Writing IEP goals for Multiple Disabilities
12 writing templates across 4 skills: written expression, sentence construction, paragraph organization, spelling. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
12 templates · 4 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.
Written Expression Writing
Compose a journal sentence on an AAC device
Writing with AAC or dictation
By the annual IEP review date, during daily journal time, given a photo or drawing from a recent activity and the student's AAC device, the student will use the AAC device to compose a journal sentence of at least three words about the photo independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Compose a message with an alternative pencil
Writing with AAC or dictation
By the annual IEP review date, during a daily message-writing routine, given an alternative pencil (such as an alphabet flip chart or onscreen keyboard with word prediction) and a real reason to write, the student will write a message of at least three words or word attempts that tells a person something about the student's day or plans independently in at least 6 of 8 opportunities, across 4 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Sentence Construction Writing
Build a sentence from a three-column word bank
Sentences from a word bank for students with significant support needs
By the annual IEP review date, given a word bank with three columns (who, does, what) of picture-supported words and a sentence strip, the student will choose one word from each column to build a sentence that makes sense and write or place it on the sentence strip independently in at least 5 of 6 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Compose AAC sentences about the school day
Sentences from a word bank for students with significant support needs
By the annual IEP review date, during a daily writing routine, given the student's AAC device and a photo or schedule item from the school day, the student will compose a sentence of at least four words with a subject and a verb about the topic and send it to a text document or message independently in at least 6 of 8 opportunities, across 4 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Paragraph Organization Writing
Complete a paragraph frame about a choice
Paragraph frames for significant support needs
By the annual IEP review date, given a five-sentence paragraph frame with spaces for a favorite thing, two reasons, and a closing, and a picture word bank, the student will fill in every space in the paragraph frame so the topic, two reasons, and closing all fit the student's choice, then read or play it back independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 4 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Write a paragraph about a job or interest
Paragraph frames for significant support needs
By the annual IEP review date, given a topic about the student's job, volunteer work, or interests and a paragraph planner with a topic box, three detail boxes, and a closing box, the student will write a paragraph of at least four sentences that starts with a topic sentence, gives three details about the topic, and ends with a closing sentence independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 2 consecutive months of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Spelling Writing
Spell personal information words for forms
Functional personal-information words
By the annual IEP review date, given a blank form that asks for first and last name, street, city, state, school, and birth month, the student will write each piece of personal information spelled correctly in the matching field independently with 100% accuracy on personal information fields, on 3 consecutive forms, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Spell familiar personal words on a letter board
Spelling familiar words with an alternative pencil
By the annual IEP review date, given the student's letter board or onscreen keyboard and a request to spell a familiar personal word (such as a family member's name or a favorite food), the student will select the letters of the familiar word in order on the letter board or keyboard independently with at least 70% accuracy on personal words, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Sentences, paragraphs, written expression, and spelling. 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:
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 writing measures work for students with multiple disabilities?
Rubrics with defined criteria for written expression, counts of correct writing sequences on a timed sample, percent of sentences with correct mechanics, and task-analysis steps for the writing process. Allow typing or dictation in the condition when handwriting is not the target.
Should the goal address handwriting or composition?
Measure one thing per goal. If letter formation is the barrier, use a handwriting or fine motor goal; if ideas and organization are, use a written expression goal with the output mode stated.
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.