Functional & Independence Skills IEP goals for Other Health Impairment
58 functional & independence skills templates across 8 skills: health & self-management, school-related independence, toileting, functional routines, community & safety skills, functional academics, leisure & recreation, daily living skills. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
58 templates · 8 skills · 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.
Health & Self-Management Functional & Independence Skills
Decline food not on the safe-food list
Allergy awareness and declining unsafe food
By the annual IEP review date, when offered food by a peer, at a class party, or during a classroom activity that uses food, the student will decline food that is not on their safe-food list and tell the adult in charge independently in 5 of 5 opportunities, on 3 consecutive data review weeks, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected at every food event and weekly role-play.
Cover a cough or sneeze and wash hands
Hygiene and illness prevention
By the annual IEP review date, when they cough or sneeze during class or small-group work, the student will cover the cough or sneeze with a tissue or the inside of the elbow, throw away any tissue, and clean their hands independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by frequency recording collected during two class periods a day, three days a week.
School-Related Independence Functional & Independence Skills
Enter assignments as digital calendar reminders
Recording assignments as digital reminders
By the annual IEP review date, when an assignment or due date is posted or announced during a class period, the student will enter the assignment as a digital calendar event or reminder with the due date and an alert time independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, for 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly by comparing the device reminders with posted assignments.
Arrive at class with the required materials
Bringing materials to class
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of each class period, the student will arrive with all items on the class materials list independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly checks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly across five sampled class periods.
Toileting Functional & Independence Skills
Change clothes privately after a toileting accident
Toileting routine steps
By the annual IEP review date, after a toileting accident at school, with a spare-clothes bag kept in the nurse's office or a private cubby, the student will get their spare-clothes bag, change in a private bathroom, and bag the wet or soiled clothes, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, across 3 consecutive accidents or practice runs, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected after each accident, with a practice run every two weeks.
Use a private signal for restroom breaks
Communicating the need to use the bathroom
By the annual IEP review date, during class, when they need the restroom, the student will use their agreed private signal (placing a card on the desk corner or a set gesture) and leave for the restroom independently in at least 5 of 6 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by frequency recording collected daily, reviewed weekly with the student.
Functional Routines Functional & Independence Skills
Enter class and complete the start-of-period routine
Start-of-class routine
By the annual IEP review date, when entering a class period before the bell rings, the student will complete the start-of-class routine, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed class starts, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily in one target class, with a weekly check in a second class.
Clean out the desk and folder each Friday
Weekly clean-out routine
By the annual IEP review date, during a ten-minute clean-out time on Friday afternoon, given a picture or written checklist, the student will complete the weekly clean-out routine for the desk and folder, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, on 3 of 4 consecutive Fridays, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected weekly at clean-out time.
Community & Safety Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Call emergency services in a practice scenario
Calling for help in an emergency
By the annual IEP review date, given an emergency scenario card (a person is not breathing, a fire in the kitchen) and a practice phone, the student will complete the practice emergency call, performing all 7 steps independently, on 3 consecutive practice calls, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected every two weeks.
Keep own medicine stored and private
Medication safety
By the annual IEP review date, during the school or program day, when the student carries approved medicine, the student will keep the medicine in its labeled container in the planned place and decline to share it independently in 10 of 10 opportunities, across 2 consecutive two-week periods, as measured by direct observation collected daily by spot check, summarized every ten days.
Functional Academics Functional & Independence Skills
Check a food label for an allergen or ingredient
Food labels and ingredients
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 food packages and a card listing 3 target words to find (such as peanuts, milk, wheat), the student will find the ingredients list on each package and state whether a target word is present independently with at least 90% accuracy on food packages checked, on 3 consecutive probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Read the key facts on a medicine label
Medication and product labels
By the annual IEP review date, given 5 printed prescription and over-the-counter labels and 4 questions about each, the student will find the medicine name, the dose, when to take it, and one warning on each label independently with at least 90% accuracy on label questions, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Leisure & Recreation Functional & Independence Skills
Exercise for fun several times a week
Fitness as leisure
By the annual IEP review date, during the week, outside of PE, at home or in the community, the student will complete a self-chosen physical activity for at least the agreed minutes and log it independently at least 3 times per week, across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by frequency recording collected weekly, from the log.
Daily Living Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Change into spare clothes after a spill
Changing after a spill or accident
By the annual IEP review date, after a spill, a wetting or bowel accident, or a messy activity at school, with a spare-clothes bag in the locker or classroom, the student will get the spare-clothes bag, change in a private restroom, and bag the wet or soiled clothes, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, across 3 consecutive opportunities, including practice runs, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each real or practice opportunity.
Routines, daily living, functional academics, community safety, toileting, health, and leisure skills. Other Health Impairment covers conditions that limit strength, vitality, or alertness, including ADHD, epilepsy, diabetes, and many chronic illnesses. The goals below address the school effects teams see most: attention, work completion, organization, and self-advocacy about health needs.
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 22 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 21 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 3 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 4 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 8 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What conditions fall under Other Health Impairment?
IDEA lists examples such as asthma, ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome. The condition must adversely affect educational performance for the student to qualify.
What goals are common under OHI?
Executive function goals (task initiation, sustained attention, assignment completion), organization and self-monitoring, and self-advocacy goals such as requesting a break or communicating a health need. Academic goals are added when assessment shows a need.
What functional skill goals fit students with other health impairment?
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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