Social-Emotional & Communication IEP goals for Intellectual Disability

• 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

  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.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

  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.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 30 relationships, boundaries & personal safety goals

• PK, K-2, 3-5Opportunities

  Request preferred items or activities with two-symbol messages

  Requesting with multi-symbol messages in classroom routines (AAC)

  By the annual IEP review date, with access to their communication device during snack, play, and choice routines, the student will request a preferred item or activity by combining two symbols (such as "want bubbles," "more music," "go swing") independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times per week.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• K-2, 3-5, 6-8Opportunities

  Request a break using a communicative response

  Requesting a break (functional communication replacement)

  By the annual IEP review date, when presented with a demanding or non-preferred task, the student will request a break by handing a break card, selecting BREAK on their communication device, signing, or saying "break, please" independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during the activities identified in the FBA.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 45 functional communication goals

• PKDuration

  Play with a toy the way it is designed for several minutes

  Functional play with toys

  By the annual IEP review date, during free play with a set of 3 familiar toys that have a clear action (such as a car, a shape sorter, a toy phone), the student will play with a toy using its designed action (such as rolling the car, putting shapes in the sorter, holding the phone to an ear) independently for at least 5 minutes, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by duration recording collected three times per week during free play.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• PK, K-2Duration

  Play next to peers with similar materials

  Parallel play near peers

  By the annual IEP review date, during centers when peers are playing with the same type of materials (such as blocks, playdough, cars), the student will play within arm's reach of a peer using similar materials independently for at least 6 minutes, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by duration recording collected three times per week during centers.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 40 play & social participation goals

• K-2, 3-5, 6-8Opportunities

  Request help when stuck during independent work

  Requesting help when stuck during independent work

  By the annual IEP review date, when they are unable to continue an independent work task, the student will request help from an adult by raising a hand, placing a help card on the desk, or saying or signing "help" independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times per week during independent work.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• PK, K-2, 3-5Opportunities

  Request help with a functional task using any communication mode

  Requesting help with functional tasks (including AAC)

  By the annual IEP review date, with access to their communication device or system when they need adult help with a task during snack, arrival, or art (such as a closed container, a material out of reach), the student will request help by selecting HELP on their communication device, signing HELP, handing a help card to an adult, or saying "help" independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during snack and arrival routines.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 35 requesting help goals

• PK, K-2Percent accuracy

  Name basic emotions in photos of people

  Naming basic emotions in others

  By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photos of children in everyday situations showing happy, sad, mad, or scared, and a choice board of 4 emotion symbols, the student will name or point to the emotion that fits the person in each photo independently with at least 80% accuracy on emotion photos, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• PK, K-2Opportunities

  Pick what a peer likes for them

  Others have different likes

  By the annual IEP review date, during a snack or play game, after a peer or puppet has said which of 2 items they like, when the adult asks the student to give that person one, the student will give or name the item the other person said they like (not the student's own favorite) independently in at least 7 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 40 social awareness & perspective taking goals

• 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Rubric score

  Describe own learning strengths, needs, and helpful supports

  Describing own strengths, needs, and supports

  By the annual IEP review date, when asked by an adult to describe themselves as a learner during a scheduled self-advocacy interview, the student will describe their learning strengths, needs, and helpful supports independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row self-advocacy statement rubric scored 0–2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive monthly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected monthly.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• PK, K-2, 3-5Opportunities

  State a preference or decline an offer

  Stating preferences and declining

  By the annual IEP review date, when offered a choice of activities, materials, or foods during a structured routine, the student will state a preference or decline the offer using a respectful protest form (such as "no thank you," "I want something else," shaking the head, or a "stop/no" symbol) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly during choice, snack, and play routines.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 50 self-advocacy goals

• K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Duration

  Participate in a shared activity with a peer

  Sustaining shared play or leisure

  By the annual IEP review date, during a play or leisure activity based on the student's interests with one or more peers, the student will participate in the shared activity with a peer (such as building together, playing a game, trading turns on a video game, looking at a book together) independently for at least 8 minutes, across 3 consecutive observed sessions, as measured by duration recording collected twice weekly.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• 3-5, 6-8, 9-12Opportunities

  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.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 55 peer interaction goals

• K-2, 3-5, 6-8Opportunities

  Apologize after hurting or upsetting a peer

  Apologizing after causing harm or an accident

  By the annual IEP review date, when they have accidentally or intentionally hurt, bumped, or upset a peer, or damaged a peer's work or item, the student will apologize to the peer by naming what happened and offering to make it right (such as "Sorry I knocked it over. Want help rebuilding it?") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly, combining observed events, staff reports, and role-play probes.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied
• K-2, 3-5, 6-8Opportunities

  Leave the area and tell an adult when a peer becomes aggressive

  Leaving and reporting when a peer becomes aggressive

  By the annual IEP review date, when a peer hits, pushes, grabs, or threatens them during unstructured times, the student will move away from the peer and tell the nearest adult what happened independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly, combining staff incident reports and role-play probes.

  CustomizeCopy goalCopied

See all 40 conflict resolution goals