When we want to help our IEP teams develop strength-based IEPs for our kids, it can be helpful to start by reframing present levels to focus on strengths. Present levels in an IEP draft sometimes just offer a depressing list of what a student can’t do — however, there is often hidden gold if you go searching. You can reframe problems into strengths and then incorporate those strengths into pivotal and generative IEP goals, meaning goals that will help the student build skills across many areas with their long-term well-being in mind.
Check out these sample IEP goals that identify a student's strengths and reframe deficits to focus on the supports they need.
Deficit-focused present levels:
“Jayden has limited expressive language. He often refuses to complete tasks. He engages in avoidance behaviors such as putting his head down or leaving the area. He struggles to follow multi-step directions and requires frequent adult prompting.”
If you’re a parent reading that, it feels like Jayden is limited, refusing, avoiding, struggling, and dependent. But look closer.
Hidden gold:
Strength-based reframe:
Jayden demonstrates emerging expressive language skills and communicates distress through clear behavioral signals (e.g., head down, leaving area). He benefits from adult support and shows increased engagement when tasks are broken into manageable steps and when visual supports are provided.
Pivotal goal (area of need: functional communication):
Given visual supports and minimal prompting, Jayden will use a break card or verbal phrase (“I need help” or “I need a break”) before disengaging from a task in 4/5 opportunities.
Why this is generative: One skill unlocks multiple domains.
Deficit-focused present levels:
“Sofia perseverates on animals and frequently redirects conversations back to her preferred topics. She becomes upset when routines change and has difficulty transitioning between activities.”
Translation: She’s rigid and socially inappropriate.
But look deeper.
Hidden gold:
That’s academic potential.
Strength-based reframe:
Sofia demonstrates strong sustained attention and extensive knowledge in preferred content areas (e.g., animals). She actively initiates interaction around topics of interest. She benefits from clear structure and visual supports to prepare for transitions.
Pivotal goal (area of need: conversation and transition skills):
During structured peer activities, Sofia will engage in at least two conversational exchanges, incorporating both a peer’s topic and her own, using visual conversation supports in 4/5 opportunities.
And/or:
Given a visual schedule and advance notice, Sofia will transition between activities using a transition strategy without emotional escalation in 4/5 opportunities.
Generative impact:
Deficit-focused present levels:
“Malik is significantly below grade level in reading and writing. He struggles with fine motor skills and requires assistance for written tasks. He has difficulty completing assignments independently.”
Hidden gold:
Strength-based reframe:
Malik demonstrates persistence with academic tasks and engages with grade-level content when provided appropriate support. He benefits from alternative methods of written expression due to fine motor challenges.
Notice the shift from inability → to access needs.
Pivotal goal (area of need: independence):
Using assistive technology (speech-to-text or keyboarding), Malik will independently complete written responses of 3–5 sentences aligned with grade-level content in 4/5 assignments.
Generative impact:
Present levels should describe a learner with support needs, not a problem to manage. Pivotal goals should build skills that unlock multiple environments, classroom, peers, and independence. Goals should be giving students access, not restricting their inappropriate actions.
Deficit-focused present levels:
“Ethan recognizes over 400 sight words. However, he is unable to decode unfamiliar words and cannot read grade-level text independently. He relies heavily on memorized vocabulary and struggles with phonics-based tasks.”
This sounds like: He memorizes. He can’t decode. He’s not really reading.
Hidden gold:
400 sight words means:
Years of instructional stamina
He is not a non-reader. He is a reader without access to the alphabetic code. That’s a curriculum gap — not a cognitive impossibility.
Strength-based reframe:
Ethan demonstrates strong visual word recognition, recognizing over 400 high-frequency words in isolation and in familiar texts. He shows sustained attention to print and motivation to engage with books. He requires systematic instruction in phonemic awareness and decoding to expand his ability to read unfamiliar words.
Notice: We honor what he can do. We clearly identify the instructional need. We do not imply a ceiling.
Pivotal goal (area of need: reading):
Given systematic, explicit phonics instruction aligned with evidence-based practices, Ethan will decode CVC and CVCC words using sound-symbol correspondence with 90% accuracy in 4/5 trials.
Generative impact:
This one skill unlocks literacy. (See more in our article about teaching kids with disabilities to read.)
Deficit-focused present levels:
“Lucia is significantly below grade level in math and requires modified assignments. She struggles with abstract concepts and requires adult prompting to complete tasks.”
This sounds like: low academic ceiling, high dependence, limited conceptual ability. But look closer.
Hidden gold:
That’s academic engagement.
Strength-based reframe:
Lucia participates in grade-level math activities with support and demonstrates persistence when provided visual models and guided practice. She benefits from structured scaffolds to access abstract concepts and remains engaged alongside peers.
Now we’ve shifted from inability → access.
Pivotal goal (area of need: math):
Using visual models and guided practice, Lucia will solve grade-level word problems involving addition and subtraction within 100 with scaffolded support in 4/5 opportunities.
Generative impact:
You can find more information in our article series about teaching math to kids with disabilities.
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