Functional & Independence Skills IEP goals for Multiple Disabilities
62 functional & independence skills templates across 9 skills: daily living skills, functional routines, toileting, community & safety skills, health & self-management, leisure & recreation, preschool & kindergarten readiness, school-related independence, functional academics. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
62 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.
Daily Living Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Wash hands following a step sequence
Handwashing
By the annual IEP review date, before eating snack or lunch and after using the restroom, the student will wash hands at the sink using a picture sequence posted at the sink, performing at least 8 of 9 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at one planned handwashing time each day.
Put on outdoor clothing before going outside
Dressing for outdoor recess
By the annual IEP review date, when the class gets ready to go outside for recess on a cold day, the student will put on outdoor clothing for cold weather using a picture sequence at the cubby, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected three days per week during cold-weather months.
Functional Routines Functional & Independence Skills
Complete the morning arrival routine
Morning arrival routine
By the annual IEP review date, upon entering the classroom at the start of the school day, the student will complete the morning arrival routine without a visual task list, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily during the arrival routine.
Complete the cafeteria lunch routine
Cafeteria lunch routine
By the annual IEP review date, during the school lunch period in the cafeteria, the student will complete the cafeteria lunch routine using a pocket-sized picture card, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed lunch periods, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected three lunch periods per week.
Toileting Functional & Independence Skills
Go to the bathroom at the schedule cue
Taking part in a toileting schedule
By the annual IEP review date, when the toileting schedule cue is given (a timer, the bathroom picture on their visual schedule, or an adult's spoken cue), the student will stop the current activity and walk to the bathroom with the adult independently in at least 5 of 6 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected at every scheduled trip.
Use the toilet during scheduled sits
Taking part in a toileting schedule
By the annual IEP review date, during scheduled toileting sits across the school day, the student will urinate or have a bowel movement in the toilet with a picture of the routine posted in the stall at least 3 times per school day, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by frequency recording collected daily, at every scheduled sit.
Community & Safety Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Cross the street at a signalized crosswalk
Crossing at a signal
By the annual IEP review date, at a signalized crosswalk during a community-based instruction walk, the student will cross the street following the crosswalk routine with an adult walking behind, performing all 7 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive crossings, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each community walk (at least weekly).
Cross a street without a signal after checking for traffic
Crossing without a signal
By the annual IEP review date, at a residential street crossing without a signal during a community walk, the student will cross the street after stopping and checking for traffic in both directions with an adult walking behind, performing all 6 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive crossings, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each community walk (at least weekly).
Health & Self-Management Functional & Independence Skills
Rate pain on a faces scale when asked
Reporting illness or pain
By the annual IEP review date, when an adult or the nurse asks about pain after an injury, a complaint of pain, or a nurse visit, the student will point to or say a number on the 0-to-10 faces pain scale that matches their pain independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected at each real or practice opportunity, reviewed weekly.
Show symptoms on a body chart
Reporting illness or pain
By the annual IEP review date, when they show signs of being unwell listed in their health plan (head down, holding the stomach, leaving the group), the student will point to a symptom picture (hurts, itchy, sick to stomach, dizzy) and to the body part on the body chart independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, in 4 of 5 consecutive weekly reviews, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected at each real or practice opportunity.
Leisure & Recreation Functional & Independence Skills
Listen to music on headphones at set volume
Music, art and hobbies
By the annual IEP review date, during free time or a break, with a school device or their own music player, the student will set up their music with headphones, choose what to play, and keep the volume at the marked level, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, across 4 consecutive sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly.
Choose a free-period activity from a menu
Choosing a leisure activity from options
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of a free period or break, with an age-matched leisure menu, the student will choose an activity from the menu and start it independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily at one free period.
Preschool & Kindergarten Readiness Functional & Independence Skills
Join circle-time songs with actions
Participating in songs and finger plays
By the annual IEP review date, during a familiar action song or finger play at circle time, the student will do the actions along with the song independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by direct observation collected daily during circle time.
Match identical pictures and objects
Matching
By the annual IEP review date, given one object and a field of three objects, asked to find the one that is the same, the student will select the matching item from the field independently with at least 90% accuracy on matching trials, on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
School-Related Independence Functional & Independence Skills
Sign in to a school device and open the assigned task
Signing in to a school device
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of a lesson that uses a school-issued device, the student will sign in to the school device and open the assigned task on the learning platform using a login card kept in a private place, performing at least 7 of 9 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive device sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly.
Find the correct bus or pick-up line at dismissal
Finding the bus at dismissal
By the annual IEP review date, at dismissal, when the student's bus number is called or shown on the dismissal board, the student will walk to the correct bus or pick-up line and board or wait as directed independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, for 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected daily at dismissal, summarized weekly.
All 9 skills
Every skill with goals for this group, by area. The number is how many of its goals are tagged here.
Routines, daily living, functional academics, community safety, toileting, health, and leisure skills. Students with multiple disabilities have combined needs that one program cannot serve alone, and their goals focus on communication, participation in routines, and daily living, with careful attention to the response mode and prompting level. Small, well-defined steps make progress measurable.
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 34 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 19 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 5 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 2 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 2 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What goals fit students with significant support needs?
Functional communication (requesting, choosing, refusing in any mode), participation in classroom routines, daily living steps, and functional academics such as recognizing a name or a schedule symbol. Goals are built from task analyses and opportunity data.
How do I write a goal when the student needs prompting?
Put the prompting level in the support part of the goal and set the criterion for a lower level than the current one. 'With a gestural prompt' can be the target when the baseline is a physical prompt.
What functional skill goals fit students with multiple disabilities?
Daily living routines, school independence (arrival, materials, transitions), functional academics (money, time, schedules), community safety, and vocational readiness for older students, measured with task-analysis checklists and opportunity data.
How do I write a routine as a goal?
Break the routine into ordered steps, record which steps the student completes independently, and set the criterion as a number of steps across several sessions.
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