Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE) IEP goals
Fine motor, handwriting, visual-motor, gross motor, fitness, functional mobility, feeding, and sensory processing skills. Choose a skill to see sample goals, customize one in the builder, and download a matching data sheet.
Fine Motor Skills
55 templatesFine motor skills are the hand and finger movements a student needs to get through the school day: holding a pencil, cutting on a line, zipping a coat, opening a milk carton, and managing a backpack or locker. Good goals name the classroom task, the tool or material, and the level of help allowed, rather than a general hand skill. Measure discrete tasks as opportunities or accuracy on a fixed set of items, routines such as zipping or opening a locker as task-analysis steps, and speed as a count per timing.
By the annual IEP review date, during a coloring, drawing, or writing activity lasting at least 5 minutes, the student will hold the writing tool with a tripod grasp (thumb, index, and middle finger) and an open web space for the whole activity independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly observations, as measured by direct observation collected weekly during a classroom writing or coloring activity.
Handwriting
55 templatesHandwriting goals cover how a student forms letters and numerals, sizes and spaces them, places them on the line, copies from a model or the board, and writes fast enough and legibly enough to keep up with class work. Good goals name one component (formation, size, spacing, placement, speed, or overall legibility) and the paper and task it will be measured on, and they say when keyboarding or dictation becomes the alternative. Measure formed letters as accuracy on a probe, legibility with a rubric, speed as letters or words per minute, and copying as duration or accuracy.
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed model of a vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross, and square and a crayon, the student will copy each stroke so that it is recognizable and has the correct orientation independently with at least 80% accuracy on strokes copied recognizably, on 3 consecutive weekly work samples, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly during a writing center or OT session.
Visual-Motor & Visual-Perceptual Skills
40 templatesVisual-motor and visual-perceptual skills are how a student takes in what is on a page or a model and reproduces or acts on it: copying a shape or diagram, finding the right problem on a crowded worksheet, keeping place on a line of print, remembering a letter string long enough to write it, or building a block model. Good goals name the school task the skill unlocks (copying from the board, lining up math columns, marking a bubble sheet) and the exact material used. Measure copying and placement as accuracy on a fixed set of items, scanning and memory as accuracy or opportunities on a timed probe, and construction tasks as trials completed.
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed model of a circle, square, triangle, and cross and a pencil, the student will independently copy each shape so that it is closed, has the correct number of sides and corners, and is recognizable without the model with at least 85% accuracy on shapes copied correctly, on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly during a writing center or OT session.
Gross Motor Skills
50 templatesGross motor goals cover the whole-body skills a student needs to move through the school day: balancing, climbing stairs, walking with the class, getting up from the floor, jumping, running, catching and throwing, using the playground, and traveling school routes with or without a mobility device. Good goals are educational, not clinical: they name a school activity, the surface or equipment, and the level of help, and they are measured where the activity happens. Measure discrete skills as trials, routines such as stairs or a school route as task-analysis steps, balance and endurance as duration, and transitions as time.
By the annual IEP review date, when asked to stand on one foot on a flat floor during PE or a therapy session, the student will independently stand on one foot without the other foot touching the floor and without holding on, with arms free for at least 8 seconds, on 3 consecutive weekly trials on each foot, as measured by duration recording collected weekly during PE or therapy.
Physical Fitness & PE Participation
50 templatesPhysical fitness and PE participation goals cover the endurance, strength, flexibility, and class skills a student needs to take part in physical education and to stay active after school ends: running or propelling a wheelchair for a set time, doing curl-ups and push-ups, holding stretches, following the warm-up and the rules of a game, responding to signals, using adapted equipment, and running a fitness circuit or weight room station on their own. Good goals name the PE activity, the equipment or modification, and the level of help, and they are collected in PE class. Measure endurance and holds as duration, repetitions as a count per timing, routines as task-analysis steps, rule following with a rubric, and signal response as latency.
By the annual IEP review date, during the PE warm-up on the track or gym floor, the student will independently continue walking or jogging without stopping or sitting down for at least 10 minutes, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly sessions, as measured by duration recording collected weekly during PE.
Functional Mobility
35 templatesFunctional mobility is how a student gets around school, with or without equipment: propelling or driving a wheelchair, using a walker or crutches, making transfers, handling ramps, elevators, and doors, and getting out during a drill. Good goals name the route or task, the equipment, the time it should take, and the level of help, and they are written with the PT. Measure transfers and routes with a task analysis, travel time or distance with duration, and real moments such as opening doors with opportunities.
By the annual IEP review date, during the passing time before lunch, on the route from the classroom to the cafeteria, the student will propel the manual wheelchair the full route, steering around people and objects with no adult pushes or prompts within 5 minutes, on 4 of 5 timed routes, as measured by duration recording collected twice weekly.
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Feeding & Mealtime Skills
30 templatesFeeding and mealtime goals cover the self-feeding and lunch skills a student uses at school: using a spoon and fork, drinking from an open cup or straw, opening containers, pacing bites with a cue, cleaning up, and telling others about hunger, fullness, and preferences. Good goals name the utensil, the food or container, and the support, and are written with the OT or SLP who knows the student's mealtime needs. Swallowing safety and texture changes belong to the medical feeding plan, not to an IEP goal. Measure routines with a task analysis, cued skills such as pacing with opportunities, and container opening with accuracy.
By the annual IEP review date, during snack or lunch, given a food that holds on a spoon (such as yogurt, applesauce or mashed food) in a bowl, the student will scoop the food with the spoon and bring it to the mouth, keeping most of the food on the spoon with no adult hands on the spoon in at least 7 of 10 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed meals, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three meals a week.
Sensory Processing & Regulation
40 templatesSensory processing goals give a student strategies and access so the school day works for their body: asking for a sensory tool or break, choosing a strategy from a menu, using noise-reducing headphones, taking part in assemblies or the cafeteria with a plan, and rating their own alertness. Good goals name the strategy and the setting, and never ask a student to stop a regulating movement or to put up with distress. Measure requesting and choosing with opportunities, getting back to work after a break with latency, and taking part in a busy setting with duration.
By the annual IEP review date, during whole-group lessons or independent work, when the student shows the early signs listed in their sensory plan (such as covering ears, moving more or going quiet), the student will request a sensory break using words, a break card, a sign or a device, and go to the agreed break spot with no adult prompts in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by frequency recording collected daily.