This is an example of one specific way to establish and set learning goals for students of varying abilities and characteristics. It is an Individual
Learning Plan (ILP) for a young boy who indicates he has autism spectrum disorder. His challenges are based on behaviour and academic
achievement. Therefore the learning goals that have been set out for him over a short, mid and long term focus on making improvements in these
areas. The benefit of establishing a ILP means it is specific to the child, so regardless of the level of ability, the child is able to experience
success.
Student: Jack
Year Level: prep or grade 1
Age: 6 years old
Entry skills: Jack’s DSM-IV-TR
Challenges: Behaviour challenges; making eye
Learning priorities: Improve social skills,
indicates he has autism spectrum disorder.
contact, emotional control. Fascination with overhead
emotional control and academic disorder.
He sits between 2 and 3 on the autistic
fans. Behind academically.
symptom rating scale.
Limited social, verbal and academic skills.
Level of ability
Jack has difficulty
communicating with
his peers, does not
initiate conversations
and will not respond
when he has been
spoken to. Jack also
has difficulty making
Outcome
For Jack to be able to
successfully and
effectively interact and
communicate with his
peers, using social
skills like eye contact,
responsive behaviour
and language.
Goal
Short term:
For Jack to begin to make
eye contact as someone
speaks to him, by the end
of a 2-week period.
Mid term:
For Jack to respond when
Strategies
Bringing in a speech therapist work in collaboration
with the classroom teacher, the aid and Jack, will help
to achieve these goals. The professional can use
techniques to help Jack improve his ability to make eye
contact, responding to others and ways to
communicate. The professional will inform the
classroom teacher and the aid so they are able to
provide some consistency for him in practicing the
Mode of assessment
The classroom teacher and
the special aid will need
work consistently and
regularly with Jack, to
ensure that he is practicing
these strategies, asking him
questions and practicing his
communication skills.
eye contact with
others.
others are talking to him,
using gestures and body
language, by the end of the
term.
Long term:
For Jack to initiate and join
in conversations with his
peers, by half way through
the year.
Jack regularly
becomes angry
during the school
day. During these
outbursts he screams
loudly and runs
around the room with
his hands over his
ears.
For Jack to have
control over his
emotions and
behaviour.
Short term:
By the end of the month,
Jack will be able to
recognise and understand
when he starts to get angry
and why.
Mid term:
For Jack to acknowledge
his anger and attempt to
control it using a method
implemented by the
classroom teacher and the
provided techniques.
The speech therapist might teach Jack some sign
language to help him communicate, as his language
skills are limited. To support this, the classroom
teacher, aid and the other children should also be aware
of this sign language. This will ensure that Jack’s
participation and involvement in classroom activities,
inside and out, can increase.
Assisting Jack in “verbalising” his pre-existing
gestures and behaviours, another strategy might be to
make flash cards with words that match, to allow him
to respond and communicate with his peers. E.g. ball,
food, no. As Jack can understand some of what others
say, these cards will further support his understanding
as well as his communication and responses.
Strategies put in place to achieve these goals should be
implemented and undertaken carefully and calmly.
Any forceful gestures or tone of voice might agitate
Jack further. Teachers should set up the classroom in a
manner that is safe for Jack, in light that an outburst
might occur. Ensure that there are sensory experiences
or resources close by that might help calm and distract
Jack before an outburst occurs.
Again, flash cards could be created to help Jack
express his feelings to avoid unnecessary frustration;
e.g. angry, happy, confused etc. In this case, it might
help Jack understand what is happening and why.
To begin Jack’s progression for achieving these goals,
Observation will assess his
progression in working
towards making eye contact
with others. The teacher
will also be able to assess
through one-on-one
interactions.
Measure via observations
and conversations with Jack
throughout his journey of
controlling his behaviour
and emotions.
Taking note of the
responses he gives to
questions, and reactions
made when trying to
implement ways to help
manage.
Telling the classroom
teacher why he was made,
special aid, by the end of
the term.
Jack finds it difficult
to play with other
children and does not
understand about
rules and routines.
Jack is fascinated by
the overhead fan in
the classroom and
spends house looking
at it when it is on.
Jack has a tendency
to walk on his toes,
and needs to be
reminded frequently
to put his heels on
the floor.
For Jack to improve his
social skills and
understandings, and to
provide Jack with the
skills to redirect his
fascination of fans into
his academic learning.
Long term:
For Jack to manage and
control his emotions, and
express them in a suitable
and effective manner, by
half way through the year.
Short term:
For Jack to learn and
understand rules and
routines so that he can
participate and interact
with other children, by the
end of the month.
Mid term:
For Jack to become aware
of his body, and how it
moves, allowing him to
recognise when he is
walking incorrectly and
having the skills to correct
him self, by the end of the
term.
Long term:
teachers and the aid should interfere early in the rage
cycle before it escalates. Taking him to a prearranged
familiar and quiet area will help contain and calm
Jack’s outburst. Teachers and aid might also like to
take Jack on a little walk, giving him some time to
compose himself.
If constantly repeated, eventually, Jack will be able to
implement these strategies himself.
moving away from the
situation, self-regulating,
implementing a strategy by
himself, and using effective
and suitable ways to
express himself.
To reach the goal of re-directing Jack’s fascination
with fans, the classroom teacher might incorporate fans
in other areas of learning. For example, numbers,
counting fans; letters, providing a picture and spelling
the word fan. It is important that sensory experiences
are involved and visuals are provided. The aim is to
reduce the frequency that a fan appears in Jack’s
academic learning.
Unless the special aid has knowledge of this, another
specialist may be required to help Jack break his habit
of walking on his toes. If funds are unavailable, the
special aid should have some sort of knowledge.
Another strategy might be to put a noise or textured
material on the bottom of Jack’s shoes that indicates to
Jack when his heels are on or off the ground.
For Jack to understand rules and routines, the use of
flash cards would be beneficial. Again being aware and
understanding his gestures, and then providing Jack
with other sign language gestures and eventually
Measured by observation of
Jacks interactions in a
social environment. Asking
him questions about the
games to make sure he does
understand about the rules,
and the same applies for
routines.
Observation will also apply
to assessing Jack’s control
over his walking and redirecting his fascination.
These tendencies will occur
less over time if Jack is
progressing and working
towards achieving the
goals.
As a result of Jack’s
poor verbal skills, he
is well behind
academically. He has
started to hold a
pencil and make
marks on paper. The
only numerals Jack is
able to identify are 4
and 6, and he is still
unable to read his
name.
For all aspects of
Jack’s academic skills
to improve. Increase
his recognition, writing
skills, and numeracy
skills.
To provide Jack with the
necessary skills that will
allow him redirect his
fascination, which will
improve his concentration
and eventually his
academic success.
Short term:
By the end of the month,
Jack will have developed
his writing skills, making
more defined markings on
the page.
Mid term:
For Jack to increase his
recognition of numerals,
and be able to count to 10,
and begin to transform his
markings into letters, half
way through the year. And
begin to understand how
letters make up a word.
Long term:
For these new acquired
skills to continue to
improve, so Jack can read
words, to help him communicate and understand.
These strategies might be linked in some way to those
of the above outcome. Once a strategy is established to
help re-direct Jack’s fascination of fans into his
academic learning, other strategies can be
incorporated. To achieve these goals, a strategy would
be to use sensory resources and materials to learn
language and numbers, so that Jack is completely
focused and interested. This might include individual
numbers and letters made from foam, or other textures
that allow him to uses his touch sense. This might also
help with improving his writing skills. Providing Jack
with a colourful pencil with a grip that is rubbery,
might encourage his motivation and concentration.
Focusing on visual learning for Jack is important, so
using pictures, colours and patterns will be very
beneficial.
Using the strategy of flash cards might also help to
achieve these goals, so Jack can improve on his
communication and responses simultaneously.
Once again, it would be extremely beneficial for Jack’s
peers to be aware of certain techniques so that in group
Measured by getting Jack
to identify numbers other
than 4 and 6. To
demonstrate his progression
in transforming his
markings into letters and
words.
Continual demonstration
from Jack to the teacher
will assess his progression
and achievement of the
goals.
his name, write it, along
with other words, and
numbers.
activities they can help increase Jack’s involvement.