IEP Goals are one of the driving forces of your child’s IEP. They are the main, most important concepts and skills your child will be working on with their special education teachers and/or related services providers like speech pathologists and social workers.
If you have ever read an IEP goal, you know that they can be long, wordy, and full of jargon. Check out blogs Part 1: SMART Goals, and Part 2: Real-World Goals for more information about how goals are written. But for your child to be really successful in reaching their goals, they should be written with your child’s strengths included.
As a reminder, IEP goals need to take into account a whole bunch of information including:
- Your parent input statement and priorities for your child
- Your child’s current level of performance- in other words, what can they do and what skills do they need to work on
- Your child’s strengths and interests
- Interventions and/or supports your child needs in order to achieve this goal
Strength-based goals focus on the third bullet point- Your child’s strengths and interests. Let’s look at a few examples.
Example 1: Dr. Jo will be able to use tools such as multiplication charts, number lines, and a calculator, to solve realistic word problems with multiplication.
Discussion: This is a real-world goal that includes supports and strategies that would allow me to reach the goal. However, this goal only works if I know how to use the tools, and like using the tools. If I want to run away and scream every time my teacher brings out a number line, it should not be included. The tools and strategies that each student uses, likes to use, and are interested in should be part of the goal.
A better goal might be something like:
Dr. Jo will use a Care Bear-themed multiplication chart, Bear manipulatives, or a calculator, to solve realistic word problems using multiplication.
Example 2: Dr. Jo will be able to read sight words with 90% accuracy.
Discussion: This goal does not include any strengths or interests, nor does it indicate how I am reading those sight words. By using what I like and an appropriate level, I will be more engaged in the learning activities and will reach my goal faster. For example, if I hate reading fiction stories, but I love reading non-fiction about astronomy and have strong background knowledge in astronomy, that should be part of the goal
A better goal might be something like:
When given a non-fiction text about astronomy at a 4th-grade decoding level, Dr. Jo will read the text aloud, reading the sight words within that text with 90% accuracy.
Remember that goals can also address social-emotional needs and independent functioning needs as well as OT, PT, speech, and any other related service your child needs. Every IEP has a ‘strengths’ section that should talk about your child’s strengths and interests. Teachers can use that section to help them write strength-based IEP goals. As parents, you are the best expert in your child. Please feel free to share your child’s strengths and interests that you notice outside of school. When parents and teachers work together as a team, great IEPs can be written for your child.
Take a look at your child’s IEP. Are their goals written as SMART goals? Are they preparing your child for the real world? Do they include your child’s strengths and interests? If you want some support making sure to have all 3 pieces in your child’s IEP, reach out and we can chat!
Thanks!