The Journal of Special Education, Ahead of Print.
Students with extensive support needs (ESN) have an increased risk of engaging in challenging behavior due to a range of factors, including communication and health needs common among this student population. When students engage in behaviors that impede learning, school teams organize support across social and emotional domains to ensure access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. These supports are often formalized in the student’s individualized education program (IEP). This analysis aimed to explore the type and proportion of behavior goals in the IEPs of 1,103 students with ESN across four school districts in the Mountain West region of the United States. We found that students with ESN served in traditional schools were significantly more likely to have a larger proportion of behavior goals related to social skills and emotional regulation than students with ESN served in separate schools. Students with ESN served in separate schools were significantly more likely to have a greater proportion of behavior goals related to compliance and on-task behavior than students with ESN served in traditional schools. We discuss implications for future research and practice related to IEP goal development for students with ESN.