13 IEP Goals for Students with Down Syndrome (With Examples)

Quick Answer

IEP goals for Down syndrome should target the student's individual present levels across communication, functional academics, life skills, and fine motor development — for example, using a 3-4 word sentence to make a request in 4 of 5 opportunities, rather than assuming a fixed skill profile based on the diagnosis alone.

Students with Down syndrome have a wide range of individual strengths and needs, so goals must come from current evaluation and present-level data — not a template based on the diagnosis. These 13 example goals cover the areas most commonly targeted, organized by domain.

Communication

1.By [date], [student] will use a 3-4 word sentence to make a request in 4 of 5 observed opportunities, as measured by SLP and teacher data.
2.By [date], [student] will answer simple personal questions (name, age, favorite activity) with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
3.By [date], [student] will follow a 2-step direction without visual support in 4 of 5 observed opportunities across 3 settings.

Functional Life Skills

1.By [date], [student] will independently complete a 3-step morning routine (hang up coat, sign in, start work) with no more than 1 prompt in 4 of 5 school days.
2.By [date], [student] will identify functional community signs (restroom, exit, stop) with 90% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
3.By [date], [student] will independently manage personal belongings (backpack, lunch box) throughout the school day in 4 of 5 days.

Fine Motor

1.By [date], [student] will use a tripod grasp to write their name legibly with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 writing samples.
2.By [date], [student] will use child-safe scissors to snip along a marked line with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
3.By [date], [student] will complete a 10-piece puzzle independently within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 opportunities.

Functional Academics

1.By [date], [student] will identify numbers 1-20 with 90% accuracy across 4 of 5 trials, as measured by teacher-administered probes.
2.By [date], [student] will match and identify 25 sight words with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.
3.By [date], [student] will count and sort objects into groups of 5 with 90% accuracy across 4 of 5 opportunities.
4.By [date], [student] will identify coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) by name with 85% accuracy in 4 of 5 trials.

Setting Realistic Timelines

Progress for students with Down syndrome is often steady but gradual, and goals should reflect a realistic pace based on the student's rate of skill acquisition shown in present-level data — not an arbitrary grade-level standard. It is better to set a goal the student will clearly master and build on than one that requires an unrealistic leap, which erodes both data quality and student confidence.

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