Social Skills IEP goals
136 templates across 4 skills: play & social participation, social awareness & perspective taking, peer interaction, digital literacy & online safety. Open any goal to set the baseline and target from your own data, then print the matching data sheet.
136 templates · 4 skills · Pre-K, 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.
Play & Social Participation Social-Emotional & Communication
Play with a toy the way it is designed for several minutes
Functional play with toys
By the annual IEP review date, during free play with a set of 3 familiar toys that have a clear action (such as a car, a shape sorter, a toy phone), the student will play with a toy using its designed action (such as rolling the car, putting shapes in the sorter, holding the phone to an ear) independently for at least 5 minutes, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by duration recording collected three times per week during free play.
Play next to peers with similar materials
Parallel play near peers
By the annual IEP review date, during centers when peers are playing with the same type of materials (such as blocks, playdough, cars), the student will play within arm's reach of a peer using similar materials independently for at least 6 minutes, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by duration recording collected three times per week during centers.
Social Awareness & Perspective Taking Social-Emotional & Communication
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.
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.
Peer Interaction Social-Emotional & Communication
Initiate interactions with peers during recess
Initiating interactions with peers
By the annual IEP review date, during a 20-minute recess period, the student will initiate an interaction with a peer (such as greeting, inviting to play, commenting, showing or offering an item) using speech, sign, AAC, or gesture independently at least 3 times per 20-minute recess period, across 3 consecutive observed recess periods, as measured by frequency recording collected twice weekly.
Respond to peers' greetings, questions, and invitations
Responding to peer initiations
By the annual IEP review date, when a peer greets them, asks a question, or invites them to play during unstructured times, the student will respond to the peer with a related word, sign, gesture, device message, or action (such as waving back, answering, joining the activity) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive observed sessions, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly.
Digital Literacy & Online Safety Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy
Post a respectful discussion board reply
Respectful online discussion
By the annual IEP review date, when the class discussion board asks students to reply to a classmate's post, the student will write a reply that names the classmate's point, adds their own idea or question, and uses respectful wording independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Social skills goals pull from peer interaction, pragmatic language, social awareness, conflict resolution, and play and social participation. Good goals name the skill, such as joining a group, taking turns in a game, or naming what a peer might want, and the setting where it happens, such as recess, lunch, or group work. Most are measured as opportunities or frequency during a set activity, and multi-part skills use a rubric. Write goals that respect each student's way of connecting: success means the interaction works for the student and the peer, not that the student acts like everyone else. Never require eye contact or forced participation, and give choices about how and when the student joins.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 13 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 65 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 4 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 19 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 6 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 21 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 8 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a measurable social skills goal?
Pick one observable skill, name the setting, and count it. For example: during structured recess games, the student will invite a peer to play or join a game in 3 of 4 opportunities. Avoid broad goals like "will improve social skills".
Should social skills goals include eye contact?
No. Eye contact is not needed for a good interaction, and it can be uncomfortable or make listening harder for some students. Write the goal around what the student says or does.
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.