Functional & Independence Skills IEP goals for Speech or Language Impairment
58 functional & independence skills templates across 9 skills: preschool & kindergarten readiness, toileting, community & safety skills, health & self-management, leisure & recreation, school-related independence, functional routines, daily living skills, functional academics. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
58 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.
Preschool & Kindergarten Readiness Functional & Independence Skills
Say goodbye to the caregiver and join the classroom
Separating from a caregiver
By the annual IEP review date, at morning drop-off at the classroom door, with the caregiver following the agreed goodbye routine, the student will complete the drop-off routine and join the first activity, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily at drop-off.
Sit and attend during circle time
Attending during circle time
By the annual IEP review date, during the daily circle time on the carpet with the whole class, the student will remain in the circle area and take part in the activity in their usual way (such as responding, singing, or using the materials) independently for at least 8 minutes, on 4 of 5 consecutive circle times, as measured by duration recording collected daily during circle time.
Toileting Functional & Independence Skills
Request the bathroom with a picture or sign
Communicating the need to use the bathroom
By the annual IEP review date, when they show the signs of needing the bathroom listed in their toileting plan (holding, squirming, pausing play), the student will tell an adult they need the bathroom by handing over the picture card, signing, saying a word, or pressing a device button before an adult names the bathroom in at least 4 of 6 opportunities, on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily, across the school day.
Follow picture steps for a toileting trip
Toileting routine steps
By the annual IEP review date, during scheduled toileting trips in the classroom bathroom, the student will complete the steps of the toileting trip shown on the picture sequence, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, across 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected daily at one scheduled trip.
Community & Safety Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Identify who can help when lost or in trouble
Trusted adults and community helpers
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 pictures of people in community and school settings and asked who could help if the student were lost, the student will identify the people who can help in each picture or scenario independently with 100% accuracy on helper items, on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Ask an employee for help in a store or public place
Asking for help in the community
By the annual IEP review date, during a community-based instruction outing, when the student cannot find an item, the restroom, or the exit, the student will approach an employee and ask for the help needed independently in 5 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive outings, as measured by direct observation collected at each outing, with planned opportunities built in.
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
Choose a free-time activity from a choice board
Choosing a leisure activity from options
By the annual IEP review date, at the start of free choice time, with a choice board of three to four activities the student likes, the student will choose an activity by pointing to, touching, or naming a picture on the choice board and go to 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 free choice time.
Join a group game already in progress
Joining a club or team
By the annual IEP review date, during recess, when a group game they like is already being played, the student will walk up to the game, ask to join or wait at the line or the side, and take part when let in independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected during three recess periods a week.
School-Related Independence Functional & Independence Skills
Walk to the nurse's office with a pass
Using the nurse or counseling office
By the annual IEP review date, when the student reports a minor need (a scrape, a stomachache, a nosebleed that has stopped) and the teacher gives a nurse pass, the student will walk to the nurse's office with the pass, give it to the nurse, and show or say the reason for the visit, performing at least 5 of 6 steps independently, across 4 consecutive visits, including practice walks, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each nurse visit or practice walk.
Deliver a message or item to the office
Classroom errands
By the annual IEP review date, when the teacher sends the student to the front office with an attendance folder or a written note, the student will take the item to the office, hand it over with the message, and return with any reply, performing at least 6 of 7 steps independently, across 4 consecutive errands, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each errand, about twice per week.
Functional Routines Functional & Independence Skills
Complete a non-preferred routine shown on a first-then board
Using a first-then board
By the annual IEP review date, when shown a first-then board with a short required routine first and a preferred activity second, the student will complete the routine shown on the first side of the board and then move to the preferred activity with the board shown once and no further prompts in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily across five planned first-then opportunities.
Follow a mini-schedule at a play center
Mini-schedule within an activity
By the annual IEP review date, during center time, given a three-picture mini-schedule strip at the block or kitchen center, the student will follow the mini-schedule from the first picture to the finished pocket, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, across 3 consecutive observed center sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected three center sessions per week.
Daily Living Skills Functional & Independence Skills
Order and pay for a meal at a counter
Ordering at a restaurant
By the annual IEP review date, during a community-based instruction visit to a fast-casual restaurant, given a set amount of money, the student will order and pay for a meal at the counter with staff observing from a distance, performing at least 7 of 8 steps independently, on 3 consecutive ordering opportunities, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected at each community-based instruction trip or school cafe visit (at least twice monthly).
Ask privately for personal care help
Requesting personal care help
By the annual IEP review date, when the student needs help with clothing, hygiene, or supplies during the school day, the student will make a private request for personal care help to a chosen staff member using speech, a card, or an AAC device independently in at least 5 of 6 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data periods, as measured by direct observation collected at each real or practice opportunity, summarized monthly.
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. Speech or Language Impairment is one of the largest IDEA categories, and most of these goals are written and monitored by the speech-language pathologist. Articulation and phonology goals count sounds in words; language goals count utterances, responses, or steps, usually in trial-by-trial data.
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 29 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 12 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 11 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 4 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 1 goal here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
Who writes speech and language IEP goals?
The speech-language pathologist usually drafts them from the evaluation, and the IEP team adopts them. Teachers and families contribute present-level information, especially about how communication works outside the therapy room.
How are articulation goals measured?
By percent accuracy for a target sound at a level (isolation, syllable, word, sentence, conversation), scored from a set number of productions. Goals often step up through levels as the student masters each one.
What functional skill goals fit students with speech or language 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.
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.