Adaptive goals for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are designed to support students with disabilities in developing the necessary life skills to function independently and successfully in both school and community environments. These skills are often referred to as adaptive behaviors or daily living skills, and they can encompass a wide range of activities.
Examples of Adaptive Goals:
1. Self-Care Skills: Goals might focus on basic hygiene, dressing oneself, or managing personal needs throughout the school day. A goal could be: “By the end of the school year, the student will independently manage his/her personal hygiene (tooth brushing, using deodorant) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials.”
2. Social Skills: Goals related to improving interaction with peers, understanding social cues, and developing friendships are crucial. An example is: “By the end of the IEP term, the student will initiate positive social interactions in small group activities in 4 out of 5 opportunities.”
3. Communication Goals: For students with communication challenges, goals may involve both verbal and non-verbal skills such as understanding gestures or using assistive communication devices. An example goal could be: “Student will effectively communicate his/her needs using a communication board with 90% accuracy over three consecutive weeks.”
4. Academic Skills: Adaptive goals can also address functional academics like telling time, handling money, or reading for comprehension relevant to real-life scenarios. For instance: “Student will identify and count currency up to $10 to make purchases in the school store with 95% accuracy in 5 trials.”
5. Emotional Regulation: Managing emotions and coping with stress are also areas for potential adaptive goals, such as “During times of frustration or anxiety in class, the student will utilize taught self-calming strategies in 8 out of 10 observed instances.”
6. Organizational Skills: These might involve arranging a work space, managing school materials, following a schedule or checklist efficiently. A sample goal could be: “Student will organize his/her materials for class independently with 100% accuracy by the conclusion of each school week.”
7. Safety Skills: Learning to recognize unsafe situations and know how to seek help are important adaptive goals for IEPs. For example: “In an unfamiliar setting or situation, the student will identify an appropriate person (teacher, police officer) to ask for help from in 4 out of 5 observable opportunities.”
Writing adaptive goals in IEPs requires a strong understanding of a student’s individual needs and abilities. The goals should be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, and Time-bound—so that there is clarity surrounding what the student is expected to learn or accomplish and how progress toward meeting these goals will be measured.
