ILP Goal Bank for ACT Schools: SMART Goals for Autism, ADHD, and Learning Disabilities

One of the most common frustrations ACT parents report after ILP meetings is leaving with goals that sound reasonable but are completely unmeasurable. "The student will improve their literacy" or "The student will show better self-regulation" cannot be tracked, cannot be reviewed, and cannot be enforced. If the goal can't be measured, it can't be held to account.

This is a goal bank specifically for ACT Individual Learning Plans — framed for Australian curriculum contexts, ACT school terminology, and the NCCD's four disability categories. Every goal here follows the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound.

Why Goal Quality Matters in ACT ILPs

The ACT Directorate's ILP guidelines explicitly require that the ILP contain measurable learning outcomes and a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan designating how progress will be tracked and by whom. A school that consistently records vague goals is in breach of its own policy — and potentially of the DSE 2005's requirement to meaningfully consult with parents about the support provided.

When reviewing any proposed goal, ask: Could I assess whether this goal was met, six months from now, by reviewing a data log? If the answer is no, push back.

Literacy Goals (Cognitive Category)

Reading decoding: "Given a decodable reader at their current instructional level, [student] will accurately read 90% of words in a new text without adult prompting, as measured by weekly teacher running records, by [date]."

Reading comprehension: "When provided with a written graphic organiser and a 5-minute pre-reading preview, [student] will correctly answer 4 out of 5 literal comprehension questions about a grade-appropriate text, measured through teacher observation twice per term."

Writing production: "Given a structured planning template and a 30-minute writing session, [student] will produce a written text of at least 3 sentences with a clear beginning, middle, and end, 3 out of 4 times per week, as measured by daily teacher records."

Writing mechanics (for dyslexia): "When using an approved spell-check tool, [student] will produce written work with fewer than 3 significant spelling errors per 100 words in independent writing tasks, as measured by fortnightly writing samples."

Numeracy Goals (Cognitive Category)

Number facts: "Given oral prompting only, [student] will correctly recall multiplication facts for the 2, 5, and 10 times tables with 90% accuracy across two consecutive testing sessions, assessed fortnightly using a 2-minute fact fluency probe."

Problem-solving: "When provided with a worked example and access to a calculator for calculation steps, [student] will correctly identify the correct operation to apply in 4 out of 5 multi-step word problems, as measured by weekly teacher-administered tasks."

Money and everyday maths (for Intellectual Disability): "In a structured classroom shopping simulation, [student] will independently identify coins and notes totalling a specified amount under $20, with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by direct observation."

Communication Goals (Sensory / Cognitive Category)

Receptive language: "When given verbal instructions of two or fewer steps, delivered with a visual support card, [student] will correctly follow the instructions on 4 out of 5 opportunities per day, as measured by teacher tally."

Expressive language: "When prompted to share an idea during class discussion, [student] will produce a complete sentence using a target vocabulary word from the current unit, 3 out of 5 prompted opportunities per week, as measured by teacher observation notes."

AAC device use: "Using their AAC device, [student] will initiate 3 or more communicative exchanges per school day (not including responses to direct questions), tracked daily by the Learning Support Assistant and reviewed weekly."

Social and Emotional Goals (Social/Emotional Category — ADHD, Anxiety, Trauma)

Self-regulation (ADHD): "Given a visual timer and a movement break offered at the start of each 30-minute work block, [student] will remain in their seat and on-task for at least 20 minutes per block on 4 out of 5 school days, as measured by daily teacher tally."

Transition management (autism/anxiety): "Given a 10-minute advance verbal warning and a visual schedule displayed in the classroom, [student] will transition between learning activities without requiring adult physical prompting on 4 out of 5 transition opportunities per day, as measured by teacher daily log."

Emotional identification: "Using the school's agreed regulation tool (e.g., Zones of Regulation poster), [student] will independently identify their current emotional state and communicate it to a trusted adult during morning check-in on 4 out of 5 school days, as measured by teacher daily record."

Conflict resolution: "When experiencing a peer conflict, [student] will use at least one of the following strategies — verbal de-escalation, requesting adult support, or removing themselves from the situation — before any physical response, on 3 out of 4 conflict incidents per week, as measured by incident log."

Behaviour Goals (Behaviour Intervention — Social/Emotional Category)

Reducing physical aggression: "Given implementation of the agreed Behaviour Support Plan (including pre-emptive removal from triggering environments), [student] will demonstrate 0 incidents involving physical contact directed at peers or staff in any given school week, with progress reviewed fortnightly using teacher incident logs."

Using the safe space: "When showing early signs of dysregulation (as identified in the BSP), [student] will independently request or accept redirection to the designated calm space, rather than leaving the classroom without permission, on 4 out of 5 occasions per week, as measured by teacher daily data."

Reducing class disruptions (ADHD): "With access to a fidget tool and preferred seating position, [student] will call out fewer than 3 times per 45-minute lesson, as measured by daily teacher tally across the full school week."

Participation and Access Goals (Physical / Sensory Category)

Sensory regulation: "With access to noise-cancelling headphones during whole-class instruction, [student] will remain in the classroom for the full duration of 90% of core literacy and numeracy lessons per week, as measured by teacher attendance records."

Physical access: "[Student] will independently navigate between their classroom, the library, and the canteen using their mobility equipment, without adult physical assistance, on 4 out of 5 occasions per week, as measured by teacher observation."

Technology use: "When using text-to-speech software, [student] will independently access and listen to a set reading passage before completing the associated comprehension task, without adult prompting, on 4 out of 5 reading tasks per week."

Progress Monitoring: What the ILP Must Include

A goal bank is only useful if the ILP includes a proper Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. For every goal, the ILP must document:

• Who is responsible for collecting progress data (teacher, LSA, Case Coordinator)
• The method of data collection (tally, work sample, observation note, probe)
• The frequency of data collection and review
• The review trigger — what happens if the goal is not being met after a specified period

A common failure mode is to review goals only at the scheduled termly ILP review. Parents should request that data is collected continuously and that a review is triggered if the student is not on track at the halfway point.

Getting Goals Into Your Child's ILP

If you arrive at an ILP meeting and the school presents vague goals, you have the right to request that they be rewritten to meet the SMART criteria before signing the document. If time runs short, the safest approach is to note in writing that you are signing the ILP under protest pending revisions to the goals — and follow up immediately with a dated email confirming this.

The ACT Parent's Tactical Playbook includes goal frameworks, meeting scripts for pushing back on vague goals, and the monitoring templates needed to hold schools accountable to the goals that are set.

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