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’re all busy – and we’re demanding more from our children and teens than ever before. It’s no wonder that some kids struggle with task initiation as a basic executive functioning skill.
Task initiation can be a difficult skill to master, especially for kids who struggle with ADHD or executive function disorders. Setting goals that encourage students to independently initiate tasks can help them demonstrate self-initiation, time management, and prioritization of assignments. Here are a few tips for writing IEP goals to help your child get started on tasks more easily.
Click here to jump down to the IEP goals.
Introduction to Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functioning skills are a set of cognitive processes that enable individuals to plan, organize, and execute tasks effectively. These skills are essential for both academic and personal success, as they help individuals manage their time, prioritize tasks, and initiate actions. Key executive functioning skills include task initiation, working memory, self-monitoring, and self-regulation. Developing strong executive functioning skills is crucial, especially for individuals with special needs, as it can help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals. By focusing on these skills, we can provide the necessary support to help individuals succeed in various aspects of their lives.
What is Task Initiation?
Task initiation refers to the ability of a child (or adult) to initiate and start a task independently – in other words, without being prodded or nagged.
It can encompass a wide variety of skills, including responding to instructions, generating ideas, and solving problems.
As a core executive functioning skill, it’s one that is problematic for the vast majority of kids with autism spectrum disorder and other unique learning backgrounds. You might suspect that your child is struggling with task initiation if he or she:
- Needs multiple reminders to start and complete a task
- Puts off chores and homework until it’s the absolute last minute
- Needs help often, even for basic tasks
- Engages in challenging behavior as a method of escaping tasks that need to be done
A goal bank can be an invaluable resource for educators, providing a comprehensive set of examples for creating effective individualized education plan (IEP) goals that address executive functioning needs.
When a child struggles with task initiation, it’s common for him to become accustomed to adults jumping in to help. While this works well in the short-term, in the long term it is problematic because he can’t start and finish a task on his own.
Understanding the Importance of Task Initiation
Task initiation is a critical executive function skill that enables individuals to start tasks promptly and efficiently. It involves the ability to begin a task without undue procrastination and to initiate actions in a timely manner. Task initiation is essential for completing tasks, achieving goals, and promoting independence. Individuals with special needs may struggle with task initiation, which can hinder their academic performance and increase anxiety. Therefore, it is essential to develop effective strategies to support task initiation and provide individuals with the necessary skills to initiate tasks independently. By focusing on task initiation, we can help individuals build the foundation for success in both academic and personal endeavors.
Creating Effective IEP Goals
Creating effective IEP goals is crucial for individuals with special needs, as it helps them develop the necessary skills to succeed academically and personally. IEP goals should be tailored to the individual student’s needs and circumstances, and should be designed to promote independence and productivity. Effective task initiation IEP goals should be tailored to the student’s Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP). Task initiation IEP goals, in particular, should focus on developing the skills necessary to initiate tasks independently, such as prioritizing tasks, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and using visual supports. By providing individuals with the necessary skills and support, IEP goals can help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Effective IEP goals are specific, measurable, and actionable, ensuring that students can make meaningful progress.
Sample IEP Goals for Task Initiation
Teaching task initiation is essential if you want to create a self-sufficient and adult. It needs to be taught directly and through positive reinforcements. Teaching task initiation is essential for creating a self-sufficient teen and adult. It should be one of the first executive functioning skills to focus on because it goes hand-in-hand with other skills, like planning, emotional regulation, organization, and time management. Improved working memory skills should also be a focus area for IEP goals, as they are crucial for enhancing a student’s cognitive abilities and achieving measurable outcomes.
Without mastering task initiation skills, it will be challenging – if not impossible – to teach other skills.
Adaptive Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when given instructions to start a familiar task along with appropriate visual supports, [Student Name] will begin the task within 15 minutes in 90 % of classroom opportunities as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when given up to five different tasks, [Student Name] will identify the proper order to complete the tasks and begin each one within two minutes of finishing the last in 80 % of monitored sessions as measured by teacher observation.
Social Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when provided visual support or an adult prompt, [Student Name] will begin a non-preferred task within 60 seconds without challenging behavior in 100 % of observed opportunities as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when prompted to leave a preferred activity, [Student Name] will transition to a non-preferred task and begin within one minute without refusal in 100 % of observed transitions as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when [Student Name] has difficulty initiating a task, they will identify the problem and seek an appropriate resource or help without challenging behavior in 100 % of occurrences as measured by teacher logs.
Reading Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when given a reading assignment, [Student Name] will evaluate whether it is difficult and request help or other resources if necessary in 100 % of opportunities as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when given a reading assignment, [Student Name] will enter upcoming due dates into a weekly calendar with 90 % accuracy as evidenced by weekly teacher checks.
Math Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when solving math word problems and a countdown timer is provided, [Student Name] will begin working before the timer expires in 90 % of opportunities as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when presented with an unfamiliar math word problem, [Student Name] will independently identify an appropriate starting strategy in 90 % of trials as measured by teacher data collection.
- By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will decide whether to persist independently or request assistance when solving math problems, choosing appropriately in 90 % of opportunities as measured by teacher and self-reflection logs.
Writing Goals
- By the end of the IEP period, when given a written assignment, [Student Name] will locate and gather all necessary materials to begin within five minutes in 100 % of assignments as measured by teacher observation.
- By the end of the IEP period, when assigned a complex writing project, [Student Name] will create a written plan listing materials and sequential steps and complete the task within the agreed timeframe in 100 % of projects as measured by rubric and teacher observation.
Tips on Setting Goals for Task Initiation
Here are a few simple tips to follow as you set goals for task initiation, emphasizing the importance of executive function skills. These skills play a critical role in both academic and personal development, particularly for students with individualized education plans (IEPs).
Focus on Task Analysis
One of the most effective ways to set and achieve goals related to task initiation is to conduct task analysis. This is simply the act of breaking a larger skill down into multiple subtasks. You’ll teach these subtasks as individual goals instead of trying to accomplish one massive, goliath goal. This can be overwhelming.
Task analysis can also help build autonomy and self-esteem. As your child accomplishes each goal, he’ll be progressing toward the larger goal and improving his confidence in himself along the way. Additionally, setting measurable goals within task analysis allows you to track progress, ensuring consistent monitoring and adjustments as needed.
An example is in using a Topic Selector worksheet like what you’ll find in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout) to plan out key ideas for an assignment or project. This can help break a project down into smaller steps so that it gets started (and gets done) on time.
Start With Preferred Activities
When you’re setting goals for task initiation, try to start with activities that the child enjoys doing first. If a child has a long history of not responding well to adult instructions, it can cause behavioral habits that are hard to break – and challenging to deal with.
Beginning with preferred activities will associate the process of task initiation with fun – and help a child stay motivated to continue making progress in the future. Additionally, incorporating executive functioning goals into the strategy can address individual challenges and support overall student success.
Provide Positive Reinforcement
Task initiation is an executive functioning skill that’s often closely connected to challenging behaviors. Because of this, providing positive reinforcement is essential to help give your child the boost he needs to work hard. Positive reinforcement also encourages children to evaluate their own progress, helping them to effectively and efficiently complete tasks while working towards achieving personal goals.
Of course, you also need to teach your child his own strategies for staying motivated, too. The Pep Talk worksheet found in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook can help.
Use Visuals
You’ll notice that some of the sample IEP goals we told you about above mention the use of visual supports. Visual supports are technically adult assistance – so you might be wondering why you’re still providing assistance if the goal is to initiate tasks independently.
However, using visual supports like checklists, calendars, flashcards (the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook has some helpful templates!) and apps can help a child become better at initiating tasks because they include their own built-in prompts.
Although these might be considered crutches to help a student meet his goals, they are nevertheless crutches that can be used forever – you won’t have to “wean” the child off them. After All, there’s a good chance that you use a calendar as a highly functioning adult, right?
Additionally, the use of visuals can significantly contribute to a student’s personal development by fostering essential skills and promoting overall growth.
Set Time Related Goals
A pitfall that many teachers and parents run into when setting IEP goals related to task initiation is that they make them all about the task – and don’t pay any mind to the time involved. The goal here needs to be not only starting tasks independently but also doing so (and completing those tasks) within a reasonable time frame. Additionally, developing self-monitoring skills can help students assess their performance and progress, ensuring they stay on track with their time-related goals.
Use warnings to move between tasks and get your child into the habit of transitioning between tasks on his own. The Countdown Exercise in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook can help them do that.
How to Address Each Goal
Setting goals for learners of all abilities can be a challenge – but the more specific and measurable, the better.
Write down as many ideas about what your child needs to accomplish.
The Executive Functioning Assessment can help give you a baseline of where your child is struggling – and what can be done to improve. It will give you clear strategies that you can use to come up with a solution to help your child succeed. You’ll be able to address each goal separately in a clear, concise, and actionable plan. Many goals will require multiple steps to ensure they are effectively achieved.
It’s not just for teachers but can instead be used by parents, administrators, paraprofessionals, or even the student himself! It’s easy to integrate into your current IEP writing process and is loaded with activities that you can add seamlessly into your daily routine.
Completing Tasks
Completing tasks is an essential aspect of academic and personal success. It involves the ability to initiate tasks, follow through with actions, and complete tasks in a timely manner. Individuals with special needs may struggle with completing tasks due to executive functioning deficits, such as difficulties with task initiation, working memory, and self-regulation. Students with executive functioning deficits often struggle with organization skills and time management. To support individuals with special needs, it is essential to provide them with the necessary skills and strategies to complete tasks, such as using graphic organizers, providing visual supports, and offering positive reinforcements. By addressing these challenges, we can help individuals develop the skills needed to complete tasks efficiently and effectively.
Individual Student Needs
Each individual student has unique needs and circumstances that must be taken into account when developing IEP goals. It is essential to consider the student’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning style when creating IEP goals, as well as their individualized education program. By tailoring IEP goals to the individual student’s needs, educators can provide them with the necessary support and skills to succeed academically and personally. This may involve developing task initiation IEP goals that focus on specific skills, such as prioritizing tasks, using visual schedules, and providing multiple reminders. By providing individualized support and accommodations, educators can help students with special needs overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
The Next “Task” to Initiate
The takeaway is this- when writing IEP goals for task initiation, be sure to consider all of the factors that might impact your student’s ability to get started on a task. Consider taking the Executive Functioning Assessment with your child and be sure to download the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook as your first steps toward writing meaningful IEP goals for task initiation.
These tips will help you create meaningful and achievable goals that can make a real difference in your child’s academic success. Additionally, focusing on improving time management skills can further enhance your child’s ability to organize their time, prioritize tasks, and reduce time spent on non-academic activities.
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