Does your child have a bit more trouble with following directions or rules than some other children? We are personally and professionally familiar with this. This is known in IEPs as compliance, and we have some ideas for IEP goals to help.
What might IEP goals for non-compliance look like?
It depends on what you are seeing, and on what the team is seeing. It may start with your child not doing what the teacher asks them to do, or with your student having trouble following typical classroom conduct rules. It may start with complaints by the school team that your student is not doing some expected activities in class, or does not wish to work on their IEP goals.
As with any IEP goals, the first step is to figure out whether the behavior interferes with the student’s ability to access their education. If yes, whether socially, behaviorally, or academically, the IEP team should meet and discuss how to move forward. The first step is to figure out why the student is being non-compliant. Is it because he does not know what to do? Is she overwhelmed? Does he have the academic and attention skills to do the work? Does she have the interpersonal skills to navigate playground rules and games? Is the student struggling with classroom behavior, or very strong emotions?
Once the team has identified what seems to be causing the student’s not complying, the IEP team has a good toolbox they can use to support most students. The proposed goals and services should reflect where the student is now (the baseline) and where the IEP team thinks the student should be at the end of the IEP year. In addition to looking at the current goals to see if they provide adequate support, the IEP team can always add additional goals to support the student’s growth. For some students working on interpersonal skills, social stories around how to make good choices in a variety of specific situations can help. Others may need additional support from staff, which could be behavior supports, counseling services, or increases in current services.
For help at your child’s next IEP meeting, more information about our special education advocacy services, or for a FREE 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you, call or email today!
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.