Which is an appropriate IEP goal for a preschool student with autism spectrum disorder?

Which is an appropriate IEP goal for a preschool student with autism spectrum disorder?

• A. The student will work toward social skills improvement by talking to at least two different classmates each day during center time for the next five days.
• B. The student will take turns while playing with a peer in four out of the six trials over a six-week period as indicated in a teacher chart.
• C. The student will stay on task when reading a favorite story during independent reading time with no more than five errors for the next week.
• D. The student will be able to solve two-digit addition problems with 75 percent accuracy as measured by work samples.

Answer: (B)

Focusing on observable, measurable social-communication skills in natural contexts is essential for an IEP goal in preschoolers with autism. The best goal explicitly names a concrete behavior, shows how progress will be measured, and sets a realistic timeframe. In this case, aiming for the child to take turns while playing with a peer, across four of six trials over six weeks, provides a clear, observable action (taking turns), a concrete measurement plan (four out of six trials), and a natural setting (play with peers). This aligns with typical preschool activities and supports functional social interaction, which is a common area of need for children with autism. Other options propose goals that are less developmentally appropriate or harder to measure in typical preschool settings: talking to two different classmates each day may be difficult to verify consistently and may not reflect a common classroom routine; staying on task during independent reading with a cap on errors sounds more like an older child’s academic task and isn’t suitable for preschool; solving two-digit addition with 75 percent accuracy is clearly beyond preschool math expectations and not an appropriate IEP target at this age.

Focusing on observable, measurable social-communication skills in natural contexts is essential for an IEP goal in preschoolers with autism. The best goal explicitly names a concrete behavior, shows how progress will be measured, and sets a realistic timeframe. In this case, aiming for the child to take turns while playing with a peer, across four of six trials over six weeks, provides a clear, observable action (taking turns), a concrete measurement plan (four out of six trials), and a natural setting (play with peers). This aligns with typical preschool activities and supports functional social interaction, which is a common area of need for children with autism.

Other options propose goals that are less developmentally appropriate or harder to measure in typical preschool settings: talking to two different classmates each day may be difficult to verify consistently and may not reflect a common classroom routine; staying on task during independent reading with a cap on errors sounds more like an older child’s academic task and isn’t suitable for preschool; solving two-digit addition with 75 percent accuracy is clearly beyond preschool math expectations and not an appropriate IEP target at this age.