This article is designed to be utilized with the utmost professional integrity and ethical consideration. It is imperative to acknowledge that directly copying and pasting example goals into student’s IEPs from any external source, including ours, undermines the individualized nature of IEP planning and does not serve the best interests of students.
This resource aims to inspire the development of IEP goals that address executive functioning needs, not a substitute for the detailed, student-centered IEP goal setting process. Educators and IEP teams are urged to use this as a tool for ideation, basing final goals on student assessments and collaborative IEP team insights.
We all have problems – but when it comes to solving problems, how good is your child at solving them?
For many parents and teachers who work with children with executive functioning issues, it quickly becomes clear that problem-solving is essential for succeeding in school and the workplace.
Problem-solving not only requires being able to identify when a problem exists, but also being able to come up with reasonable solutions to fix them.
If you’re planning on writing IEP goals that address problem-solving skills, this post should serve as a helpful starting place.
What is Problem Solving?
Problem-solving is simply our ability to identify and describe a problem and then come up with solutions to resolve it.
What exactly defines “a problem”?” It’s any time you want something and there is something that stands in the way, in essence. When you have good problem-solving skills, you are able to evaluate this problem and figure out possible steps forward.
As is the case with all other executive functioning skills, including task initiation and organization, a child’s ability to problem solve relates closely to other executive functioning skills.
Ask yourself the following questions to figure out whether problem-solving is an area that needs some work in your child:
- Can he or she complete games and puzzles to accomplish a goal?
- Is he or she able to identify all parts of a problem, including where it originated and why?
- Can your child break apart a larger problem into smaller parts?
Can the student identify problems in many different contexts, like work versus school versus social contexts? - Will your child seek guidance from others when looking for help in solving a problem?
- Does the child persist in coming up with new strategies when the original ones are not successful?
Being a good problem solver doesn’t just come down to being able to “figure things out” in real life. A child who struggles with problem-solving skills may also develop problem behaviors. They might talk back, demonstrate aggression, or engage in other self-destructive behaviors when frustrated with a challenging task.
Therefore, coming up with IEP goals that address this “problem” of not being able to solve problems head-on is essential.
Sample IEP Goals for Problem Solving
Here are a few sample IEP goals for problem-solving to give you some inspiration.
Adaptive Goals
- By the end of the school year, when given a written scenario in which a problem needs to be solved, the student will provide two appropriate solutions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities, according to teacher observation.
- By the end of the school year, the student will practice problem-solving techniques when dealing with personal or school experiences 100% of the time, according to teacher observation.
Social Goals
- By the end of the IEP term, when given pre-taught behavioral strategies to decrease or avoid escalating behaviors, the students will complete at least one activity with positive behavioral results, according to teacher observation.
- By the end of the school year, the student will solve problems by apologizing in conflict situations 90% of the time, based on teacher observation.
Reading Goals
- By the end of the IEP term, when presented with text at his instructional level, the student will use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words with 80% accuracy, as measured by written work samples.
- By the end of the school year, the students will read a short story and answer who, what, where, why, and how questions with 90% accuracy in four out of five recorded opportunities, based on teacher observation.
Math Goals
- By the end of the IEP term, when given a word problem, the student will independently determine which operation is to be used with 100% accuracy on 4 out of 5 trials, measured quarterly by teacher observation.
- By the end of the school year, the student will independently solve two-step word problems (mixed addition and subtraction) with 100% accuracy on 4 out of 5 trials based on teacher observation.
Writing Goals
- By the end of the school year, when given a writing assignment, the student will independently create a keyword outline that includes the main topic and three supporting points as a basis for the essay, based on a rubric, 90% of the time.
- By the end of the IEP term, the student will create five-paragraph essays with proper essay structure that clearly address a question in an assignment, based on a rubric, 100% of the time.
Tips on Setting Goals for Problem Solving
Here are a few tips to help you come up with effective goals that work toward better problem-solving skills.
Do a Behavioral Observation
Behavioral observations can be useful for identifying all kinds of skills deficits, but particularly in the area of problem-solving. Take the time to sit down and observe the child at work.
What do they do when they encounter a problem? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are they able to solve independently – and in what areas do they consistently require support?
A skills assessment can also be helpful. The Real Life Executive Functioning Skills Assessment is a great place to start, since it will help you see where your child is struggling in particular.
Get the Whole Team Involved
Writing problem-solving goals should not be an independent process. It should involve all members of your child’s care team, including family members, coaches, teachers, and other professionals. You’ll need their input to see if the child is struggling with problem-solving across the board, or just in one or two isolated areas.
Play to Their Interests
Motivation plays a major role in teaching new executive functioning skills so do your best to make sure your student stays motivated! Incorporate their favorite activities into learning and have conversations about your child’s favorite movie character, sports figure, or other celebrities. What sorts of problems have they encountered? How did the person solve these problems successfully?
Try Role Playing
Give your child the opportunity to practice his new problem-solving skills in every walk of life. Using role-play cards that prompt your child to solve problems in certain situations (like when you have a large homework assignment due tomorrow or even something as simple as you don’t know what to eat) is highly effective. You can find templates and helpful examples for how to get started with these scenarios in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout).
Try the IDEAL Method
The IDEAL Method is one strategy you can use to help your child become a better problem solver. This method can be used while you are working toward any of the sample goals listed above (or any that you come up with on your own). You can learn more about it here and in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
Know When to Ask For Help
None of us is an island. We all need help from time to time. Knowing when – and who – to ask for help is essential. Encourage your child to brainstorm a list of people who can help in a pinch and be sure to try the Phone a Friend exercise in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
How to Address Each Goal
When working on problem-solving skills, the most important thing to remember is that you need to be focused on other areas in which your child struggles, too.
Problem-solving is often viewed as a collection of executive functioning skills rather than one individual skill. To help your child become better at solving problems, he needs to develop other executive functioning skills as well.
Problem-solving requires the ability to evaluate and outline different strategies – aka, planning. They need to be able to take action – task initiation. They might also need to use attentional control, organization, and time management skills. A holistic approach to addressing these problem-solving goals is essential.
Our Executive Functioning Assessment is a great place to start. It will show you where your child is at and what they need in order to improve. This assessment isn’t just for teachers – it’s also a helpful resource for parents, administrators, and even the student himself or herself.
Problem Solved! Here’s How to Write the Best Problem-Solving IEP Goals
If you find the process of writing IEP goals for problem-solving to be…well, a major problem, then you need to consider these tips. If you aren’t sure where to start, get organized! Start by giving your student the Executive Functioning Assessment and use the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook as a guide to help point you in the direction of what skills to target.
Start by writing down what you want them to be able to do. Be as specific as possible, and use terms that your student can understand.
Once you have a good list of goals, work on breaking them down into smaller steps that will help your student reach their ultimate goal.
Remember to make sure these steps are achievable, measurable, and time-based so you can track your student’s progress and give them the support they need along the way.
Problem solved!
Looking For More Executive Functioning IEP Goal Ideas?
Visit our EF IEP Goal Resource Hub or check out our other skill-specific IEP goal articles:
- 8 Impulse Control IEP Goals
- 8 Attentional Control IEP Goals
- 8 Self-Monitoring IEP Goals
- 10 Problem Solving IEP Goals
- 10 Working Memory IEP Goals
- 9 Emotional Control IEP Goals
- 7 Cognitive Flexibility IEP Goals
- 10 Organization IEP Goals
- 12 Task Initiation IEP Goals
- 10 Time Management IEP Goals
- 15 Planning IEP Goals
Further Reading
- Amy Sippl: Executive Functioning Skills 101: Problem-Solving
- Amy Sippl: Teaching the IDEAL Problem-Solving Method to Diverse Learners
- Amy Sippl: Problem-Solving: Long-Term Strategies & Supports For Diverse Learners