SLP Functional & Independence Skills IEP goals
37 functional & independence skills templates tagged for the speech-language pathologist, across 9 skills: preschool & kindergarten readiness, leisure & recreation, community & safety skills, toileting, health & self-management, daily living skills, functional routines, functional academics, school-related independence. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
37 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
Respond when name is called
Responding to own name
By the annual IEP review date, when an adult calls the child's name once from within 3 feet during play, the student will respond in a way that shows they heard (pausing, turning toward the adult, vocalizing, signing, or a device message) within 3 seconds independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily, five planned trials.
Follow one-step directions given to the group
Following group directions
By the annual IEP review date, when the teacher gives a one-step direction to the whole class during circle or a transition (stand up, get your coat, come to the carpet), the student will follow the group direction within 10 seconds independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by direct observation collected daily, across the first five group directions.
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.
Play a simple board game to the end
Board and card games with peers
By the annual IEP review date, during a game time with one peer and a short board game with a die or spinner, the student will complete the steps of a simple board game from setup to cleanup, performing at least 5 of 7 steps independently, across 3 consecutive game sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly.
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.
State full name, phone number, and address when asked
Personal information
By the annual IEP review date, when asked by a familiar adult for own full name, phone number, and address, the student will state own full name, a caregiver's phone number, and home address independently with 100% accuracy on personal information items, on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
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.
Tell an adult about wet or soiled clothes
Communicating the need to use the bathroom
By the annual IEP review date, after an accident during the school day, the student will tell or show an adult, in any mode they use, that their clothes are wet or soiled before an adult notices in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, in 4 of 5 consecutive weekly reviews, as measured by frequency recording collected after every accident, reviewed 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.
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.
Functional Routines Functional & Independence Skills
Go to and return from a pull-out session
Going to and from pull-out services
By the annual IEP review date, when the schedule shows a speech, OT, or resource session and the class clock reaches the start time, the student will walk to the service room with the pass, check in, and walk back to class at the end independently in at least 7 of 8 opportunities, across 2 consecutive two-week periods, as measured by direct observation collected at each session, summarized every two weeks.
Functional Academics Functional & Independence Skills
Identify familiar logos and environmental print
Environmental print and logos
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photographs of familiar logos and signs from the student's community (stores, restaurants, restroom, stop), the student will name or point to the place or item each logo stands for independently with at least 80% accuracy on logos and signs, on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected 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. This goal bank for speech-language pathologists covers articulation, phonology, expressive and receptive language, pragmatics, fluency, voice, AAC, and narrative skills. Criteria are written in trials, percent accuracy, or opportunities so session data lines up with the goal.
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 2 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 12 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
How do SLPs write measurable speech and language goals?
Name the target (sound, structure, or function), the level (word, sentence, conversation), the context, the support, and a criterion such as 80% accuracy over 20 trials in 3 consecutive sessions. The templates here follow that pattern.
Should articulation goals progress through levels?
Most do: isolation or syllable, then word, phrase, sentence, and conversation. Writing the current level into the goal and using short-term objectives for the next levels keeps the goal measurable all year.
How do I document Medicaid-billable sessions?
Session notes need the date, time, service, and the student's response to treatment. IEP Atlas Pro keeps a service log with minutes and session data in your account; check your district's documentation rules.
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.