Strength-Based IEP Goals

Get creative! If your child responds to music or is skilled at singing or playing an instrument, you can incorporate music into their goals. Any skill such as typing, sign language, or other strength that helps your child learn better can be part of their IEP goals.

Strength-based IEPs are effective because they focus on the whole child — not just a child’s disabilities. Focusing on the whole child means writing IEPs in a positive way that honors a student’s abilities, possibilities, interests, and support needs.

The only way a goal can be marked as “partially met” is if there was improvement from the baseline. Make sure you have the previous year’s IEP with you so you can reference the baselines. If there is no number attached to that goal, request it and the data that was collected to track that goal.