Dear Parents, 

Being a parent of an autistic child can be challenging, but it's also an incredible journey of love and discovery. Each day brings a new experience, learning opportunity, or chance to understand your little one better. 

As parents, we want to provide our kids with the best possible opportunities for success, with IEPs being a crucial aspect of this journey. Our hope is that this guide aims to help you improve your understanding of how to set IEP goals and the processes in doing so. 

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Addressing Nonverbal Children - for those that don’t know

A child being nonverbal doesn't imply that they lack the ability to communicate. It means that the child may have difficulty using spoken language to express themselves. They may communicate via gestures, behaviors, or alternative communication methods. Understanding this is our first step towards setting meaningful IEP goals for these kiddos. 

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The Value of an IEP

An IEP is a legal document outlining your child's educational plan, tailored to their unique needs. It maps out the specific steps and strategies employed by their educators to help your child achieve their educational goals. These goals serve as a roadmap guiding your child's learning and development.

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Developing IEP Goals for Autistic & Nonverbal Children

The development of IEP goals involves a systematic process. It begins with a thorough assessment of your child's abilities and ends with measurable, achievable goals that will guide their educational journey. These can include the following: 

- A Baseline Assessment: This first step involves understanding your child's current abilities. Professionals like psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and special education teachers will conduct various evaluations to establish this baseline.

- SMART Goals: IEP goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). The SMART approach ensures the goals are clear, achievable, and easy to track.

- Focus on Communication: Goals for autistic & nonverbal children often emphasize alternative communication methods, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), sign language, or assistive technology devices.

- Incorporate Social-Emotional Goals: Children with autism often struggle with social-emotional skills, these can relate to situations in which your child needs to say NO to an inappropriate request or accept NO for an answer.

- Functional Skills: IEP goals should also focus on day-to-day functional skills, including dressing, feeding, and following simple instructions.

- Family Input: You, as a parent, have valuable insights into your child's strengths and needs. Your input is indispensable in creating meaningful and effective IEP goals.

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To better understand this, below are 10 examples of broad goals covering different developmental areas, in which we’ll follow up with 10 more examples of these drilled down into SMART goals: 

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10 IEP Functional Area Goal Examples: 

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1. Develop Communication Skills: Set a goal for your child to use a communication device, sign language, or other communication method to request a preferred item or activity. This goal promotes language development and helps your child engage meaningfully with others.

2. Promote Socialization: Create a goal for your child to engage in cooperative play with a peer for a set amount of time. This goal encourages socialization, turn-taking, and sharing.

3. Improve Life Skills: Establish a goal that your child can dress themselves independently. This goal fosters independence and boosts confidence.

4. Encourage Academic Progress: Develop a goal for your child to recognize and identify a set of letters or numbers. This goal helps build literacy and numeracy skills.

5. Enhance Emotional Regulation: Create a goal for your child to perform a specific calming technique when feeling overwhelmed or anxious. This goal helps your child learn coping strategies and builds resilience.

6. Develop Fine Motor Skills: Set a goal for your child to use a writing or drawing tool to draw a line or shape. This goal enhances fine motor skills and creativity.

7. Foster Independence: Establish a goal for your child to complete a self-care task with minimal assistance, such as hand-washing or brushing teeth. This goal promotes independence while ensuring hygiene.

8. Encourage Physical Activity: Create a goal for your child to participate in a structured physical activity or exercise program. This goal helps build strength, coordination, and self-esteem.

9. Develop Collaborative Skills: Set a goal for your child to collaborate with their peers on a group project or activity. This goal promotes teamwork, communication, and creativity.

10. Enhance Attention to Task: Establish a goal for your child to participate in a specific task or activity for a designated amount of time. This goal helps your child build focus, attention, and persistence.

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‍Now, let's look at some examples of SMART IEP goals…

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1. Requesting Needs Using PECS: Given a communication board with pictures of preferred items, John will point to and show the picture to request the item in 4 out of 5 opportunities over the next six months.

2. Sign Language: By the end of the school year, Mary will use three specific signs ('more', 'done', 'help') to communicate her needs during structured activities in 80% of opportunities.

3. Emotion Recognition: Over the next three months, using visual aids, Sam will correctly identify and name five basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised) in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

4. Turn-Taking: Given visual prompts and adult assistance, Lisa will participate in turn-taking activities with peers for a period of 5 minutes, 4 out of 5 times a week.

5. Independent Dressing: Within six months, with verbal prompts, Tom will independently put on his jacket, correctly aligning and zipping it up, in 4 out of 5 trials.

6. Toilet Training: Over the next school year, with visual and verbal prompts, Sarah will independently complete her toilet routine in 7 out of 10 opportunities.

7. Following Instructions: Within the next nine months, using visual aids, Robert will follow a two-step related command (e.g., "Get your bag and put it on the table") with 80% accuracy in 5 consecutive trials.

8. Joint Attention: By the end of the school year, using visual prompts and adult assistance, Emma will shift her attention to an object or event pointed out by another person in 3 out of 5 trials.

9. Transitioning Between Activities: Over the next six months, given a visual schedule, Mike will transition between three different activities without exhibiting challenging behaviors in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

10. Mealtime Skills: Within the next six months, given verbal prompts, Anna will use a spoon to independently feed herself during mealtimes in 80% of observed opportunities.

Can you see the difference? By providing detail, a way to measure, and building goals that are achievable based on your input, your child and their team’s chances of success moving them forward increases significantly. 

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To better understand and apply these concepts, here are some resources that can be beneficial:

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- Understood.org provides a wealth of resources on IEPs, including templates, sample goals, and tips for parents.  
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- Autism Speaks IEP Guide is an excellent tool for understanding the process of developing an IEP for a child with autism.
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- The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Training Manual offers valuable insights into using PECS for nonverbal children.
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- The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) offers a comprehensive set of resources for parents and teachers.

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Achieving success for autistic and nonverbal children takes creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. By implementing meaningful IEP goals that tap into your child's strengths and abilities, you can help them break through barriers and achieve their full potential. From communication and socialization to academic and life skills, just remember to celebrate progress and keep an open mind, as each child's journey is unique.

While this might seem daunting, remember: each step brings you closer to a better understanding of your child, and each goal achieved, no matter how small, is a victory to be celebrated.

In our next blog post, we’ll delve into different strategies and resources to help your nonverbal child communicate more effectively. Until then, remember, you are not alone in this journey, and there is a world of support waiting for you.

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Warm Regards, 

Jason Curry

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