IEP Goals for Social Skills: Practical and Measurable Examples

Social Skills Goals That Make a Difference

Social skills goals are critical for students who struggle with peer interactions, communication, or understanding social cues. These goals should be specific enough to measure and meaningful enough to improve the student's daily school experience.

Conversation Skills

• [Student] will maintain a back-and-forth conversation for at least 3 exchanges (taking turns speaking and listening) in 4 out of 5 observed opportunities.
• [Student] will use appropriate conversational skills (eye contact, topic maintenance, asking questions) during peer interactions as rated 3 out of 4 or higher on a social skills rubric.
• [Student] will identify and respond to nonverbal communication cues (facial expressions, body language) in social situations with 75% accuracy as measured by structured observation.

Cooperation and Group Work

• [Student] will participate cooperatively in group activities by sharing materials, taking turns, and contributing ideas without prompting in 80% of observed group interactions.
• [Student] will accept changes in routine or unexpected events without behavioral escalation in 4 out of 5 observed instances.
• [Student] will compromise with peers during disagreements by suggesting at least one alternative solution in 3 out of 4 observed conflicts.

Empathy and Perspective-Taking

• Given social scenarios (presented verbally, visually, or in text), [Student] will identify how another person might feel and explain why with 80% accuracy.
• [Student] will demonstrate empathy by offering help or comfort to a peer who is visibly upset in 3 out of 5 observed opportunities.

Self-Advocacy

• [Student] will appropriately ask for help from a teacher or peer when unable to complete a task independently in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
• [Student] will express their needs and preferences using appropriate language and tone in 80% of observed instances.

Use the IEP goal generator to draft social skills goals tailored to your student's specific needs.