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’ve all been there.
We bought a new handbag simply because it looked so gorgeous on the shelf. We ate that second cookie just because it looked so delicious. We hit snooze for the second (or fourth) time in a row.
Giving in to our impulses is simply human nature. Acting on impulse comes from our evolutionary instincts to survive – take too long to think about a certain situation, and you might wind up as a wolf’s lunch!
While times have changed, our tendencies toward impulsivity have not. While that’s not always a bad thing, in the school and work setting, too much impulsiveness can definitely be harmful.
If your child is struggling with impulse control, this article is for you. We’ll walk you through the process of writing the very best IEP goals for impulse control.
What is Impulse Control?
Also known as self-control, impulse control is an executive functioning skill that lets you think before you act, prioritizing long-term rewards over short-term satisfaction. When you have good impulse control skills, you are able to resist doing things that may be harmful to yourself or to others, either in the short- or long-term.
You’re born with a genetic makeup that can support or hinder your ability to control your impulses, but like other executive functioning skills, this is also a learned behavior that can be improved over time.
You start learning impulse control as a toddler, figuring out that it’s not a good idea to touch a hot stove or cross a busy street without looking first.
If your child has any of the following characteristics, there is a good chance that they need some help improving their impulse control abilities:
- Interrupts conversations or talks over others
- Has trouble sharing items
- Whines, throws tantrums, or refuses when asked to transition from a desirable activity
- Has trouble setting realistic limits on money, screen time, food, or other items
- Participates in unhealthy or dangerous behaviors, particularly around his or her peers
- Gives up easily when confronted with difficult tasks
It’s important to note that while many of us struggle inherently with impulse control, there are some impulse control disorders (such as kleptomania or intermittent explosive disorder) that require medical intervention.
The strategies and IEP goals listed below can certainly help with some of the symptoms of these disorders, but only a medical professional can truly help if you believe that your child’s impulsive behaviors are putting them at serious risk of harm.
Sample IEP Goals for Impulse Control
Here are a few sample IEP goals that you can use to help your child improve his or her skills in impulse control.
Adaptive Goals
- By the end of the IEP term, when given a self-monitoring checklist, the student will show good self-regulation during 90% of his weekly classes, as measured by teacher observations over a period of three months.
- By the end of the school year, when given no more than one verbal cue, the student will attend to a non-preferred activity without protest and remain on task with no task avoidance (such as going to the bathroom) for 15 minutes in three out of four trials, as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP term,the student will raise his hand and wait to be called on by the teacher when he has a question in class with 90% accuracy in five trials, as evidenced by teacher data collection.
Social Goals
- By the end of this school year, the student will use positive self-talk and coping strategies to handle stressful social conflicts, demonstrated by engaging in these behaviors with one prompt successfully in four out of five trials, evidenced by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP term, when the student becomes upset or angry, he will use a self-regulation strategy to avoid engaging in an undesired behavior with one verbal reminder on four out of five opportunities, as measured by teacher and student observation.
Reading Goals
- By the end of the school year, when given time to read quietly, the student will ignore distractions for 20 minutes of focused reading in five out of five trials, as evidenced by teacher observation.
Math Goals
- By the end of the school year, when presented with a challenging mathematics word problem, the student will accurately determine the size of the problem and identify the appropriate emotional response before returning to the task at hand in four out of five trials, as measured by teacher charted data.
Writing Goals
- By the end of the school year, when given a writing assignment, the students will initiate his work as evidenced by beginning to write letters on paper within one minute of the assignment being presented with 90% accuracy in four out of five trials, as measured by teacher observation.
Tips on Setting Goals for Impulse Control
Here are a few tips to help you set and maintain impulse control IEP goals with your student.
Focus on a Healthy Lifestyle
There is a growing body of research that suggests that you’re not as good at resisting your impulses and urges when you’re hungry or tired.
That’s why it’s important to focus on the basics before trying anything more complicated than that – make sure your child is getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of exercise. The lower your stress levels are, the easier it is to resist impulses as they come up.
Are you looking for a good sleep log? You’ll find a helpful template to use in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout).
Identify Triggers and Provide Alternatives
One of the first steps you’ll want to take when working on impulse control goals is to identify what makes your student’s impulsivity more likely to happen in the first place. What sorts of triggers do they have? Are they more likely to give in to impulses around peers? When they’re bored? Frustrated? Hungry?
Make a list of potential triggers and come up with alternatives they can explore instead. The Can-Do Cubes exercise in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook is a fun way to do this.
It’s also a good idea to walk your child through things they can do when they feel like quitting. Have them identify reasons for wanting to give up and alternatives to try when they just don’t feel like they can be successful in an activity. Again, you’ll find helpful charts and graphic organizers to use in this task by checking out the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
Use Videos and Social Stories
Some students struggle with impulse control simply because they aren’t aware of when their behavior is inappropriate.
You can use social stories and videos (like the ones you’ll find in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook) to provide your child with realistic examples of when it is appropriate (or not) to engage in certain behaviors, like initiating a conversation.
Try Stop, Think, Act
If your child struggles with emotional control, a common technique you can use is Stop, Think, Act. This can also be used for impulse control issues in general.
You can learn more about this strategy here, but at its core, it’s quite simple. It involves taking the time to stop and think before you act – rather than acting immediately on your urges or emotional reaction.
Be Reflective
Constant reflection is key if you want your student to be successful at meeting his or her IEP goals for impulse control. Encourage your child to reflect on previous situations where impulsive behaviors got in the way – and come up with alternative solutions so that your child is better able to manage his emotions and impulses.
Be sure to collect data and get feedback from others involved in the child’s IEP team, too. It’s important to have clear, accurate information about what triggers impulsive behavior (and the impacts that the impulsive behavior has) for your child.
You’ll find a helpful worksheet to make better choices in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
How to Address Each Goal
As is the case with so many different executive functioning skill areas, impulse control is closely tied to other areas that may need improvement, such as organization, attentional control, and planning.
It can often be hard to parse out whether impulse control is the area that needs the most work – or if it’s something else entirely.
Because of this, it’s always a good idea to start by having your child take the Executive Functioning Assessment. This will help determine the areas that need the most work, as well as to identify your student’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
Then, you can use the paired Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook to provide you with the exercises, tips, and techniques you need to help your child be successful at meeting his goals. These strategies work like a charm!
Stay Patient and Be Proactive to Achieve Impulse Control IEP Goals
Just as a student doesn’t learn the core academic subjects – reading, math, writing, etc – overnight, he won’t learn how to control his impulses immediately, either. It will take some time for your child to understand his triggers and how to act on impulses appropriately, so be patient.
Break each goal down into a smaller mini-goal and be realistic with your expectations. With time, your student will be a total pro.
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: Stop, Think, Act: How to Practice Emotional Control Skills With Your Teen
- Amy Sippl: Executive Functioning 101: All About Impulse Control
- Rebekah Pierce: Social Stories for Adolescents and Young Adults
- Amy Sippl: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Learn Impulse Control
- Amy Sippl: Impulse Control: Long Term Strategies & Supports For Diverse Learners
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