The goals from across this bank that IEP teams most often write for autistic students — communication, regulation, social interaction, routine and independence — collected on one page.
Autism is an eligibility category, not a skill area. Nothing on this page is written for a diagnosis — each goal is written for a skill, and a team picks the ones that match one student’s present levels.
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Annual goal
By the annual review date, when given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin the task within one minute and without argument in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a frequency count kept during instructional periods.
Benchmarks
By the annual review date, when given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin the task within one minute and without argument in 4 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a frequency count kept during instructional periods.
By the annual review date, when given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin the task within one minute and without argument in 5 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a frequency count kept during instructional periods.
By the annual review date, when given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin the task within one minute and without argument in 7 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a frequency count kept during instructional periods.
Replace [Student] and any remaining bracket in your own document. The IEP team writes the goal from this student's present levels; this is a starting draft, not an IEP.
Each shown at an example present level and target.
By the annual review date, when given a one-step direction, [Student] will begin the task within one minute and without argument in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a frequency count kept during instructional periods.
By the annual review date, when a transition is announced, [Student] will stop the current activity, move to the next location and begin within 2 minutes, as measured by a transition latency record kept by staff.
By the annual review date, when told no or told a planned activity has changed, [Student] will acknowledge it and continue with the alternative without escalation in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by an incident and opportunity log kept by staff.
By the annual review date, when [Student] notices rising frustration, they will request a break using the agreed signal and return within the agreed time in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by a break request log kept by staff.
By the annual review date, [Student] will check their visual schedule and move to the next activity with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept across the day.
By the annual review date, when required to wait for a turn or for adult attention, [Student] will wait quietly for 6 minutes using a taught waiting strategy, as measured by a timer and duration record kept by staff.
By the annual review date, during independent work, [Student] will work without adult prompting for 15 minutes, as measured by a timer and duration record kept during independent work.
By the annual review date, when [Student] shows signs of a strong feeling, they will name the feeling using a word or a visual scale in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by staff observation records with an emotion scale.
By the annual review date, when frustrated or anxious, [Student] will choose and use a taught coping strategy before the behaviour escalates, in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by a strategy-use log kept by staff.
By the annual review date, during unstructured time, [Student] will start a conversation with a peer using a greeting and a question in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by observation records kept during unstructured time.
By the annual review date, in conversation with a peer, [Student] will stay on the peer’s topic for 6 conversational turns before changing the subject, as measured by turn-taking counts recorded during structured social time.
By the annual review date, during recess or free choice, [Student] will join a peer activity by asking to play or taking an available role, in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by supervision staff observation records.
By the annual review date, when shown a photograph or video of a social situation, [Student] will state what the person is feeling and what cue shows it, with 85% accuracy, as measured by weekly social scenario probes scored with a key.
By the annual review date, when asked at set times of day, [Student] will rate their current state on the agreed scale, matching the adult’s rating with 85% agreement, as measured by paired student and staff rating records.
By the annual review date, when greeted by a familiar adult or peer, [Student] will return the greeting with words or their communication system in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a daily greeting tally kept by staff.
By the annual review date, during class and unstructured time, [Student] will keep an arm’s length from peers unless invited closer, in 8 of 10 observed periods, as measured by observation records kept by classroom staff.
By the annual review date, when given a described social situation, [Student] will state how the other person probably saw it and one thing that would change it, with 80% accuracy against a scoring guide, as measured by weekly scenario tasks scored against a guide.
By the annual review date, at the start of a group activity, [Student] will greet the group and take their place with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept during group activities.
By the annual review date, when the daily schedule changes, [Student] will look at the updated schedule and state what happens next without protest in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by schedule-change records kept by staff.
By the annual review date, [Student] will complete the morning arrival routine from start to finish with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept each morning.
By the annual review date, on arrival at school, [Student] will hang up their coat and bag and take out their materials with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept each morning.
By the annual review date, when a fire alarm or drill signal sounds, [Student] will stop, line up and follow the exit route with no adult prompting, as measured by drill records kept by classroom staff.
By the annual review date, when [Student] wants an item or activity that is out of reach, they will request it using words, signs or their communication system in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a request tally kept by classroom staff.
By the annual review date, during structured activities, [Student] will use their communication system to comment or request with no adult prompting, as measured by a prompting-level data sheet kept during activities.
By the annual review date, when [Student] needs help, a break or a material, they will say or show which one using their communication system in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a communication tally kept by staff.
By the annual review date, in a conversation with a peer, [Student] will take 6 exchanges on the same topic, responding to what the peer said, as measured by turn counts recorded during structured social time.
By the annual review date, when a listener does not understand, [Student] will repeat or rephrase the message rather than giving up, in 4 of 5 opportunities, as measured by observation records kept during conversation.
By the annual review date, when [Student] has something to share, they will get the listener’s attention before speaking in 8 of 10 opportunities, as measured by a communication tally kept by staff.
By the annual review date, when a speaker uses an idiom, a hint or sarcasm, [Student] will state what was actually meant with 80% accuracy, as measured by weekly scenario probes scored against a guide.
By the annual review date, when [Student] feels unwell or uncomfortable, they will tell an adult using words, signs or their communication system in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by staff records of reported discomfort.
By the annual review date, [Student] will use their target communication skill with at least two different adults and in at least two settings, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by data sheets kept by staff in each setting.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of the documents below, with the date it was read. Requirements change; if a source has moved on since that date, the source is right and this page is out of date.