IEP: Goals and Objectives
I’ve been writing this series on IEP’s for a week now and hoping that you are gathering your information. Is there anything else you want to know? Make sure to leave a comment and let me know.
Today’s topic is Goals and Objectives within the IEP. But before you can do anything with an IEP you must first define your child’s needs clearly and specifically.
Goals and Objectives MUST be written after much of the initial IEP preparation is already done. You have already prepared for the IEP by brainstorming your child’s strengths and weaknesses (or you should have), you have brainstormed possible accommodations, modifications, you have gathered all of your documents, and you have mustered up a positive attitude.
Now, FINALLY, its time to evaluate everything and create the goals and objectives with the entire team.
Goals and objectives must be measurable and observable to ensure that your child is making progress. This is the hardest part of creating goals and objectives because they need to be “objective” forms of measurement.
According to Learning Abled Kids, teacher observation and classroom grades are NOT valid forms of measurements and are designated as appropriate measures of progress. Teachers can observe success but they must track progress using tracking sheets. However, objective measurements are based upon standardized testing for specific skills or through ongoing data collection.
Data collection is preferable as it will show a trend over time and doesn’t rely on performance at a single point in time (when the child may be having an exceptionally good or exceptionally bad day). Objective measures should be “observable” by anyone at any time.
Goals and Objectives can be written to address any area of a child’s ability or disability, any area of the curriculum, and educational need, or any behavioral aspect the child struggles with.
Examples of measurable goals: (Note: these are three different ways to write a functional IEP)
Three Year Old High Functioning Autism- Social
Five Year Old Developmental Delay
Seven Year Old Autism
Word Press, Technorati, goals and objectives, Prepare for an IEP, How to, How to prepare for an IEP, goals, accommodations, modifications, Individualized Education Plan, IEP, disabilities, special education, special needs, placement, mediation, due process, independent evaluation, initial evaluation, change of placement, child’s record, parental consent, accommodations, goals, benchmarks, state, education, sensory integration Tags
December 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
My son is five and has high functioning autism. He had classic autism at age 1.5 and with a LOT of intervention, he is now able to go into a gegular kindergarten and is academically at the top of his class. The down side is that I am having trouble getting the school to give him any social skills training or sensory integration. So, I want to go into the next meeting with exact goals I want, but am not sure what to ask. Social-I have taught him to respond when someone greets him whith “How are you” to say “good”. except now I have noticed as people says “what’s up” or to other greetings he still responds “good”. Also, an example his teacher gave me was he likes to play with other kids but doesn’t know how to play with them correctly. Like at recess he saw kids running playing tag, so he was running with them wanting to play but when he got tagged he freaked out and beat the kid up who tagged him. Sensory-if loud speakers come on he always starts talking over them. He is very aware of when the heaters come on and will actually avoid going into a bathroom if a fan comes on with the light. If the toilet has automatic flushing he will run out screaming and crying. He can deal with concert but might put his hands over his ears, the same with groups in the class. He can deal, but he EXPLODES when he comes home. It’s like he used all his inner strength to get through the day. He comes home and touches EVERYTHING like he has ADHD. Please help me!