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.
If the COVID-19 pandemic showed us anything, it was that it’s important to be flexible. This period of time turned life upside down for everyone – but especially for parents and their children.
There’s no set definition for flexibility as it relates to executive functioning skills – as such, you might say the definition itself is “flexible!”
However, it is generally considered the ability to switch between tasks and attitudes in order to respond to changes in the environment around us.
Children with unique learning needs like autism spectrum disorder often struggle with remaining flexible in the face of change – however, it’s not just kids with unique learning needs who need help mastering these skills. We could all benefit from being a bit more flexible from time to time!
If you’re working on writing or working toward IEP goals in flexibility for the child you work with, these tips should help you do so.
Click here to jump down to the IEP goals.
What is Cognitive Flexibility?
When we think about flexibility, many have a tendency to think about gymnasts on the balance bar.
Yes, that is a measurement of flexibility – but when it comes to life skills, mental flexibility is more important than what gymnasts have (physical flexibility).
Flexibility is the ability to switch between various demands and tasks to respond to changes around us. You might hear the term “task switching” used to refer to mental flexibility, too. In any event, it all means the same thing – if you are flexible, you can adapt quickly and respond to change with minimal stress.
If you struggle with flexibility, you might have a hard time differentiating between differences in the environment. It might be challenging for you to transition between activities or identify relevant information.
Flexibility is important because it helps improve our reading abilities, our ability to be creative, our capacity to respond to negative life events, and more.
Some signs that your child needs to work on building flexibility include:
- Getting frustrated over minor inconveniences
- Repeating the same mistake or ineffective action again and again
- Expressing frustration or negative behaviors when transitioning between activities or when there is a change in routine
- Having trouble leaving activities
Have you ever heard this saying, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again – and expecting the same results?”
It’s not necessarily the definition of insanity -rather, this is the definition of inflexibility. If you’re flexible, you’ll try something new when the first action or response was not effective.
Sample IEP Goals for Flexibility
If you’re trying to help your child learn how to deal with the unexpected, here are some sample IEP goals for flexibility you might want to try out.
Adaptive Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when follow directives from a teacher or other adult are required due to a change in classroom plans, the student will respond without engaging in problem behaviors in 4 out of 5 opportunities, as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when given one verbal prompt, the student will transition from one activity to another with 90% success across observed transitions, as measured by teacher observation.
Social Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when social expectations or rules change, the student will adjust behavior appropriately with no more than one verbal prompt in 90% of situations, as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when peers initiate conversation, the student will respond positively (appropriate words, tone, and body language) in every observed interaction across one school week, as measured by teacher and student observation.
Reading Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when given an instructional-level passage, the student will make an inference and then revise it at the end of the text with 90% accuracy across 4 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher-scored comprehension sheets.
Math Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when the first chosen strategy does not solve a math word problem, the student will select and apply a second strategy with 90% accuracy across 4 out of 5 problems, as measured by work samples.
Writing Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, while drafting written assignments, the student will use a thesaurus to replace common words with more precise synonyms in all submitted work, as measured by teacher rubric.
Tips on Addressing Goals for Flexibility
Here are a few ways to help your child understand the importance of staying flexible in an ever-changing world.
Talk About the Big Picture
When working with your child on flexibility goals, take the time to sit down and talk about the big picture.
Why is it important to be flexible? What are some common situations that come up that require you to be flexible? How many of these are big deals, in the grand scheme of things, versus not big deals?
Help your learner understand tolerance and flexibility. Sometimes change is good! You can use social stories or even flexible thinking flashcards (you’ll find some excellent examples in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook!) to help you do this.
Strategize
For many students with unique learning needs, it can be helpful to come up with a list of strategies that can be used when there’s a need for greater flexibility.
Write down a list of strategies – the flexibility flowchart in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout) has some helpful examples! – that your child can use when the need strikes.
Play Games and Do Puzzles
One of the best ways to improve your child’s flexibility is to have a little fun – play some games!
Playing strategy games or doing puzzles (even simple jigsaw puzzles) is a great way to build flexibility. It will show them that there are multiple solutions to every problem – and that trying multiple solutions is often a good way to be successful.
Work With a Partner
It can be tough to see something from someone else’s point of view – especially if you struggle with flexibility.
Consider using the Try My Way activity in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook to give your learner a fresh take on their old perspectives – or have them team up with a partner to discuss multiple approaches to common problems.
Integrate Opportunities Everywhere
One of the best ways to teach new life skills to students is to make sure that they are integrated into every walk of life. Take the time to practice unpredictability in the daily routine so that your child can handle disruptions no matter what setting they take place in. You’ll find some fun practice techniques in the “Messed Up Morning” activity within the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.
Something else that can be helpful is to work on transitions. So many students get hung up on transitioning between activities that it can completely derail them. Practice transitions between common activities – such as changing classes at school – so that these become second nature.
How to Address Each Goal
Not sure where to start? The best way to start working on flexibility goals is to figure out what exactly is causing the problem.
Does your child struggle with common situations that require flexibility? Does he need to learn new flexibility skills when faced with a challenge? Or does he just need to build a tolerance to unpredictability?
The Real Life Executive Functioning Skills Assessment is a great place to start. It will tell you all about the skills, weaknesses, and focus areas that you need to target in your student. It will give you a clear idea of what you need to focus on so that you can write goals that are clear and specific. This assessment is a helpful tool both for students and the adults that work with them, like teachers, parents, and paraprofessionals.
How to Be Flexible When Writing IEP Goals
If you’re writing IEP goals for flexibility, the most important thing to remember is that you need to be flexible yourself! Don’t be afraid to revise and revisit goals as needed to make sure they accurately reflect the needs of the child you’re working with.
Start by having your child take the Real Life Executive Functioning Skills Assessment. This will give you a clear idea of what sorts of goals to work with from the very beginning. While there’s nothing wrong with taking new approaches later on, this assessment will give you a great idea of where to start.
Be patient, be creative, and most importantly – be flexible. You and your learner are sure to be successful!
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: Flexibility
- Rebekah Pierce: Social Stories for Adolescents and Young Adults
- Rebekah Pierce: How to Deal With Changes to a Routine
- Amy Sippl: 7 Cognitive Flexibility Strategies To Support Your Adolescent