54 SKILLS T TO INCLUDE WHEN WRITING INDIVIDUALIZED, FUNCTIONAL IEP GOALS

BY STEPHANIE DELUSSEY

IEP goals are written to help a student achieve and master new skills. But IEP goals do not and should not be only academic in nature. This goes for any student of any age – we don't have to wait until a child is at transition age (depending on your state, this is age 12-16) to begin working on these skills.

There are so many ways to make an academic goal more functional, by writing IEP goals that align with independence. This can be done at any.

Here is a list of 54 skills to get you started with helping students

achieve independence at any age. You won't be able to help your student work on all of these skills at once, so it is important to prioritize your child's needs. Start with 3 or 4 skills to work on at first, and then build on that list as your child masters the new skills. The parent, teacher (and child) are the child's best advocates!

54 SKILLS : WRITING FUNCTIONAL IEPs

This list of skills can also be directly aligned with your state's academic standards:

PERSONAL INFORMATION AND PERSONAL SAFETY

  1. Provide personal information (name, address, phone number, birthday)
  2. Identify personal information in written format
  3. Fill out applications with personal information
  4. Use technology to store personal and family information (example: phone numbers and addresses)
  5. Address an envelope to someone
  6. Carry identification on your person (i.e., with you in a wallet or purse)
  7. Share personal information with appropriate people (safety)
  8. Identify family members and friends
  9. Label important objects or places in your community (school, house, grocery store, library, etc.)
  10. Know personal health information
  11. Know family healthy information
  12. Know and communicate likes, dislikes, wants, needs, etc.
  13. Know what size clothes and shoes you wear

ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE ARTS

  1. Write and send a card in the mail
  2. Read for fun
  3. Read road signs and signs in the community
  4. Answer comprehension questions about the community
  5. Sign or print your name 6. Use technology to send an email
  6. Use a phone to send a text message
  7. Communicate and have conversations with others
  8. Tell someone about yourself
  9. Retell a joke or facts from a prior conversation
  10. Read directions on medicine bottles
  11. Read a recipe
  12. Fill out a check or pay a bill online
  13. Complete an application for a job
  14. Research and learn about unknown places, people, etc.