ABA Goal-Writing Checklist for Authorization Success

A checklist for ABA providers to ensure treatment goals meet authorization requirements, including assessment connection, goal structure, medical necessity documentation, and functional outcome examples.

By Olin Wakkary, Head of Services @ Brellium

ABA Goal-Writing Authorization Checklist (Clinician Reference)

Use this as a quick-reference tool before submitting treatment plans for initial authorization or reauthorization.

1. Assessment Connection (Before Writing Goals)

• Each goal is explicitly linked to a specific deficit from the most recent assessment (e.g., FBA, VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS, EFL, social skills assessments).
• Baseline data is numeric (e.g., frequency, rate, percentage, trials correct, duration, latency).
• The functional impact of each deficit is clearly described (how it affects daily living, safety, learning, socialization, or independence).

Examples of functional impact statements:

• "Deficit in functional communication results in 10–15 tantrums per day when denied access to preferred items."
• "Lack of toileting skills prevents enrollment in preschool and requires constant caregiver supervision."

2. Goal Structure Requirements

For every goal, confirm all of the following are present:

• Learner name is used (e.g., "Alex will…" not "Client will…" if payer allows; otherwise, use "Client" consistently but ensure the goal is clearly individualized).
• Observable, measurable behavior is defined (what can be seen and counted; no internal states).
• Baseline performance is included with data (e.g., "currently independently requests 1/10 items" or "engages in aggression 6 times per hour").
• Target criterion is specific and measurable (e.g., % accuracy, number of opportunities, consecutive days/weeks, or rate reduction).
• Timeframe is specified (e.g., "within 6 months," "within 12 months").
• Measurement method is identified (e.g., discrete-trial data, frequency, rate, duration, latency, whole/partial interval, momentary time sampling, task analysis data).

Template:

[Learner] will [observable behavior] from [baseline level] to [target criterion] as measured by [measurement method] within [timeframe], in order to [functional outcome/medical necessity].

3. Medical Necessity Documentation (Per Goal)

For each goal, ensure the treatment plan clearly answers:

1. Barrier to independence

• Why does this deficit prevent the learner from functioning independently (home, school, community)?

2. Safety risk or functional impairment

• What risk exists without this skill (e.g., elopement, self-injury, aggression, vulnerability, health concerns)?
• What major life activities are impaired (communication, self-care, learning, social interaction, community access)?

3. Age-appropriateness

• How does the goal align with age-typical developmental expectations or educational standards?

4. Need for ABA (vs. natural supports)

• Why can’t family, school, or typical supports reasonably teach this skill without ABA (e.g., requires systematic prompting/fading, reinforcement schedules, data-based decision making, behavior reduction procedures)?

Include at least 1–2 concise sentences per goal addressing these points.

4. Red Flags to Avoid

Confirm none of the following appear in the goals:

• Vague language such as: "improve," "increase," "work on," "enhance," "develop" without clear, measurable definitions.
• Generic goals that could apply to any client (e.g., "Client will improve social skills" without specifying behaviors, contexts, and function).
• Missing baselines (every goal must have current performance data).
• Skill-only goals with no functional/medical necessity explanation (must state why the skill matters for safety, independence, or major life activities).
• No generalization plan (goals must indicate settings, people, and materials for use of the skill).

5. Functional Outcome Examples (Reference)

Communication Example

"Client will independently request 10 preferred items using 2-word phrases (e.g., 'want cookie') across 3 different settings with 80% accuracy over 2 consecutive weeks, as measured by trial-by-trial data. Currently requests 0/10 items independently, leading to 12+ daily tantrums when needs are not met, requiring caregiver intervention and limiting participation in home and community activities."

Safety Example

"Client will stop at curbs and look both ways before crossing 100% of opportunities across 5 consecutive community outings, as measured by event recording. Currently runs into the street without looking in 8/10 opportunities, requiring physical restraint from caregivers to prevent injury."

Daily Living Example

"Client will toilet independently (approach toilet, pull down pants, void, wipe, pull up pants, flush, wash hands) with 0 prompts for 10 consecutive successful trials, as measured by task analysis data. Currently requires full physical prompting for all steps, preventing school enrollment and requiring constant caregiver supervision."

Use these as models; always individualize to the learner’s assessment data and functional needs.

6. Generalization & Maintenance Planning (Per Goal)

For each goal, document:

1. Across settings

• Where will the skill be used? (e.g., home, school, clinic, community locations such as grocery store, playground, relatives’ homes.)

2. Across people

• With whom will the learner perform the skill? (e.g., parents, siblings, teachers, peers, RBTs, BCBA, other caregivers.)

3. Across materials/contexts

• What variations will be included? (e.g., different communication partners, different toileting environments, different safety situations, varied play materials.)

4. Maintenance plan

• How will the skill be monitored and maintained after mastery? (e.g., reduced probe schedule, periodic data checks, caregiver implementation, fading of direct ABA hours.)

Include at least one sentence in the goal or narrative describing generalization and maintenance (e.g., "Skill will be generalized across home and community settings with parents and siblings, and maintained via weekly probe data after mastery.").

7. Progress Measurement & Mastery Criteria

• Data collection method is clearly stated and appropriate to the behavior (e.g., frequency for aggression, task analysis for ADLs, trial-by-trial for discrete skills, duration for tantrums).
• Mastery criteria are objective and specific (e.g., "80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions with at least 10 opportunities per session" or "≤1 episode per week for 4 consecutive weeks").
• There is a plan for post-mastery:
• Maintenance probes (frequency and who collects them).
• Generalization steps (additional settings/people/materials).
• Next-step or replacement goals once mastery is achieved.

8. Linking Treatment Hours to Goals (Medical Necessity for Intensity)

When justifying hours, ensure the plan clearly shows:

• Number of active goals and domains (communication, social, behavior reduction, daily living, safety, play/leisure, executive functioning, vocational, etc.).
• Complexity of skill deficits (e.g., multiple-step chains, severe language delays, co-occurring challenging behavior requiring intensive teaching procedures).
• Frequency and severity of challenging behaviors that require ongoing intervention (e.g., daily aggression, self-injury, elopement, property destruction).
• Need for parent/caregiver training hours (e.g., to ensure carryover, safety, and generalization across routines and environments).
• Clear rationale that fewer hours would be insufficient to address the functional impairments (e.g., "Due to the frequency of severe aggression and the number of ADL and communication goals, fewer than X hours per week would not allow for sufficient learning opportunities and caregiver training to reduce safety risks and support independence.").

Document this rationale in the narrative section accompanying the goals.

9. Final Review Before Submission

Before submitting for authorization or reauthorization, confirm:

• All goals are written in family-friendly language (minimal jargon; when used, terms like "prompting," "reinforcement," or "generalization" are briefly explained).
• Each goal clearly states how it will improve real-life functioning (home, school, community, relationships, safety, independence).
• Assessment data supporting each goal is attached or clearly referenced (e.g., FBA summary, VB-MAPP scores, ABLLS-R/AFLS levels, behavior data graphs).
• Requested hours match the scope and intensity of the goals and documented needs.
• There is clear alignment among: assessment findings → identified deficits → goals → treatment hours → medical necessity narrative.

Use this checklist as a final pass to ensure goals are individualized, medically necessary, and clearly justified for payers while remaining understandable to families.

About the author

Olin Wakkary

Head of Services @ Brellium

Olin currently serves as Head of Services at Brellium where he develops offerings from 0 - 1, managing full sales cycles and operations. He previously served as Brellium's head of Customer Success where he ran customer support, implementation and account management. Olin has held previous roles at DataBook and Weston Foods and is originally from Toronto, Canada.