping work independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly data summaries, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during the target work period, summarized weekly.
Use a break symbol on a communication device or board
Requesting a break
By the annual IEP review date, during a table-top task with the student's communication device or core board within reach, the student will touch or hand over the BREAK symbol to request a break before engaging in the defined problem behavior independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during two planned routines.
School Attendance & Punctuality Behavior & Classroom Expectations
Wake up and leave home with an alarm
Arriving for first period
By the annual IEP review date, on school mornings at home, using their own phone or clock alarms, the student will complete the wake-up and leave-home steps using their own alarms, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, on 4 of 5 school mornings for 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily, from the student's log and family check.
Report an absence to the attendance office
Self-monitoring attendance
By the annual IEP review date, on mornings when they will be absent or late, using the attendance line, email, or app, the student will contact the attendance office or supervisor before the start time, give their name, the reason, and when they expect to return independently in 4 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive grading periods, as measured by frequency recording collected at each absence or late arrival, with monthly practice calls.
Classroom Expectations & Routines Behavior & Classroom Expectations
Clean up materials at the end of an activity
Clean-up routine
By the annual IEP review date, when the clean-up signal is given at the end of center time, the student will complete the clean-up routine steps for the student's own materials, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive scored clean-ups, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily, 1 to 2 clean-ups.
Move to the next center when the rotation signal is given
Center rotations
By the annual IEP review date, when the rotation signal is given during center time with a picture rotation chart posted, the student will move to the next center shown on the chart within 1 minute of the signal independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily, each rotation during center time.
Replacement behaviors, following adult directions, classroom expectations, and safety. Goals for students with an intellectual disability focus on skills that carry into daily life: functional academics, routines, communication, self-care, and community participation. Task-analysis checklists and opportunity data make small, real steps visible.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 47 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 6 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 7 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 18 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 4 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of goals fit students with an intellectual disability?
Functional academics (money, time, reading signs and schedules), daily living and self-care routines, functional communication, school and community independence, and vocational readiness for older students. Academic goals are written at the student's instructional level.
How do task-analysis goals work?
The routine is broken into ordered steps, and the data sheet records which steps the student completes independently. The criterion is a number of steps (for example, 9 of 10 steps) across several sessions.
How should behavior goals be written for students with intellectual disability?
As replacement behaviors the student will learn, with an observable definition, a defined period, and a frequency, duration, latency, or opportunity criterion. The behavior plan and the goal should share definitions and data.
Can a goal be written as a decrease?
A decrease can be measured, but the goal should also say what the student will do instead. Most teams write the replacement behavior as the goal and track the original behavior alongside it.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn these goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.