Writing goals for executive functioning can be challenging because it’s very hard to quantify. Additionally, because executive functioning impacts almost every functional skill we engage in, almost every goal on any IEP or therapy plan is technically an executive functioning goal.
When we’re focusing on other areas such as writing, reading, math, language, or other specific skill areas, it’s easier to write goals focused on tangible, measurable skills. It’s also easier to focus on the end result rather than the process of getting to the end result.
However, with executive functioning, what we’re actually working on is the “process” of getting to the end result. The challenge is that when we’re talking about executive functioning, we’re talking about internal thought processes that are often NOT observable (which is often the emphasis with SMART goals).
In some of my other courses where I focus on more “academic” language skills, I encourage people to focus on “observable behaviors”. I also recommend that people focus more on the task the student is doing rather than the accommodations or strategies in place needed to allow that student to complete the task. I still believe that if you’re working on specific academic skills (or speech, language, fine motor, etc.), you SHOULD focus some goals on tangible behaviors and focus on the “end result” rather than the strategy to get to the end result.
But with executive functioning my recommendations are different because the PROCESS is the goal. In many cases, the process is even more important than the end result (even though ultimately we’d hope that the outcomes would improve over time as strategy use improves). That’s why in this post, I wanted to share some specific examples of executive functioning goals that relate to all the academic areas I’ve mentioned.
This post is taken directly from the School of Clinical Leadership program, my course for related service providers who want to put executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams.
IEP Goal Format
First, I’ll share some example goals. Some of these goals will seem more like specific academic tasks; but I’ve included them here because it’s often hard to separate executive functioning from other tasks. Also, these are common goals that may be needed if a child is struggle with executive functioning. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a jumping off point.
When you look at the following goals, you’ll notice that I focus on the key behavior in the goal. This is because I’ve often seen goals that are so wordy and confusing that it’s hard to tell what the goal actually is. You can use this syntactic structure when writing goals to help keep goals complete, but concise.
“Given (insert relevant cue/strategy), student will (insert goal behavior here) with (insert level of accuracy or other unit of measurement here).”
The first part of the goal is optional, and should only be used if it’s necessary to clarify what the student needs. In many cases, its sufficient to focus on what the STUDENT IS DOING rather than focus on the support needed to get the student to do the skill. There are of course many instances when it IS necessary to reference supports in the goal (e.g., “given access to visual supports”), but I recommend you reflect on whether it’s adding to the goal vs. making it wordy/vague, or if it would be more appropriate as an accommodation on the IEP to be used more globally.
Here’s an example of how you might use the goal format using one of the goals below:
“Given access to visual supports, student will initiate the step of proofreading work on 3 out of 4 opportunities.”
“Given access to a graphic organizer, student will complete a paragraph with a topic sentence, conclusion, and 3 supporting details on 2 out of 3 attempts.”
Here’s an example of how you might write a goal when the strategy IS the goal:
“Student will initiate use of graphic organizer on 3 out of 4 opportunities.”
Here are some goals that may be helpful for executive functioning:
- Organize items in desk
- Name steps in a task and/or name/gather materials needed for a task
- Identify/fix errors in work (can name a specific academic task with this goal)
- Initiate editing/proofreading of work
- Initiate use of a visual schedule (or other accommodation or strategy)
- Organize/turn in
- Complete a graphic organizer (for specific academic tasks like note-taking, writing)
- Complete steps to complex tasks (can have multiple goals; can specify the task such as math operations, writing, functional tasks)
- Retell events/narratives/things they’ve read/heard with accurate recall
- Answer inferential or problem solving questions (can have multiple goals; can be in relation to reading passages, real-life scenarios, social situations)
- Answer questions and state evidence for answers
- Use strategies to infer meanings (such as context clues)
- Write sentences/essays (the specific components of essays can be determined by students’ current abilities. For example, it could be “5 paragraph essay with 1 topic sentence, 3 supporting paragraphs, 1 conclusion paragraph” or “paragraph with topic sentence and 3 supporting details”). With this goal, the level of accuracy could be task completion, OR it could be a specific score on a rubric.
- Ask for use of a strategy
- Ask for a specific accommodation/and or other need
- Develop a plan for completing work/long-term projects
Executive Functioning Accommodations
Next, I’ll share a list of accommodations that could be useful and/or appropriate for executive functioning, as well as language. I want to emphasize the word COULD in this context because there are times when putting too many accommodations in place for students can impede progress.
When determining if accommodations are appropriate, we want to ask ourselves the following questions:
Does the student have the skills to effectively utilize this accommodation?
This is especially important if the accommodation involves some type of technology. For example, if you allow a student to type instead of physically writing, it COULD make the student more efficient. However, if the student does not have a solid sense of letter formation, bypassing the process of physically writing could be counterproductive because the student may need to work on writing to develop their orthographic knowledge.
If a student is allowed to use text-to-speech software but struggles with spelling, it may be difficult for them to edit their work, which could impact their effectiveness with the accommodation. We may either want to focus more on building reading/spelling/writing skills ON PAPER, or be strategic about when the accommodation is used throughout the day, as I discuss in this interview here where I discuss how to support word-decoding at the secondary level with veteran SLP and dyslexia advocate, Tom Parton.
Additionally, we may consider if students have the executive functioning skills to utilize any accommodation that involves a device; or if the device is distracting.
Is this accommodation something a student can eventually put in place for themselves in adult life?
Many of the accommodations I’ve listed below are things that adults could potentially ask for or utilize independently if they learn how to use the tools/strategy effectively. For example, an adult might be able to coordinate sitting in a particular location to be closer to a speaker or be better able to ask questions/get support, which is what is happening during preferential seating. Adults can also learn how to give themselves breaks, use organizing tools, or different softwares. If a tool is something a child could eventually use on their own, they have the skills to use it/there is a plan in place to teach them the skills to use it, and it enables them to better access the curriculum, it could be a good option for them.
Is there a way this accommodation could be faded over time?
Certain accommodations need to be done FOR a child, at least at the beginning. If it’s unclear how the accommodation would be eventually transitioned to an adult strategy that the individual could use independently, the team needs to continually revisit the way the accommodation is used. For younger kids or for kids with high support needs, it is often appropriate to put accommodations in place even if it’s not clear how, and if they could ever be faded. However, part of a “least restrictive environment” is not just about where a student is, but the amount of support a student is getting. If a student is “over accommodated”, they are technically not in their “least restrictive environment”. For example, if a student has the accommodations “check for understanding” or “breaks/pacing”, we’d want to continue to revisit the appropriateness of these supports. Our ability to monitor our own comprehension (checking for understanding) as well as self-regulating (knowing when/how to give ourselves breaks) are executive functioning skills, so we want to be aware of whether these supports are helping or impeding progress.
I’ll share a sample list of accommodations below.
Accommodations that support executive functioning
- Post schedules/classroom expectations and responsibilities/directions (make individualized to student)
- Check for understanding
- Preferential seating
- Shortened assignments (require student to do enough that they have demonstrated the skill)
- Visual schedules/calendars
- Use of analog clock for planning/pacing
- Study hall and/or accountability check for managing work/materials
- Breaks/pacing
- Graphic organizers for writing assignments/note taking
- Calculators
- Speech to text software
- Allow typing instead of writing
- Text to speech software
- Tests read aloud
- Allow extended answers to be verbally dictated
- Extended time for tests and/or assignments
- Separate setting/smaller group for specific classroom tasks (e.g., tests)
- Assignments/study guides given in advance
- Extra set of books for home
- Allow to get to class early
- Alternative response formats
- Timelines/schedules for lengthy assignments
This list of goals and accommodations was taken directly from the School of Clinical Leadership.
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