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Social Awareness & Perspective Taking IEP goals

Social awareness is understanding other people: what they might feel, think, or want, what a setting expects without saying it, and how an action will land. Good goals name what the student will identify or explain and from what information (a face, a voice, a situation, a story), and they accept the student's own way of reading others. Measure answers about scenarios with accuracy, noticing in real moments with opportunities, and longer explanations with a rubric.

40 templates · How we write and review goals

Sample social awareness & perspective taking goals

Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline (how templates are made).

  • PK, K-2Percent accuracy

    Name basic emotions in photos of people

    Naming basic emotions in others

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photos of children in everyday situations showing happy, sad, mad, or scared, and a choice board of 4 emotion symbols, the student will name or point to the emotion that fits the person in each photo independently with at least 80% accuracy on emotion photos, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • PK, K-2Opportunities

    Notice when a classmate is sad or hurt

    Noticing a peer who is upset

    By the annual IEP review date, during free play, centers, or the playground, when a nearby peer cries, falls, or shows they are upset, the student will respond to the upset peer by going over, asking "Okay?", bringing a comfort item, or telling an adult independently in at least 3 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected 3 times per week.

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  • PK, K-2Percent accuracy

    Match emotions to simple story situations

    Emotions from situations

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short spoken situations with a picture (such as "It is her birthday", "His block tower fell down"), and a board of 4 emotion symbols, the student will choose or name the emotion that fits the situation independently with at least 70% accuracy on story situations, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • PK, K-2Opportunities

    Pick what a peer likes for them

    Others have different likes

    By the annual IEP review date, during a snack or play game, after a peer or puppet has said which of 2 items they like, when the adult asks the student to give that person one, the student will give or name the item the other person said they like (not the student's own favorite) independently in at least 7 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Name a character's emotion and the clue

    Character emotions and clues

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture-book pages or short story events at the student's listening level, with an emotion word bank, the student will name the character's emotion and one clue from the words, picture, or situation that shows it independently with at least 80% accuracy on story events (emotion and clue both given), in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Tell an accident from on purpose

    Accident or on purpose

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short illustrated or video scenarios of peer mishaps, half accidental and half deliberate, the student will say whether the peer did it by accident or on purpose and name one clue (such as what they said, what they did next, or what happened before) independently with at least 80% accuracy on peer mishap scenarios, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Opportunities

    Check on a classmate who seems upset

    Checking on an upset peer

    By the annual IEP review date, during class, recess, or lunch, when a nearby classmate cries, says they are upset, or sits apart after something went wrong, the student will check on the classmate by asking if they are okay, offering help, saying something kind, or telling an adult independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, on 3 of 4 observed weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Predict how a peer will react

    Predicting reactions

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short scenario cards about everyday actions (such as cutting in line, sharing a snack, knocking over a tower), read aloud, the student will predict the other person's likely reaction and emotion and say one reason independently with at least 80% accuracy on action scenarios, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Explain what someone who missed it thinks

    What others know (false belief)

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short acted-out or illustrated stories in which one character misses an event (such as an object being moved), the student will say what the character who missed the event will think or do and why independently with at least 70% accuracy on missed-event stories, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5, 6-8Percent accuracy

    Name emotions from tone of voice

    Emotions from tone of voice

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 recorded sentences with neutral words (such as "We're going now") said in happy, sad, angry, or worried voices, the student will name or choose the emotion the speaker's voice shows independently with at least 80% accuracy on recorded voice samples, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, 3-5Percent accuracy

    Name what a place expects people to do

    Expectations of a setting

    By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photos of school places (library, cafeteria, gym, hallway, assembly, office) and asked what people usually do there, the student will name 2 expected things people do in each place (such as the voice level or how people move) independently with at least 80% accuracy on school place photos, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.

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  • K-2, PKOpportunities

    Notice when a peer wants a turn

    Noticing a peer's wants in play

    By the annual IEP review date, during centers or recess with shared materials, when a peer waits nearby, reaches for an item, or asks for a turn, the student will notice the peer's signal and respond by offering a turn, saying "after me" or "in a minute", or asking "Do you want a turn?" independently in at least 4 of 6 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly.

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28 more social awareness & perspective taking templates

Each opens in the builder with its sample goal, notes, objectives, and data sheet.

What social awareness & perspective taking involves

  • Naming how someone might feel from their face, voice, or situation
  • Saying what a peer might think or want, including when it differs from the student's own view
  • Explaining the unwritten expectations of a setting such as a library, a game, or a job site
  • Noticing when a listener has lost interest or is confused
  • Predicting how an action will affect others
  • Telling sarcasm, jokes, and friendly teasing from unkind teasing

Baseline and measurement considerations

  • Take a baseline with a set of short scenarios, video clips, or photos at the student's level, scored as correct answers out of items presented.
  • Clues can be face, voice, words, or context; accept answers that use any of them, since students read emotion in different ways.
  • For real-time noticing, define the opportunity (a peer looks confused during group work) and record whether the student notices and responds.
  • Use a rubric when the student explains a perspective: names the feeling, names the clue, and predicts what the person may do next.
  • SLPs, counselors, and teachers can share data; agree on the scenario set and the scoring before collecting.

Progress-monitoring methods used in these templates

  • Opportunity (trial) recording: Each planned or naturally occurring opportunity is recorded as correct/independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.
  • Direct observation: An adult observes and records the defined behavior during a specified activity.
  • Work-sample analysis: Scoring completed student work (permanent products) against a defined answer key or checklist.
  • Rubric scoring: Work or performance is scored against written criteria with defined score levels.

How each measure works

Matching data sheets

Each template links to a blank sheet built for its measure. You can also download these sheets on their own:

  • Accuracy tracker: Number correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.
  • Opportunity tracker: Records each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.
  • Rubric tracker: Scores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.

Common mistakes when writing social awareness & perspective taking goals

  • Requiring eye contact or reading faces as the only clue; many students read situations and voices instead, and goals should accept that.
  • Writing "will show empathy" or "will be aware of others" without an observable response.
  • Mixing conversation skills into the goal; starting and keeping a conversation belongs in pragmatic-language.
  • Turning the goal into managing the student's own feelings; acting on feelings belongs in emotional-regulation.
  • Scoring only on worksheets and never checking whether the skill shows up with real peers.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write an IEP goal for perspective taking?

Name the material and the response: for example, given a short story or video of a peer situation, the student will name what each person might think or want and give one clue, in 8 of 10 scenarios. Then add a real-world version during group work so the skill carries over.

What is a good social awareness goal for elementary school?

Naming how a character or classmate feels and what clue shows it is a good start in K to 5. Telling friendly teasing from unkind teasing, and predicting how an action will make someone feel, fit the upper grades.

Should a social awareness goal include eye contact?

No. Eye contact is not needed to understand others and can make it harder for some students to listen. Write the goal around what the student understands and explains, using whatever clues work for that student.

How often should I collect data on social awareness?

Weekly or every two weeks is enough for scenario probes. Real-time noticing during group work or lunch can be checked once or twice a week with a short observation.

References

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.