How to Create Behavior IEP Goals for Students with Autism

Understanding Autism in the Classroom

When we work with students with autism in the classroom, we will see behavior needs just as much as academic skills. Students with autism can exhibit a wide array of behaviors and need specific goals that target those unique needs. As special education teachers, we must create IEPs that reflect the unique needs of our students and provide room for growth. By crafting appropriate behavior goals in an IEP, we’re able to support all the needs of the child. 

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals communicate, interact, and perceive the world around them. It encompasses a broad range of behaviors and characteristics, often referred to as the “spectrum,” reflecting the diverse ways in which autism can manifest. 

Common behaviors associated with autism include challenges in social communication, sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviors, and difficulties with emotional regulation. Understanding these behaviors is essential for educators, as it enables them to tailor IEPs that not only address academic skills but also support the behavioral needs of their students, fostering an environment where all children can thrive.

Personalized behavioral goals are crucial for student success and provide all staff members working with the student, from special education teaches to paraprofessionals to service providers, with the necessary tools they need to properly support the student. 

In this blog post, I’ll give you all the important pieces you’ll need to write behavior goals that are supportive and well crafted for the autistic students in your care. We’ll explore:

1. Using neuroaffirming language
2. Behavioral development
3. Behavioral goal categories
4. Implementation strategies
5. Measuring progress
6. Challenges you may come up against
7. Working collaboratively
8. Extra resources

Writing behavior goals through an autism lens can be tricky, but I promise you it gets easier! Now let’s dig in.

1. The Importance of Neuroaffirming Language in IEPs

When we’re creating the goals themselves, there are a few things to keep in mind. One thing we need to make sure we do, is to write behavior goals using neuroaffirming language.

What is Neuroaffirming Language?

Neuroaffirming language means using words and phrases that validate and support the diverse ways in which people’s brains function, particularly in relation to neurodiversity. 

This style of language respects neurodivergent individuals, like those with autism spectrum disorder, by focusing on strengths rather than deficits, avoiding pathologizing language, and centering the lived experiences and preferences of the individuals themselves. In short, it’s language neurodivergent people prefer neurotypical people use when referring to them. 

This means we use phrases like “autistic student” instead of “student with autism.” The way we talk about neurodiversity is always changing and evolving and it’s important the we make sure we’re reflecting the current desires of the autistic community and individuals as a whole when we write IEPs. 

So, why does this matter when writing IEP goals? It matters because an IEP is a living document that exists solely to represent an individual at a given time who needs support. When we use language that directly acknowledges and appreciates the individual, we’re building it on a solid foundation. 

2. Individualized IEP Goals for Behavioral Development

What Makes an IEP Goal Effective?

IEP goals that are the most impactful are specific, measurable, and relevant. This means that anyone that picks up the IEP, for example if the student moves to a new district, can read the goal and be able to execute it properly because it is so specific.

We also have to make sure to create measurable goals. In order for us to track and report on how well a student is doing, we need to be able to measure progress. Writing a goal with the end in mind, aka how you’re going to track the goal and take data, is so helpful. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for this one.

Collaborating with Families and Students

Ensuring you get family support and student buy-in is so important. Depending on the abilities and needs of your students, you’ll want to make sure you utilize high interest materials when working on behavioral goals. Actively including parents in the process as key members of the IEP team, and through goal development, helps create more effective goals. 

Respecting the student’s autonomy and self-advocacy throughout the process allows you to make a bigger impact on student progress whether you are supporting overall development, academic goals, or behavior goals.

Examples of Behavioral Goals Using Neuroaffirming Language

Here are a couple examples of meaningful goals and appropriate goals that address a child’s behavior and skill development. These goals are specific, measurable, and relevant.

• Emotional regulation: “The student will learn to communicate when they need a sensory break during high-energy activities by signaling with words or pictures in 3/5 observations.”
• Social interaction: “The student will be supported in greeting peers during group activities by utilizing communication cards and initiating a greeting in 4/5 opportunities.

Need help writing goals? I teamed up with the IEP guru, Stephanie from Mrs. D’s corner to give you a freebie to help with just that! Click here to grab it now!

3. Categories of Behavioral Goals for Autistic Students

Emotional Regulation Goals

There is a big push for greater emotional regulation and education around it in the classroom these days, and for good reason. Self-regulation skills are important skills that need to be taught! 

This can be especially true for autistic students. Teaching emotional regulation to kids who are autistic is crucial because it helps them navigate daily challenges. We want our students to be able to access the world with greater ease and confidence. Supporting them with their emotions, which can oftentimes be heightened, leads to the child’s progress. 

By learning emotional regulation, they can better recognize their emotions and develop appropriate coping strategies.  This reduces the likelihood of meltdowns or anxiety. It also enhances their social interactions, as they learn to communicate their feelings in ways their peers will understand. 

Example goal: “The student will develop self-advocacy skills by requesting sensory breaks when overwhelmed, with 80% success over four weeks.”

Sensory Needs and Supports

Sensory needs piggy back on emotional regulation because they are both so intertwined. It’s vital to provide autistic students with supports that give them the proper sensory input and environment they require to thrive in the school setting. 

Sensory supports are strategies or tools designed to help children with sensory sensitivities manage their responses to sensory input, such as loud noises, bright lights, or certain textures. These supports might include noise-canceling headphones, sensory breaks, or fidget tools to help regulate sensory overload. 

They are often included in IEP goals for autistic students because sensory needs can impact their ability to focus, learn, and participate in classroom activities. By incorporating relevant sensory supports into IEP goals, you’re allowing students to purposefully engage with their environment and achieve their educational goals.

Example goal: “The student will use noise-canceling headphones during noisy school-based activities, reducing stress-related behaviors, such as yelling, throwing items, and eloping, by 50% over three months.”

Social Communication and Interaction

One area that students on the spectrum may struggle with immensely is communication with peers. But of all the areas we’ve listed, this might be the most important. We want our students to consistently feel connected to the school environment and to their peers. Creating social IEP goals that highlight communication skills in social situations are important for growth in these areas. 

Think of this area as more life skills under the behavioral umbrella.

Social communication and interaction goals not only help students build connections but also create a sense of belonging and confidence within the school community. These goals may focus on skills like initiating conversations, understanding social cues, or participating in group activities, all of which are imperative for developing meaningful relationships. 

For example, a goal might involve helping a student use appropriate greetings or ask for help from peers during cooperative tasks. By teaching and reinforcing these skills, we enable students to engage more fully in the social environment which creates more opportunities for positive peer interactions and understanding. Naturally, greater feelings of connection helps reduce feelings of isolation and supports emotional well-being, which is crucial for overall academic and personal development.

Example goal: “Given prior conversational lessons, the student will practice engaging in reciprocal conversations with a peer for at least 2 minutes, once per day.”

A way to work on these skills is through hands on task boxes that target these skills. A perfect one would be relationship skills. This set cover 16 different specific skills that can enhance social communication and interaction. Grab them here.  

Executive Functioning Goals

Executive functioning goals are essential for students with autism, as these skills are critical life skills. Students need the ability to manage time, stay organized, and handle transitions between tasks or activities. 

These goals often target areas such as planning, problem-solving, impulse control, and working memory, all of which are vital for success in academic and daily life. For example, addressing organization might involve teaching a student how to break down tasks into smaller, manageable steps. 

Visual supports, such as picture schedules or checklists, provide concrete tools for students to follow, helping them stay on track. 

By focusing on these areas, educators can help students develop essential self-management skills that contribute to greater independence and success in both academic settings and daily routines.

Example goal: “Given visual supports, the student will complete a three-step task independently in 4 out of 5 opportunities.”

4. Strategies for Implementing and Supporting IEP Goals

Now that we’ve gone over some broad areas of behavior, we’re going to look at some strategies for making implementation a little easier.

Visual Supports and Schedules

This is likely the first area you’ll start working on when you have a student come into your classroom that may struggle with appropriate behaviors. Visual schedules help remove a lot of the anxiety around “what’s next” for students and help keep them organized. Need some visual schedules of real life photos? Click here to download your own!

Example strategy: Visual schedules for transitions between activities or within an activity.

Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

Using positive supports in the classroom help students increase their success and plays a crucial role in reducing unexpected behavior. Behavior supports can be put in place within an individualized education program by creating goals targeting specific needs of the individual student. These can be a range of things. One of my favorites it token economies. They motivate positive behavior and are easy to implement. 

Want a set of your own? Here is a free set you can download with over 10 different ones!

Example strategy: Offering choices to increase a sense of control and reduce frustration.

5. Measuring Progress on Behavior IEP Goals

Using Data to Track Progress

Once you create specific targets for students, aka goals you’d like them to reach, it’s time to track their progress toward these goals. We obviously want students to be working toward achievable goals, but in order to make sure they are on track with mastering them, we have to take data. 

Progress monitoring regularly allows you to take data frequently so you can determine if the goals you are working on are indeed the right ones and that the student’s programing is supporting their learning of these skills. Ensuring you’ve taken solid baseline data is also a key factor in long-term success.n

To measure the success of behavioral IEP goals in an affirming way for students with autism, focus on individual growth rather than compliance with neurotypical standards. 

A good way to do this is to track progress based on the student’s personal baseline, celebrating small, and meaningful improvements. 

Make sure to adjust goals that just aren’t working so they remain both challenging and achievable, highlighting the student’s strengths and capacities. This approach encourages skill development and personal progress rather than imposing rigid expectations which don’t end up leading to success.

Sometimes it can be challenging to understand how to track this data, so I have a freebie for you that will give you data sheets to easily collect the data you need! Click here to download.

6. Challenges in Creating and Meeting IEP Goals

Creating and meeting IEP goals presents its own set of challenges. We may set unrealistic objectives or prioritizing compliance over meaningful progress. 

It’s easy to create goals that are based on our own bias and based on prior practice, and not necessarily on the desired outcomes that would be beneficial to each individual student. 

These pitfalls can limit a student’s growth and create unnecessary stress. Implicit biases can influence goal-setting, leading to unfair expectations based on stereotypes or assumptions about the student’s abilities. If you want to avoid these issues, it’s crucial to make sure IEPs are equitable and supportive.

We can do this by focusing on each student’s unique strengths and needs. By promoting individualized, affirming goals and addressing bias, we can create a more inclusive and empowering learning environment.

7. Collaborating with a Multidisciplinary Team

IEP goals are created with a team approach and sometimes that’s easy to forget. It doesn’t support a student in any way if we’re not able to collectively support them throughout the special education and general education setting. We need to make sure support services and all staff are aware of these goals so the student can have more opportunities for growth within their daily routines.

It’s a collaborative effort and teachers, therapists, and parents all play crucial roles in ensuring consistency and support throughout the process. 

Including the student in goal-setting, when appropriate and able, is equally important, as self-advocacy and giving students a voice leads to more meaningful outcomes. 

Teaching students to advocate for their needs in neuroaffirming ways empowers them and fosters independence, resulting in IEP goals that are both personalized and effective. This collaborative, inclusive approach creates a stronger foundation for student success.

A collaborative approach is key to successful IEP behavior goals. 

8. Resources for Writing Neuroaffirming IEP Goals

1. Books

• “Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism” by Dr. Barry Prizant – Offers a compassionate perspective on autism and supports neuroaffirming goal creation.
• “Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity” by Steve Silberman – Provides a deep dive into autism and encourages respectful, inclusive practices.
• “The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students” by Jessica Minahan – Focuses on understanding student behavior through a neurodiversity lens.

2. Websites

Wrightslaw

• https://www.wrightslaw.com
  Provides extensive resources on special education law, IEP writing, and effective goal-setting strategies.

Understood.org

• https://www.understood.org
  Offers practical advice and templates for writing IEP goals, focusing on individualized, student-centered approaches.

Autism Circuit

• https://autismcircuit.net
  Provides practical tools and templates specifically for creating IEP goals for autistic students, focusing on behavior and communication.

The IRIS Center (Vanderbilt University)

• https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
  A resource offering free training modules, webinars, and information on creating measurable and attainable IEP goals.

3. Professional Development

• Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM): https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu – Free, research-based resources and online training for supporting autistic students.
• The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC): https://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu – Provides evidence-based practices and professional development resources.

Crafting behavior IEP goals for students with autism requires a thoughtful, individualized approach that respects each student’s unique strengths and needs. Rather than viewing behaviors through a deficit lens, neuroaffirming language shifts the focus to understanding behaviors as a form of communication. By validating the student’s perspective and experiences, we foster a more respectful and empowering approach to goal-setting.

It is also critical that these goals are measurable and directly relevant to the student’s daily life, helping them develop skills that promote independence, emotional regulation, and social connection. 

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team—such as teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and parents—ensures that the goals are holistic and supportive of the child’s overall development. Each team member brings valuable insights, contributing to a comprehensive plan that addresses both academic and social-emotional needs.

Monitoring progress is equally important. It should be done through an individualized lens, emphasizing personal growth rather than comparing the student to standardized benchmarks. Regularly reviewing and adjusting goals ensures that they remain challenging but attainable, adapting to the student’s evolving needs as they gain new skills and confidence.