When developing your child’s IEP, it is important to remember the I in IEP. However, no need to build another mousetrap. You can read over our many lists of IEP goals, IEP accommodations, IEP strategies and supports, and 504 accommodations and modify them to meet your child’s needs.
I have IEP goal and accommodation ideas for just about everything!
IEP Goals for Handwriting | Handwriting issues can be much more than a fine motor planning issue. It could be dysgraphia, dyslexia, vision issues, or something else entirely.
The Ultimate IEP Goal Bank! A free list of IEP Goals and IEP Objectives separated by category or area of need; includes a PDF of IEP goals.
If your child has negative behaviors at school, they should receive an FBA and a Behavior Plan. Here are behavior goal ideas for your IEP.
Everything you need for Reading and Reading Comprehension and your IEP: IEP goals, strategies, evaluations, and more.
Parents, you need to take ownership of the IEP transition goals and process for your child. Here’s how to start.
Inference Definition for Kids “Mommy, is that Lady Gaga?” When my youngest was a toddler, he LOVED Lady Gaga. I have no idea why or where it came from, but he did. He would ask me to put videos of her on my computer. So, when we were watching the Super Bowl one year, the…
IEP Transition Goals for Postsecondary or Job I was leery of how I could use the word “postsecondary” and not create any confusion. To be clear, there are no IEPs in college. A student can get a 504 plan, but is not entitled to special education in college. But, it certainly is a realistic goal…
Sexual Relationship IEP Goals Sexual relationships are a part of every adult’s life. Whether or not we want to think about it or talk about it, we must. If you are expecting that your disabled child will live independently, this is something they likely will encounter–sexual urges and the opportunity to act upon them. Have…
Personal Safety and Community Participation Originally, I had this giant article with a list of over 300 independent living skills. Many of you, teachers and parents, said it was too overwhelming. So, I’m breaking it down. This way, teachers and parents can use it as a guide for what their child needs to be independent…
Personal Hygiene IEP Goals Personal hygiene skills is something that many of us take for granted. If you do not pick up on social cues, and your interoception is different because of your neurodivergence, you may not notice these things. But, others will! That’s for sure. And some things, like managing your medication, can be…
Shopping and Banking Independent Living Skills Originally, I had this giant article with a list of over 300 independent living skills. Many of you, teachers and parents, said it was too overwhelming. So, I’m breaking it down. This way, teachers and parents can use it as a guide for what their child needs to be…
Transition IEP Goals We all want our kids to live as independently as possible. Sometimes when I think about it, I kinda can’t believe that my Dad just dropped me off somewhere 150 miles away and expected me to figure it out. They never gave me any instruction, just expected me to learn by watching….
Independent Functioning IEP Goals for Life Skills Before I get started with this list of Life Skills Functional Goals for an IEP, I want to make one thing clear. That is, remember, IEPs are all about the “I.” Any student who has life skills listed as an area of need can have life skills IEP…
Functional Money Skills Remember when we were little, and we thought nickels were worth more than dimes, just because they were bigger? Ah, those were the days. As part of adulting, we need to teach our kids practical money skills. Money as a topic usually falls under functional math. However, for kids with IEPs, it…
Emotional self-regulation is a necessary executive functioning skill that all kids need to develop. Some will require direct instruction.
Once a child has been identified as a student with a learning disability, it can be tough for the IEP team to come to agreement on IEP goals. After all, depending on the disability, the child may have needs in reading, writing, vocabulary and much more. And, reading is so much more than reading. It’s…
Auditory Processing Disorder The other day, my younger son and I were on my tablet. We were choosing team gear to purchase for his new AAU basketball team. I was looking at the website and he was on his phone, and he was describing things to me and asking me questions (what size do I…
A printable list of Accommodations for Anxiety for an IEP or 504 Plan, to get you on the path to a more peaceful and calm day for your child at school.
Working Memory IEP goals Does your child struggle with Working Memory issues, and you want them added to the IEP? Have you heard parents talk about working memory skills, but you’re not sure what they are? Ok, remember these? I’m dating myself a bit, I know. But these are a great example of how we…
Executive Functioning IEP Goals Executive function is an umbrella term for cognitive processes such as planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, inhibition, mental flexibility, multi-tasking, initiation, and monitoring of actions. Executive functioning describes a set of mental processes that helps people to connect past experience with present action. Wikipedia If your child or…
Fine Motor Skills on your IEP Remember this? Did you know that way back when…when Tupperware invented this toy, that you were using fine motor skills to play with it? If you’re a Gen X’er like me, you definitely remember this Tupperware toy. When I was young enough to play with this toy, IEPs didn’t…
Seizure Action Plan I could handle the not talking. I could handle the stimming. I could handle the developmental delays. And the picky eating, and the clumsiness due to poor motor planning, and the meltdowns. But seizures might break me. I have PTSD from watching him have so many seizures. When he has a bad…
Online and Virtual Learning Accommodations Some kids really struggle with online distance learning, and need some accommodation ideas. Particularly those with attention, sensory, and other related issues. And, there are a lot of kids out there who loathe Zoom and online classes. Some love it, others not so much. But, even as kids return to…
Social Skills IEP Goals It’s no secret that many kids with disabilities struggle socially and struggle to build and maintain friendships. When Brian tells me stories of kids at school who sound like they have a disability of some kind, I always encourage (read: nag!) him to go the extra step. I encourage him to…
Kindergarten IEP Goals and Objectives So, there’s a reason why I am now just doing this post after the blog is more than 10 years old. I am philosophically opposed to this list. It doesn’t make sense to make a list of kindergarten IEP goals. No, really, stay with me here. Remember, IEPs are needs-driven….
Self-Advocacy IEP Goals We do so much for our kids, and we mean well. But time marches on whether we want it to or not. We have to prepare our kids for independence and life on their own. As scary a thought as that is sometimes. Every person, not just IEP students, should have self…
504 Plan Accommodations List You want ideas to submit to the IEP team, but you just don’t know where to start. Well, here you go! You asked for it, you got it! I’ve received many reader requests for a list of SDIs or strategies. I hope this list of SDIs, strategies, and accommodations for an…
Math IEP Goals I will never forget this one day when Kevin was a preschooler. We had an IEP meeting, and one of his proposed goals was to be able to visualize and identify what 2 of something looks like, or what 3 of something looks like. That same day, my younger son came up…
Functional Communication Goals One of the biggest obstacles that some IEP students have is lack of appropriate, functional communication. A lack of functional communication is often one of the biggest barriers to independence. From as early as possible, these skills should be practiced and encouraged. I remember a few months ago, I was assisting Kevin…
Organization/Study Skills IEP Goals I’m a good learner, but I’m terrible at studying. Always have been. Other than re-reading chapters and notes and rote memorization, I never knew what studying was. No one ever taught me study skills. It was just expected that all students knew how to study and learn. I think many students…
Toilet Training an Older Child I am wildly passionate about kids being toilet trained if it is a possibility. I never dreamed I would be a passionate advocate for toilet training. But, here I am. Lack of toileting skills is one functional IEP skill that really carries a serious stigma for our kids. It’s very…
Juvenile Arthritis | IEP | 504 According to the Arthritis Foundation, over 300,000 American children have Juvenile Arthritis. The most common type of arthritis in children is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (idiopathic means “from unknown causes”). There are several other forms of arthritis affecting children. Juvenile arthritis is a rheumatic disease or one that causes loss…
Trauma-Informed IEPs It’s amazing how we go through life, just doing what we do, not knowing what we don’t know. I was a victim of childhood trauma (several ACEs-Adverse Childhood Experiences). But, it was the 1970s and no one really did anything about it. I was just expected to “get over it.” Yes, I did…
CBI on your IEP Since my son has had CBI on his IEP for almost a decade, I can always spot the CBI trips when I am out in my local community. To the untrained eye, it looks like just a bunch of kids out at the grocery store or local restaurant. But, if you…
Should your Child Have Counseling IEP Goals? Student counseling is listed as a Related Service in IDEA. Actually, Parent Counseling and Training is too. But that’s another post for another day. I have had a few clients over the years who received counseling, but all had it offered to them. Very few parents know that…
How to Write IEP Goals. IEP goals are the future. IEP Present Levels is where the child is now; goals are where we want them to be. Writing IEP goals, while based on data, is part art, part science. It’s also something I find that many educators are not prepared for or trained in. Colleges…
IEP Goals for Writing Parents can certainly assist the IEP team with developing goals. One IEP area that I find parents and teachers struggle is to address the skill of writing. And by writing, I’m talking about content, not handwriting. If your child struggles with the actual task of handwriting, I would read this post…