Shoe-Tying Tools for IEP Goals: What Works in Special Education
Shoe-Tying Tools for IEP Goals: What Works in Special Education
Best answer
An IEP-appropriate shoe-tying tool has to do three things: produce measurable progress data, scaffold the hard steps so the student can practice the real skill, and fade out so the student ends up tying independently. Tools that simply replace tying — Velcro, no-tie laces — do not meet an IEP goal because the goal is the skill, not the workaround.
I am Bobby Morong, a special education teacher. I have written and run shoe-tying IEP goals, and I built Training Ties in my own classroom to make those goals actually achievable. Here is how to choose a tool that holds up at the IEP table.
Why shoe tying shows up in IEPs
Shoe tying is a common IEP target because it sits inside two areas teams care about: fine motor development and activities of daily living (ADLs). It is concrete, observable, and meaningful for independence — which makes it easy to write as a measurable goal. It is also a skill where many students have stalled for years, so it often arrives at the IEP table already flagged as a need.
What makes a tool “IEP-appropriate”
Not every shoe-tying product belongs in a goal. To support an IEP goal, a tool should:
- Produce measurable data. You need to be able to track steps completed independently, prompt levels, and accuracy across sessions.
- Scaffold, not substitute. The student must be practicing the actual skill — real laces, real shoes — with support at the hard moments, not bypassing the skill entirely.
- Fade out. The support has to be removable, so the goal can move toward independent performance with the tool gone.
- Generalize across settings. It should work on the student's own shoes so the skill transfers from the therapy room to home and the hallway.
- Break into teachable steps. It should map cleanly onto a task analysis so each step can be taught and measured.
Common tools, judged against IEP goals
| Tool | Supports an IEP shoe-tying goal? |
|---|---|
| Velcro shoes | No — replaces the skill; no progress toward tying |
| No-tie / elastic laces | No — bypasses the skill entirely |
| Practice board | Partially — helps early sequencing, but does not generalize to real shoes |
| Two-color laces | Yes — reduces directional confusion; pairs well with a scaffold |
| Training Ties® checkpoint tool | Yes — scaffolds the hard steps on real shoes, produces step-level data, and fades out |
How Training Ties fits an IEP goal
Training Ties® attaches to the student's real shoes and holds the laces in place at the two moments where tying usually collapses. Because the student is doing the real skill on real laces, every session generates usable data: which steps were independent, which needed a prompt, and how that changed over time. As the student gains control, you fade the checkpoints — which is exactly the trajectory an IEP goal is supposed to follow: from supported to independent.
It also generalizes. The same tool moves from the OT session to the classroom to home, so the skill is not stuck in one setting.
Writing the goal itself
The tool is half the equation — the goal language is the other half. For measurable, defensible shoe-tying goal wording, prompt-level criteria, and templates, see our dedicated guides:
- IEP goals for shoe tying — examples and templates
- How to write a shoe-tying IEP goal that actually gets results
For schools, districts, and therapy teams
If you are equipping a caseload or a classroom, Training Ties offers classroom and bulk options, and we accept purchase orders. See the teacher & OT page, for schools and institutions, or request a free institutional assessment.
Related guides
- How to teach a child to tie shoes without frustration
- Shoe tying glossary — task analysis, scaffolding, backward chaining, ADLs defined
- Backward chaining — the complete guide
- Autism, ADHD & fine motor support
FAQ
Can shoe tying be an IEP goal?
Yes. Shoe tying is commonly written into IEPs as a fine motor or activities-of-daily-living goal because it is concrete, observable, and meaningful for independence — which makes it straightforward to phrase as a measurable objective.
Do Velcro or no-tie laces meet an IEP shoe-tying goal?
No. Velcro and no-tie laces replace the skill rather than teach it, so they do not produce progress toward an independent shoe-tying goal. They can be a reasonable accommodation, but they are not goal-aligned instruction.
What makes a shoe-tying tool appropriate for special education?
It should produce measurable step-level data, scaffold the real skill on real shoes rather than substitute for it, fade out toward independence, and generalize across settings like therapy, classroom, and home.
How do you collect data on a shoe-tying goal?
Use a task analysis of the tying sequence and record, each session, which steps the student completed independently and which needed a prompt, along with the prompt level. A scaffold that keeps the laces stable lets the student attempt every step, so the data reflects skill rather than lace collapse.