speech therapy goals for written expression

53 Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives for Writing and Written Expression

Parents can certainly assist the IEP team with developing goals. One IEP area that I find parents and teachers struggle with is addressing the skill of writing. And by writing, I’m talking about content, not fine-motor handwriting skills .

If your child struggles with handwriting , I would read this post on dysgraphia or ask for an OT evaluation.

I have a large IEP Goal Bank that lists and links out to thousands of IEP goals. So if you cannot find what you are looking for here, I suggest you check there.

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For this post, the IEP goals for writing will focus on writing as far as developing content, writing fluency, and written expression.

Written Expression IEP Goals

What’s great about many IEP goals is that you can change the details of the IEP goal to suit any age, grade, or ability. This list of IEP writing goals examples can be edited for any writing ability.

I have a graphic below detailing how to make an IEP goal measurable.

• When given a writing assignment, [student] independently creates a keyword outline. He will have the main topic and [number of] supporting points as a basis for the essay.
• [Name] will use the keyword outline process to create a written composition that contains [number of] paragraphs of at least [number of] sentences each, an introduction, conclusion. [student] will include at least [number of]  supporting points in [number of] separate paragraphs. [student] will demonstrate this ability in all content areas and all settings.
• The [student] will independently develop his ideas for assigned essays. [student] will create five-paragraph essays with proper essay structure using [name of] software to dictate ideas to the computer. [student] will demonstrate the ability to use [name of] voice-to-text software to dictate essays in all class subjects.
• [student] will write and edit a five-sentence paragraph that addresses a given subject in the general curriculum. Each paragraph will include a topic sentence, at least [number of] details, and a conclusion. [student] will earn a score of [desired score goal] or higher on a writing rubric for each writing assignment. There will be at least four writing assignments per quarter.
• For each essay assignment, [student] will independently develop his ideas fully. [student] will write passages that contain well-developed main ideas. [student] will give at least [number of] details in each paragraph. [student] will demonstrate this ability in all content areas and all settings for all essay assignments in the general curriculum.
• When given writing assignments in the general curriculum, [student] will edit his writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. [student] will have fewer than [number of] overlooked errors per [number of] words without assistance. [student] will demonstrate this ability across all settings.
• The Student will increase writing skills to (grade/proficiency level) in the area(s) of (Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions) as measured by (State Scoring Guide, analysis of writing samples, diagnostic survey, spelling inventory).
• [student] will increase writing skills to __ (grade/proficiency level) in the area(s) of _ (Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions) as measured by (State Scoring Guide, analysis of writing samples, diagnostic survey, spelling inventory).
• [student] will increase writing skills to (grade/proficiency level) in the area(s) of (ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions) as measured by ___ (State Scoring Guide, analysis of writing samples, diagnostic survey, spelling inventory).

Objectives to Support Written Expression IEP Goals

Here are some objectives to support IEP writing goal examples. I tried to separate them out by the skill being worked on.

IEP Goal for Writing: Research and Concept

• Write the main idea with some supporting details on a topic.
• Research and write to convey an understanding of a topic using at least one resource.
• Write clear, focused main ideas and supporting details on a topic.
• To develop a topic, write a multi-paragraph passage using details, examples, and illustrations.
• Revise writing for the development of the main idea with supporting details.
• Research using verifiable sources to develop and support the topic.
• Research and write to convey a thorough understanding of a topic using two or more resources.
• Include some relevant facts and details on a chosen topic.
• Convey clear, focused main ideas and supporting details on a topic for various audiences and purposes.
• Include appropriate facts and details on a chosen topic.
• Use writing to generate a learning log and journals to record new information.
• Use writing to generate diagrams, learning logs, journals, note-taking, outlines, and summaries.

Writing Goals for IEP: Structure

There’s some overlap here with the above list.

• Organize writing to address the audience and purpose in chronological and logical sequences (e.g., sequence, place, importance).
• Write a sentence that connects related ideas that maintain a topic.
• Research using verifiable sources to develop and support a topic.
• Write stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Demonstrate organization by developing a beginning, middle, and ending using transition words (e.g., first, next, then).
• Demonstrate organization by developing an introduction, body of text, and conclusion with clear sequencing of ideas and transitional words and phrases.
• Select an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., outlining, identifying, and supporting topics, following a model, maps, and charts).

IEP Writing Goals: Paragraphs

• Organize paragraphs when writing from a prompt or on a topic.
• Use paragraphs to organize structure within the text for a specific purpose of the content.
• Write paragraphs in which sentences are related to the topic.
• Write paragraphs containing a stated main idea and a closing sentence.
• Write multi-paragraph passages (e.g., stories, reports).

Written Expression Goals: Editing and Correcting

Being able to critique your own work, edit it, and make the appropriate corrections is an advanced executive functioning skill . If a student is struggling with this, it may not be the “writing” per se that is the issue, but they may need practice and instruction in how to improve executive function skills .

• Revise writing by adding or deleting text.
• Change some text to improve clarity.
• Revise writing to improve clarity and effectiveness by adding relevant details and changing or rearranging text.
• Edit writing to organize sentences into paragraphs.
• Edit writing to use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas in sentences and paragraphs (e.g., therefore, on the other hand).
• Revise writing so it has a sequence (e.g., beginning, middle, end).
• Revise writing so the paper has an order that makes sense, including details, ideas, sentences, time sequence, and paragraphs.
• Classify words and topics into an organizational scheme.

Printable List of Written Expression IEP Goals

If you wish to print this list to have, here you go.

Writing IEP Goals

Note that you can add accommodations, or any accommodation, to the beginning of each goal.

For example:

• Using a graphic organizer , the student will [rest of goal]
• Working with the student’s assigned reading specialist/para, [rest of goal]

You can also add phrases such as “working independently” to define the goal further.

More on Writing IEP Goals

Much has been studied about the value of being able to read and write and their connection to each other.

If you are focusing on your child’s writing skills, ensure their reading skills are also addressed. It is unusual to have issues with one and not the other.

From K12 Reader:

Basically put: reading affects writing, and writing affects reading. According to recommendations from the major English/Language Arts professional organizations, reading instruction is most effective when intertwined with writing instruction and vice versa. Research has found that when children read extensively, they become better writers.

Reading a variety of genres helps children learn text structures and language that they can then transfer to their writing. In addition, reading provides young people with prior knowledge that they can use in their stories.

One of the primary reasons that we read is to learn. Especially while we are still in school, a major portion of what we know comes from the texts we read. Since writing is transmitting knowledge in print, we must have information to share before we can write it. Therefore reading plays a major role in writing.

Good luck and check out our IEP goal bank if you need more ideas.

Reading and Writing IEP Goals

• 28 Spelling IEP Goals for All Ages, Abilities and Common Core Standards
• How to Write a Meaningful IEP for Dyslexia (includes IEP Goals for Dyslexia)
• 36 Decoding IEP Goals (Examples and Samples)
• 25 Measurable Basic Reading Skills IEP Goals
• 14 Letter Recognition IEP Goals (including OT)
• 16 IEP Goals for Phonemic Awareness
• 28 Sample Vocabulary IEP Goals
• 60 Kindergarten IEP Goals including Reading, Writing and Math.
• 53 Measurable IEP Goals for Writing and Written Expression (and Objectives)
• 46 Reading Comprehension IEP Goals , including Fluency
• Free IEP Goal Bank with 1000+ Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives separated by Domain

• Dotterer, Cheri L (Author)
• English (Publication Language)

• Rogers, Kristy B. (Author)

• Wonder Publications (Author)

• King PhD, Jennifer C. (Author)

• Shining, Lighthouse (Author)

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432+ Free Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives Bank

If you want to save yourself time writing your IEP’s you’ve come to the right place. Here is a 432+ free IEP goal bank to make your life easier writing your speech therapy goals and to save you time.

IEP Goal Bank for Speech Therapy Goals

Articulation, functional life skills, expressive language, receptive language, auditory discrimination, phonological awareness, social skills/pragmatics.

• Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)

Figurative Language

Written language, intelligibility, speech therapy goals for articulation.

Given 20 sounds and a verbal prompt or model , STUDENT will articulate the sound(s) of / / at the isolation level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sounds, STUDENT will independently  articulate the sound(s) of / / at the isolation level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures and a verbal prompt or model , STUDENT will articulate the sound(s) of / / at the syllable level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures, STUDENT will independently  articulate the sound(s) of / / at the syllable level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures and a verbal prompt or model , STUDENT will articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the word level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures, STUDENT will independently articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the word level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures and a verbal prompt or model , STUDENT will articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the phrase level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given 20 words or pictures, STUDENT will independently articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the phrase level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words or pictures and a verbal prompt or model , STUDENT will articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given 20 words or pictures, STUDENT will independently articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will independently  articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the reading level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will independently retell the story by articulating the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the conversational level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will independently  answer WH questions by articulating the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the conversational level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will independently articulate the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the conversational level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will self-monitor  articulation of the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the conversational level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a classroom discourse, STUDENT will generalize  articulation of the sound(s) of / / in all positions of words at the conversational level  outside of the therapy setting with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

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Speech therapy goals for phonology.

• Substitution
• Assimilation
• Syllable Structure

-Substitution

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce age-appropriate bilabial  (i.e., /p, b, m/) and alveolar sounds  (i.e., /t, d, n)   in  words  to reduce the process of backing  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce velar sounds (i.e., /k, g/)   in  words  to reduce the process of fronting  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce age-appropriate consonants /r, l/ instead of /w, j/  in  words  to reduce the process of gliding  (i.e., “wabbit” for “rabbit”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce stop sounds (i.e., /t, p/)   in  words  to reduce the process of stopping  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the sounds /l, er/  in  words  to reduce the process of vowelization  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes in  words  to reduce the process of affrication  (i.e., using /ch or j/ for non-affricate “ jime ”  for “dime”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the sounds /ch, j/  in  words  to reduce the process of deaffrication  (i.e., replacing /ch or j/ for fricative or stop “ships”  for “chips”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the alveolar sounds   in  words (t, d, n)   to reduce the process of alveolarization  (i.e., using alveolar for non-alveolar “tan”  for “pan”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the palatal sounds   in  words (sh, zh)   to reduce the process of depalatalization  (i.e., using non-palatal for palatal “fit”  for “fish”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the labial sounds in  words (p, b)   to reduce the process of labialization  (i.e., using labial for non-labial “pie”  for “tie”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Assimilation

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes  in  2-3 syllable words  to reduce the process of labial assimilation   (i.e., using labial /p, b, m,w/ for non-labial “ peb ” for “pen”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes  in  2-3 syllable words  to reduce the process of velar assimilation   (i.e., using velar /k, g, ng/ for non-velar “kug” for “cup”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes  in  2-3 syllable words  to reduce the process of nasal assimilation   (i.e., using nasal /m, n, ng/ for non-nasal “mom” for “mop”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes  in  2-3 syllable words  to reduce the process of alveolar assimilation   (i.e., using alveolar /t, d, n, l, s, z/ for non-alveolar “tot” for “toss”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the nasal sounds in  words (m, n)   to reduce the process of denasalization  (i.e., using non-nasal for nasal “doze”  for “nose”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the final voiced consonants in  words (b, d)   to reduce the process of final consonant devoicing  (i.e., using voiceless final consonant for voiced final consonant “pick” for “pig”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce the correct phoneme in  words  to reduce the process of coalescence  (i.e., using two phonemes for one phoneme that has similar features “foon” for “spoon”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all the phonemes  in  words  to reduce the process of reduplication  (i.e., when complete or incomplete syllable is repeated “baba” for “bottle”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Syllable Structure

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all age-appropriate phonemes  in  2-3 syllable words  to reduce the process of cluster reduction  (i.e., “top” for “stop”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce age-appropriate consonants in the initial position of words  to reduce  initial consonant deletion  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce age-appropriate consonants in the  medial position of words  to reduce  medial consonant deletion  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce age-appropriate consonants in the  final position of words  to reduce final consonant deletion  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce all syllables in two-syllable and 3-syllable words  to reduce  weak syllable deletion  at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object to describe, STUDENT will  produce only the phonemes in the word to reduce  epenthesis  (i.e., adding the “uh” sound between two consonants “bu- lue ” for “blue”) at the word, phrase, or sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Deaf / Hard of Hearing

Given a hearing amplification system, STUDENT will  wear it consistently  and transport the teacher unit to all classroom teachers  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a hearing amplification system, STUDENT will  recharge it daily  at  the end of the school day ready for the next school day  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a hearing amplification system, STUDENT will  advocate  with  Speech Therapist or classroom teacher  if there are any problems with the hearing amplification system with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given hearing aids, STUDENT will  clean and dry ear molds  using the appropriate materials (i.e., soap, pipe cleaners, towels) once a week  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given hearing aids, STUDENT will  detect a weak battery  and  change the battery  as needed with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Stuttering

• Desensitization
• Stuttering Modifications Techniques
• Fluency Shaping Techniques
• Secondary Behaviors

-Desensitization

Given 15 sentences with “bumpy” or “smooth” speech, STUDENT will identify if the  clinician’s speech  is “bumpy” or “smooth” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a 2 minute tape-recording of HIS/HER reading or conversational speech with “bumpy” or “smooth” speech, STUDENT will identify if HIS/HER speech is “bumpy” or “smooth” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 15 sentences with fast or slow speech, STUDENT will identify if the  clinician’s speech  is fast or slow with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.   

Given a 2 minute tape-recording of HIS/HER reading or conversational speech with fast or slow speech, STUDENT will identify if  HIS/HER speech  is fast or slow with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 15 sentences with random disfluencies, STUDENT will identify the disfluencies in the clinician’s speech with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a 2 minute tape-recording of HIS/HER reading or conversational speech with random disfluencies, STUDENT will identify the disfluencies in  HIS/HER speech with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Stuttering Modifications Techniques

Given knowledge, examples, and information about stuttering modification techniques (cancellation, pull-out, preparatory set), STUDENT will name and describe each stuttering modification technique  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the cancellation method to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the cancellation method to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the cancellation method to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the cancellation method to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the cancellation method to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the pull-out method to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the pull-out method to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the pull-out method to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the pull-out  method to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.   

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the pull-out  method to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the preparatory set method to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the preparatory set method to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the preparatory set method to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the preparatory set method to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.   

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the preparatory set method to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

-Fluency Shaping Techniques

Given knowledge, examples, and information about fluency shaping techniques (easy onset, light articulatory contact, slow rate), STUDENT will name and describe each fluency shaping technique  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the easy onset technique  to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the easy onset technique  to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the easy onset technique to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the easy onset technique  to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the easy onset technique  to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the light articulatory contact technique  to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the light articulatory contact technique  to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the light articulatory contact technique  to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the light articulatory contact technique  to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the light articulatory contact technique  to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 words, STUDENT will use the slow rate technique  to minimize disfluencies at the  word level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 10 modeled sentences, STUDENT will use the slow rate technique  to repeat the sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given 20 sentences, STUDENT will use the slow rate technique  to minimize disfluencies at the  sentence level  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a reading passage, STUDENT will use the slow rate technique  to minimize disfluencies during  reading  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversational topic, STUDENT will use the slow rate technique  to minimize disfluencies during  a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

-Secondary Behaviors

Given knowledge, examples, and video of oneself, STUDENT will identify and name  each of their  secondary behaviors  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a structured activity, STUDENT will identify and reduce  each of their  secondary behaviors  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will identify and reduce  each of their  secondary behaviors  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Life Skills

• Conversation
• Social Skills

Given a functional symbol (cooking, community , safety, etc.), STUDENT will  match identical symbols  given a choice of 4 options wit 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a functional symbol (cooking, community , safety, etc.), STUDENT will  match symbols to actual objects  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a functional classroom symbol, STUDENT will demonstrate knowledge of the symbol by performing an action or going to the appropriate place when shown a symbo l  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a simple verbal directive (sit, stand, give, go), STUDENT will demonstrate knowledge of verbal directive by performing the action  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 pictures or objects for 2 different categories, STUDENT will identify the categories and  categorize the picture or objects  into 2 different categories  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an event or object, STUDENT will  describe the event or object using at least 3 descriptors  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an event or story, STUDENT will  retell the event or story  using appropriate  sequencing  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will independently express HIS/HER  wants or needs , such as stop, help, want, need, thirsty, toilet, etc. using HIS/HER AAC device, a gesture, or a sign with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a visual or social situation, STUDENT will label the other person’s feelings and/or emotions based on their facial expressions and body language  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a yes/no question concerning social/community settings , STUDENT will correctly answer the yes/no question  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given two objects, STUDENT will identify the  similarities and differences between the objects  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or a short story, STUDENT will explain the meaning of the figurative language and idioms  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Conversation

Given a new person entering or leaving a situation, STUDENT will independently volunteer social greetings and farewells , such as “hi” and “bye” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will make a statement or ask a question to initiate a conversation with a familiar listener with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will make a statement or ask a question to initiate a conversation with an unfamiliar listener with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a conversation, STUDENT will maintain appropriate eye contact when speaking to another person 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a conversation, STUDENT will use an appropriate volume based on the social situation  they are in with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will make a statement or ask a question  to maintain the topic of conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will take turns speaking to provide a give and take conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a conversation, STUDENT will ask 1 or 2 follow-up questions  to ensure the conversation is two-sided with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will demonstrate the ability to provide the appropriate amount of information  during a conversational exchange with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will use a statement to end the conversation appropriately with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

-Social Skills

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will maintain personal space at least an arm’s length distance between HIMSELF/HERSELF and others across all settings with no more than 1 verbal prompt  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a classroom discourse or conversation, STUDENT will actively listen to the speaker by facing the speaker, keeping mouth and body still, nodding head to show listening, asking questions and/or making on-topic comments  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will solve a social problem  by identifying the problem, developing possible solutions, and choosing the best solution  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will advocate for help  by appropriately  gaining the teacher’s attention, verbally asking for help, using clear and concise sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will accurately  identify another’s perspective  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will protest using appropriate language  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will express HIS/HER feeling , such as I am frustrated, sick, happy, etc. using appropriate language  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will identify expected vs. unexpected behaviors across multiple settings  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will produce HIS/HER own ideas ( not mimicking or copying others’ ideas ) when entering or joining a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will give and accept compliments  appropriately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation or role-play scenario, STUDENT will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of  verbal and nonverbal social cues  (e.g., eye rolls, checking watches, reduced eye contact, overt statements, etc.) by adjusting HIS/HER behavior based on these social cues  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Expressive Language Delay

• Utterance Expansion
• Narrative Development
• Gestures/Signs
• Categorizations
• Similarities
• Differences
• Comparisons
• Multiple Meanings
• Grammar Structure
• Vocabulary Definitions

-Morphology

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use present progressive-tense verbs  (i.g., walking, running, laughing) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use regular/irregular plural markers  (i.g., apples/feet) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use article/number agreement  (i.g., an apple/the boys) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use present-tense verbs  (i.g., give, go, drink) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use future-tense verbs  (i.g., will drive, will stop, will park) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use regular/irregular past-tense verbs  (i.g., walked/ran) appropriately   in a sentence or conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use nouns to answer WHO or WHAT questions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use  verbs  to tell actions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use prepositional phrase  to answer WHERE questions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use prepositional phrase or adjective  to answer HOW questions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to call attention to an object (e.g., “this ball”, “my shoe”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show the disappearance of an object   (e.g., “no cracker”, “apple all gone”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to indicate recurrence  of an object   (e.g., “more cracker”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words that contain an adjective and a noun  (e.g., “big bear”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to show possession of an object   (e.g., “Daddy car”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to show action object  (e.g., “read book “)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to show the location of an object   (e.g., “dog car”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to show agent action  (e.g., “dog jump”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to show emotion  (e.g., “baby tired”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use   2 words to achieve the desired end  of an object   (e.g., “go home”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will say 3 to 4-word utterances  (e.g., “dog sitting in car”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will form grammatically correct simple sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use correct subject-verb agreement in sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use all necessary propositions in sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use compound sentences  (i.e., and, but, or, etc.)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use correct subject-verb agreement  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Utterance Expansion

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2-3 word utterances  to describe the object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to ask a question/comment/describe, STUDENT will use 4-5 word utterances  to ask a question/comment/describe with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an orally presented sentence with missing words, STUDENT will identify missing words (i.e., articles, prepositions. etc.)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to ask a question/comment/describe, STUDENT will include all necessary words in a sentence  to ask a question/comment/describe with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use descriptive words  to describe the object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to express a want or need, STUDENT will use complete grammatically correct sentence  to express HIS/HER want or need  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell past events, STUDENT will use simple complete grammatically correct sentence  to tell about past events  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to express a want or need, STUDENT will use 2-4 words  to express HIS/HER want or need  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to comment or share information, STUDENT will use2-4 words  to express HIS/HER comment or share information  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a wh-question, STUDENT will use2-4 words  to answer simple Wh-questions  (i.e., who, what, when, where, why, how)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Narrative Development

Given visual cues (e.g., sequencing cards) and a story, STUDENT will sequence  the story  including problem and solution  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story or activity, STUDENT will sequence  the story or activity that includes # parts  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell a story, STUDENT will use  descriptive language  to tell their story  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell a story from their past, STUDENT will  tell their story  with the appropriate number of details and in the right order  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story or activity, STUDENT will use sequence words to verbally order a story or activity (e.g., first, next, then, after, last) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Gestures/Signs

Given a want or request, STUDENT will pair vocalizations with gestures  when indicating a want or requesting an object  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a want for “more”, STUDENT will use words and/or signs  to  ask for “more”  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a task or activity, STUDENT will use words and/or signs  to  indicate HE/SHE is “finished”  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a difficult task or activity, STUDENT will use words and/or signs  to  ask for “help”  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a “yes” or “no” question, STUDENT will use words and/or signs  to  answer the question with “yes” or “no”  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common objects or pictures, STUDENT will verbally label the item  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a common object, noun, or action, STUDENT will verbally label the item  in  a phrase or sentence  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common words, STUDENT will verbally name the word  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common words, STUDENT will verbally name the word  in  a phrase or sentence with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will describe the object or picture  by stating the function of the item with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 words, STUDENT will describe the object or picture  by stating the function of the word with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Categorizations

Given a category, STUDENT will name (3-5) items  in that category (e.g., school items, home items, clothing, animals, colors, toys, etc.)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given 3 to 5 items in a category (e.g., dog, cat, fish, etc.), STUDENT will identify the category  (e.g., school items, home items, clothing, animals, colors, toys, etc.)   and explain their relationships  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given  3 to 5 items, STUDENT will identify the item that does not belong in the group and explain why  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a category, STUDENT will name (3-5) items  in that category  and (1) item that does not belong in that category  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Similarities

Given 3 to 5 pictures, STUDENT will select 2 similar pictures  and  explain the similarities  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 words verbally, STUDENT will select 2 similar pictures  and  explain the similarities  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Differences

Given 3 to 5 pictures, STUDENT will select the different picture  and  explain the differences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a list of 3 to 5 words verbally, STUDENT will identify the different word  and  explain the differences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 words verbally, STUDENT will identify the different word  and  explain the differences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a word pair verbally, STUDENT will explain the primary difference  between the  two words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Comparisons

Given two object pictures, STUDENT will compare likeness(es)  and difference(s) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given two spoken words, STUDENT will compare likeness(es)  and difference(s) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given two concepts (e.g. flying vs. driving), STUDENT will compare likeness(es)  and difference(s) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

-Multiple Meanings

Given 2 pictures that represent different meanings of the same word , STUDENT will provide a definition for each  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 2 sentences that represent different meanings of the same word, STUDENT will provide a definition for each  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a multiple meaning word , STUDENT will provide 2 or more definitions for the  multiple meaning word  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Attributes

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will describe the object or picture  by identifying a minimum of (3) attributes (e.g., color, size, number etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture and asked a question, STUDENT will answer the question  by identifying a minimum of (5) attributes (e.g., color, size, number etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 items presented verbally, STUDENT will describe the object or picture  by identifying a minimum of (3) attributes (e.g., color, size, number etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Grammar Structure

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using articles (i.e., “a”, “an”, “the”, and “some”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using demonstrative adjectives (i.e., “this”, “that”, “these”, and “those”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using plural nouns (i.e., s, es, and irregular plural forms) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using possessive nouns (i.e., “the girl’s book”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using subject pronouns  (i.e., “I”, “he”, “she”, “you”, “we”, “they”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using object pronouns  (i.e., “me”, “him”, “her”, “you”, “us”, “them”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using possessive pronouns  (i.e., “my”, “mine”, “his”, “her/hers”, “you/yours”, “our/ours”, “their/theirs”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using reflexive pronouns  (i.e., “myself”, “himself”, “herself”, “yourself”, “yourselves”, “ourselves”, “themselves”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using present progressive verb tense  (i.e., “The girl is running”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using past progressive verb tense  (i.e., “The girl was running”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using present tense “s” and “es” marker  (i.e., “The girl runs”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using “has”/”have”  (i.e., “The girl has a book”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using regular past tense  (i.e., “The boy waited for the bus.”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using irregular past tense  (i.e., “ran”, “drove”, “drank”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using conjunctions  (i.e., “and”, “or”, “but”, “because”, “if”, “since”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using future tenses  (i.e., “The boy will go to school”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using negative sentence structures  (i.e., “will not/won’t”, “does not/doesn’t”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will ask yes/no questions  (i.e., “Is the boy hurt?”) in a complete sentence  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will ask WH questions  (i.e., “What is the girl doing?”) in a complete sentence  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using comparatives  (i.e., “The kitty is smaller than the tiger”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using superlatives  (i.e., “That is the best cookie.”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an idiom with a visual cue, STUDENT will  accurately describe the meaning of the idiom   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an idiom verbally with no visual cue, STUDENT will  accurately describe the meaning of the idiom  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an idiom verbally, STUDENT will identify a social situation where the idiom may be used appropriately  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

-Vocabulary Definitions

Given 5 words with picture cues, STUDENT will define the word correctly  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2-3 critical features  to describe the object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an emotional expression picture or story, STUDENT will use vocabulary to clearly  describe the feelings, ideas, or experiences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify synonyms  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify antonyms  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 identified words in sentences, STUDENT will provide a synonym/antonym  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story with highlighted words, STUDENT will provide a synonym/antonym for each highlighted word  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 pictures, STUDENT will match opposite pictures in pairs (i.e., happy/sad, up/down)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify the opposite  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will describe the object or picture  by naming the item, identify attributes (color, size, etc.), function, or number  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a reading task, STUDENT will define unfamiliar words using context clues  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given common academic vocabulary, STUDENT will define prefix and/or suffix  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given common academic vocabulary, STUDENT will define the vocabulary word using a complete sentence with correct grammar  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Language Goals

• Following Directions
• Answering Questions
• Association
• Multiple Meaning
• Prepositions

-Vocabulary

Speech therapy goals for vocabulary.

Given 10 common nouns, STUDENT will identify the correct noun  by  pointing to the appropriate picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common verbs, STUDENT will identify the  correct verb  by  pointing to the appropriate picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common adjectives, STUDENT will identify the  correct adjective  by  pointing to the appropriate picture (size, shape, color, texture)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 pictures, STUDENT will identify the  category items  by  pointing/grouping pictures into categories  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Following Directions

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow a  1-step direction  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  2-step directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 2-step directions, STUDENT will follow the directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  3-step directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3-step directions, STUDENT will follow the directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  multi-step directions  with location modifiers (i.e., spatial concepts)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  multi-step directions  with quantity modifiers (i.e., numbers, more/less)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  multi-step directions  with quality modifiers (i.e., size, color, shape)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given manipulatives (e.g., object, paper, pencil, scissors), STUDENT will follow  multi-step directions  with pronoun modifiers (i.e., he, she, him, her, they, them)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given verbal or written directions, STUDENT will identify the action words in the directions (e.g., “Read the book”…the action word is read)with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given verbal directions, STUDENT will follow conditional directions  (e.g., “If you are wearing a red shirt, stand up.”)with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Answering Questions

Given a story, activity, or classroom discussion, STUDENT will answer “yes or no” questions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story, activity, or classroom discussion, STUDENT will answer WH questions  (i.e., who, what, when, where, why, how)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a verbal prompt, STUDENT will select and hand clinician the requested object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 objects or pictures at a time, STUDENT will select and hand clinician the requested object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 objects or pictures at a time, STUDENT will select and hand clinician the requested object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 objects or pictures at a time and given a function, STUDENT will point to the appropriate object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 action pictures at a time and given an action, STUDENT will point to the appropriate action picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Association

Given 5 objects or pictures at a time (e.g., ball, bat, car, fork, and ring) and asked what item is associated with … (e.g., with a seatbelt), STUDENT will select an item that is associated with the objects or pictures  (e.g., car)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a word verbally, STUDENT will point to the appropriate object or picture associated with that word (e.g., ball/bat, fork/plate) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a category, STUDENT will correctly sort objects/pictures in that category  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 items in a category and 3 categories to choose from, STUDENT will correctly sort objects/pictures into the appropriate  category  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 different categories, STUDENT will correctly sort objects/pictures into each different  category  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 objects or pictures, STUDENT will select 2 similar objects or pictures  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 word verbally, STUDENT will select 2 similar words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 objects or pictures and an attribute (e.g, color, size, shape, number, texture, etc.), STUDENT will 1 object or picture that does not share that same attribute  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3 to 5 words and an attribute (e.g, color, size, shape, number, texture, etc.), STUDENT will 1 word  that does not share that same attribute  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Multiple Meaning

Given 3 to 5 objects or pictures and a multiple meaning word, STUDENT will select 2 objects or pictures  that represent different meanings of that word  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a multiple meaning word verbally, STUDENT will select 2 correct meanings from a group of 4 written choices  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 objects or pictures and a verbal description of a word, STUDENT will select the correct object or picture  to match the given verbal description  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 words and a verbal description of a word, STUDENT will select the correct word  to match the given verbal description  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Prepositions

Given 3 to 5 objects or pictures and a verbal preposition, STUDENT will point to the correct object or picture  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given object(s) and a verbal or written prepositions directive, STUDENT will follow the directions and  act out the preposition using the given object(s)  (e.g., “Put the doll under the table.”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a verbal question, STUDENT will select the picture of the noun that tells WHO and WHAT  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a story read aloud, STUDENT will select the picture of the noun that tells WHO and WHAT  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a verbal question, STUDENT will select the picture of the  verb  that tells the action  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a story read aloud, STUDENT will select the picture of the  verb  that tells the action  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a verbal question, STUDENT will select the picture  that tells WHERE  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a story read aloud, STUDENT will select the picture  that tells WHERE  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a verbal question, STUDENT will select the picture that tells HOW  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a story read aloud, STUDENT will select the picture that tells HOW  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a two word phrase that calls attention to an object or picture (e.g., “that car”, “her toy”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that shows the  disappearance  (e.g., “crackers all gone”, “no cookie”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that shows the  recurrence  (e.g., “more crackers”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that contains an  adjective and a noun  (e.g., “red shoe”, “big ball”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that shows  possession  (e.g., “Dad’s cat”, “girl’s shoe”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that uses  action object form  (e.g., “Tie shoe”, “read book “), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that indicates the  location  (e.g., “pencil down”, “car outside”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that uses  agent action form  (e.g., “boy jump”, “girl eat”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase that shows an  emotion  (e.g., “girl sad”, “man angry”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given an object or picture and a phrase to achieve a  desired end  (e.g., “shoe on”, “go home”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase describes the object or picture accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  articles  (e.g., “a”, “an”, “the”, and “some”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the articles  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  adjectives  (e.g., “this”, “that”, “these”, and “those”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the adjectives  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes plurals  (e.g., s, es) and irregular plural nouns , STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the plurals  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  possessive nouns  (e.g., “the girl’s bike”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the possessive  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  subject pronouns  (e.g., “I”, “he”, “she”, “you”, “we” “they”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the pronoun  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  object pronouns  (e.g., “me”, “him”, “her”, “you”, “us”, “them”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the pronoun  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  possessive pronouns  (e.g., “my/mine”, “his”, “her/hers”, “your/yours”, “our/ours”, “their/theirs”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the pronoun  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  reflexive pronouns  (e.g., “myself”, “himself”, “herself”, “yourself”, “yourselves”, “ourselves”, “themselves”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the pronoun  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes present progressive verb tense  (e.g., “The man is running”, “The girls are waving”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the verb tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  past progressive verb tense  (e.g., “The man was running”, “The girls were waving”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the verb tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  present tense “s” and “es” marker  (e.g., “The boy jogs”, and “The bee buzzes”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  “have” and “has”  (e.g., “The boy has a dog”, and “The girls have ice skating”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  regular past tense  (e.g., “The dog jumped”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a phrase or sentence that includes  irregular past tense  (e.g., “The boy ran”), STUDENT will answer “yes or no” if the phrase or sentence uses the tense  accurately   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Speech Therapy Goals for Auditory Discrimination

Given multi-step directions, STUDENT will follow 2-step, 3-step, and 4-step directions of  increasing length and complexity  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given 10 words, STUDENT will recognize the differences between same or different words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a sentence, STUDENT will remember and repeat  of  increasing length and complexity  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a word broken down into isolated sounds, STUDENT will combine the isolated sounds together to form words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Phonological Awareness

Given 10 words, STUDENT will identify the sounds in the words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 words, STUDENT will identify the number of sounds in the words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 words, STUDENT will identify the similarities sounds in the words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 2 words with matching beginning sounds or ending sounds, STUDENT will identify and/or match the words with the same beginning sounds or ending sounds  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a sentence with two rhyming words, STUDENT will identify the two rhyming words  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a rhyming word, STUDENT will produce two or more words that rhyme with the given word  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a word, STUDENT will substitute initial and/or final sounds  to  create new words (i.g., cat/fat; man, mad) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Autism

• Play Skills
• Joint Attention
• Following Instructions
• Getting the Teacher’s Attention
• Friend Making
• General Conversation
• Perspective
• Problem Solving
• Dealing with Feelings
• Alternatives to Aggression
• Predictions/Inferences

-Play Skills

Given a toy(s), STUDENT will play with the toy(s) using their appropriate function  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a toy(s), STUDENT will demonstrate parallel play with peers for X minutes  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a toy(s), STUDENT will demonstrate symbolic play  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a toy(s), STUDENT will demonstrate pretend play  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a toy(s), STUDENT will take X turns during a play activity with peer or teacher  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to offer someone help, STUDENT will ask what the other person needs, listen, provide the help requested  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given offered help from a peer or adult, STUDENT will accept the help and thank the person, or politely decline the help  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to volunteer, STUDENT will look at the person, use a clear voice, ask to volunteer for a specific task or activity  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a task or activity to take turns, STUDENT will wait for HIS/HER turn, sit or stand quietly, keep HIS/HER legs and arms still, avoid whining or begging, and engage in activity or task when it is HIS/HER turn  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to borrow something, STUDENT will make a polite request to borrow an item or material, accept “no” as an answer, and if the other person agrees promptly return the materials in the same condition  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a game activity, STUDENT will display good sportsmanship and play by the rules, accepting winning without bragging, and accepting losing without complaining  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a toy or object and asked to share, STUDENT will share the toy or object with a peer or adult  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Joint Attention

Given an activity with a partner, STUDENT will demonstrate joint attention for X minutes  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will point to gain the communication partner’s attention  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will use eye gaze to direct the communication partner’s attention  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will track the eye gaze of others and predict what they are thinking and will modify their behavior based on what others are looking at  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Following Instructions

Given a direction, STUDENT will follow the 1-step direction  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 2-step directions, STUDENT will follow the 2-step directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 3-step directions, STUDENT will follow the 3-step directions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given verbal directions, STUDENT will begin task with only 1 prompt within 1 minute of receiving the instructions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given written directions, STUDENT will read the instructions, follow each instruction in order, and ask for help if needed  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given verbal or written directions to change to another activity, STUDENT will change to the new activity within 1 minute of receiving the instructions  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Getting the Teacher’s Attention

Given the need to get the teacher’s attention, STUDENT will  look at the teacher, raise HIS/HER hand, wait to be acknowledged, and ask their question  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a need to ask a question, STUDENT will get the person’s attention appropriately, look at the person, use a pleasant tone of voice, use words such as “please”, “would”, “may I”, and listen to the person’s answer  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a need to ask for help, STUDENT will look at the person, ask if he or she has time to help, clearly describe what kind of help HE/SHE needs  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social setting, STUDENT will identify expected and unexpected behaviors in themselves and others  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social setting, STUDENT will demonstrate expected behaviors  that are expected in that setting  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given expected and unexpected behaviors, STUDENT will identify how the expected and unexpected behaviors affect the thoughts and feelings of others  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given feedback regarding HIS/HER behavior, STUDENT will modify their behavior based on the feedback  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an example of their own behavior, STUDENT will identify how their own behavior will affect the thoughts and feelings of others  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given others’ behaviors, STUDENT will identify HIS/HER thoughts about others’ behaviors  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given actions from others, STUDENT will modify their own behavior based on the actions of others  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given social interactions, STUDENT will maintain appropriate personal space and maintain safe hands and body  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given classroom or small group discussion, STUDENT will demonstrate active listening skills (e.g., body facing the speaker, keep mouth and body still, nodding head to show listening, asking questions and/or making comments) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given different social settings, STUDENT will monitor HIS/HER volume and adjust it based on setting and/or situation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given classroom or small group discussion, STUDENT will make on-topic and appropriate comments  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a specific behavior, STUDENT will identify how it makes others feel , the consequences, and how that then makes HIM/HER feel about HIMSELF/HERSELF  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social situation, STUDENT will identify how others are feeling and identify at least one visual cue that lead them to that conclusion  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a task, STUDENT will listen carefully, gather materials, and begin working quietly  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a task, STUDENT will read the directions and attempt the assignment before asking the teacher for help  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Group Work

Given a group activity, STUDENT will cooperate with others, use a kind voice, and follow the set group guidelines  for the activity with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a group activity, STUDENT will use appropriate volume level  for the activity and setting with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a group activity, STUDENT will discuss what goal needs to be achieved with the group, decided HIS/HER role is going to be, accept help or feedback from peers, follow rules, share materials, and give praise to others,  for the activity with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a new class period, STUDENT will come prepared for class by bringing all necessary materials (i.e., books, papers, homework, and writing tools) , being on time, and handing in assignments as requested by the teacher  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a new class period, STUDENT will determine what materials HE/SHE needs for class, gather materials, and only take those materials HE/SHE needs for class  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.     Given an assignment, STUDENT will write down the assignment in HIS/HER planner or electronic device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a make-up or missed assignment, STUDENT will ask the teacher for the make-up or missed assignment  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Friend Making

Given an unfamiliar person to meet, STUDENT will introduce HIMSELF/HERSELF by looking at the person, use an appropriate greeting (i.e., Hi, my name is…”) and telling the person it was nice meeting HIM/HER when leaving  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a familiar or unfamiliar person to greet, STUDENT will look at the person, use a kind voice, and say “hi” or “hello” following all 3 steps with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given an opportunity to compliment someone, STUDENT will look at the person, use a kind voice, give HIM/HER a compliment, and give the person time to respond  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a compliment, STUDENT will look at the person, use a kind voice to thank the person (i.e., “Thank you, it’s my favorite shirt.”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-General Conversation

Given a greeting from a peer or adult, STUDENT will acknowledge the greeting by  looking at the person and  returning the greeting  (e.g., “hello”, “hi”, “how are you?”, etc.)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group or classroom discussion, STUDENT will initiate the conversation (e.g., ask a question, make a comment, give a compliment, etc.)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a need or desire, STUDENT will  spontaneously communicate HIS/HER needs or desire (e.g., “I need…”, “I want…”)   with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group discussion, STUDENT will take turns during the conversation with a peer or an adult with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group discussion, STUDENT will identify expected and unexpected behaviors for a conversation (e.g., topic maintenance, topic changes, asking questions, on-topic comments, unrelated comments, appropriate interruptions, long talking turns, not responding, initiating conversations, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversational partner, STUDENT will describe the conversational partner’s emotional responses of HIM/HER when HE/SHE uses expected and unexpected behaviors during a conversation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group discussion, STUDENT will demonstrate expected behaviors during preferred and un-preferred conversational topics  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversational partner, STUDENT will identify how that person is feeling based on observing their body language  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group discussion, STUDENT will use conversation maintenance strategies  (i.e., making comments, take turns, ask questions, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversational partner, STUDENT will maintain a topic for at least 3 conversational turns  (e.g., ask partner-focused questions, make comments, etc) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will look at the speaker, ask questions when appropriate, and not interrupt others  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will use the appropriate volume based on the setting  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversation, STUDENT will appropriately join the conversation by looking at the people, waiting for a moment when no one else is talking, make a comment or ask a question that relates to the topic  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversational partner who is busy talking with someone else, STUDENT will wait until the other person is finished speaking, look at the person, get their attention  (“Excuse me…”, “Do you have a minute…”) and wait for the person to acknowledge HIM/HER before continuing  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a need to interrupt, STUDENT will look at the person, wait for the person to acknowledge them, begin with “Excuse me for interrupting, but…” make a specific request or give information  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a small group or classroom discussion, STUDENT will demonstrate active listening skills   (track the speaker with their eyes, keep mouth and body still and quiet, nodding head to show listening, ask questions and/or make comments, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner and a communication breakdown, STUDENT will use  communication breakdown strategies,  such as restating what HE/SHE said, adjusting volume, using a slow rate, use precise articulation, move hands/items away from mouth  to improve HIS/HER intelligibility level so that the listener can understand HIS/HER request or question with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Perspective

Given a social interaction, STUDENT will accurately identify another’s perspective  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given different conversational partners (e.g., peer, teacher, authority figure, etc.), STUDENT will adjust HIS/HER language style and topics of conversation based on the conversation partner  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or social interaction, STUDENT will identify another person’s emotion and why HE/SHE is feeling that way  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Problem Solving

Given a problem and problem solving graphic organizer , STUDENT will identify 3 solutions, the 3 consequences of those solutions, then determine the best solution, and explain why that is the best solution  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a problem, STUDENT will appropriately  identify the size of the problem  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given problems at differing sizes, STUDENT will identify appropriate reaction size to the problem  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Dealing with Feelings

Given a time when the student is angry, STUDENT will use a calming strategy (e.g., breathe slowly, take a break, count to 10, listen to music, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given warning and a change in routine, STUDENT will identify exactly what is changing, ask questions, remain calm, and explain HIS/HER feelings of concern  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given warning and a change in routine, STUDENT will accept the change without becoming upset  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social interaction, STUDENT will identify HIS/HER emotion and why HE/SHE is feeling that way  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Alternatives to Aggression

Given a real-life or role-play scenario, STUDENT will demonstrate how to accept teacher help to make an appropriate decision during a conflict situation  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a real-life or role-play conflict scenario, STUDENT will demonstrate appropriate peer mediation skills to resolve the conflict  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a real-life or role-play conflict scenario, STUDENT will remain calm and relaxed, listen to the other person, determine what they can agree on  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given criticism or feedback, STUDENT will look at the person, say “okay”, and not argue  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a problem, STUDENT will define exactly what the problem is, brainstorm possible options, consider disadvantages and advantages of options, and choose the best option  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a defeat or loss in a game, STUDENT will look at the person who won , remain calm, and congratulate the other person  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an upsetting situation, STUDENT will express HIS/HER anger with non-aggressive words to describe how HE/SHE feels  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Predictions/Inferencing

Given a picture, STUDENT will make a prediction or inference about the picture with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a short story, STUDENT will make a prediction or inference about the story with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a social scenario, STUDENT will make a prediction or inference about the scenario and identify at least one visual cue that contributed to HIS/HER inference  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Augmentative Alternative Communication

Speech therapy goals for aac.

• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
• Sign Language

-Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Given a want or need, STUDENT will request a want or a need by pulling off a picture symbol and placing it into the teacher’s hand  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a want or need, STUDENT will choose the “I want” or “I need” symbol plus the desired item , then place them both onto the sentence strip , then and hand the sentence strip to the teacher  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.  

Given a simple question, such as “What do you want?”, STUDENT will independently choose a picture symbol to answer a simple question  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.    

Given augmentative symbols or device, STUDENT will carry device to various school and community locations  (lunchroom, classroom, recess etc.) with minimal prompting with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given augmentative symbols or device, STUDENT will independently navigate to the “home” page  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a question or community helper or form, STUDENT will identify HIS/HER contact information  selecting (i.e. name, address, phone number, etc.) using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a community sign, STUDENT will identify the community sign  (i.e. restroom, stop sign, crosswalk, exit, etc.) using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a question, STUDENT will express HIS/HER preference selecting “yes or no” using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a group of pictures, STUDENT will identify the category of the pictures using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object, STUDENT will identify the color  of the picture or object using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object, STUDENT will identify the shape  of the picture or object using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object, STUDENT will identify the attributes  (hot/cold, big/little, soft/hard) of the picture or object using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a group of objects, STUDENT will count the objects  and select the appropriate number of objects (1-10)  using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or object, STUDENT will select matching word  using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 pictures of facial emotions, STUDENT will identify the emotion  using  augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities. 

Given a spoken question, STUDENT will select the desired activity  using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will initiate a conversation with a peer or teacher (i.e. hello, how are you ?, etc.) using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will maintain a conversation  and engage in up to 3 conversational exchanges with a peer or teacher using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given augmentative symbols or device, STUDENT will select HIS/HER meal choices  (in the school lunchroom, restaurant, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will spontaneously make a request or greet a peer or teacher using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a time of frustration, STUDENT will independently indicate a break or refuse an undesired item or activity  (i.e. “no”, “I don’t want”, “I don’t like”, etc.)   using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner, STUDENT will inform others of past events  using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a communication partner and a communication breakdown, STUDENT will repair the communication breakdown  using augmentative symbols or device  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

-Sign Language

Given a need and a verbal prompt, STUDENT will sign a basic “need” sign , such as ( help, more, done, want, need etc.) to make a request  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a need, STUDENT will sign a basic “need” sign , such as ( help, more, done, want, need etc.) to make a request  spontaneously across multiple school environments and the community  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a conversational partner, STUDENT will  introduce HIMSELF/HERSELF by fingerspelling HIS/HER name or using HIS/HER name sign  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a signed picture or object, STUDENT will receptively identify the picture or object that was signed with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 pictures or objects, STUDENT will expressively label  the pictures or objects using sign with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 pictures of facial emotions, STUDENT will identify the emotion  using sign with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals for Figurative Language

Given a reading task, STUDENT will identify and interpret the meaning of  idioms , metaphors, similes, or proverbs  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing task, STUDENT will create similes and/or metaphors in a sentence or paragraph  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a reading task, STUDENT will make predictions and inferences based on  textual evidence  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a reading task, STUDENT will make inferences based on a character in literature   about why they say, feel, and do the things that they do  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals Written Language

Given a writing task, STUDENT will produce  grammatically correct sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing task, STUDENT will vary HIS/HER use of sentence starters to enhance HIS/HER writing with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a short story or video, STUDENT will answer wh -questions (who, what, when, where, why, & how) using complete sentences  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a graphic organizer, STUDENT will produce a five paragraph essay including an  introduction, topic sentences, transitions, and conclusion  with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Speech Therapy Goals Intelligibility

Given a communication partner and a communication breakdown, STUDENT will use  clear slow speech  and pausing to gather HIS/HER thoughts to improve HIS/HER intelligibility level so that the listener can understand HIS/HER request or question with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Send me the FREE IEP Goal Bank!

Speech therapy goals conclusion.

I hope you find these speech therapy goals helpful or they gave you an idea for how to write speech therapy goals.

Let me know if there are other speech therapy goals and objectives that would be helpful or if you have examples of speech therapy goals.

Monday 12th of December 2022

This is one of most GO-TO Goal banks. Thank you so much!

Melissa Berg

Tuesday 27th of December 2022

Hi Jannette, I'm SO happy to hear that this is your GO_TO goal bank. Wishing you all my best! Melissa

Tuesday 4th of October 2022

Hi! I use this goal bank frequently but am always wondering why it was decided to label the goals for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people as "Hearing Impaired/Impairment"? From my understanding and work with the DHH population, most prefer the terms, deaf, Deaf, or Hard of Hearing rather than Hearing Impaired. Just wanted to check in about it! Thanks!

Wednesday 5th of October 2022

Hi Melissa, Thanks so much for the feedback! I have made the updated suggestion. All my best, Melissa

Janet Pevsner

Monday 19th of September 2022

Your materials are sooo great AND you are soooo generous with your materials! Thank you so much for this Melissa.

Tuesday 20th of September 2022

Hi Janet, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful words! It means so much to me. I'm happy to know you like my materials! Wishing you all the best, Melissa

Monday 29th of August 2022

I love your material, it's so helpful! Thank you so much!

Lorena Bazarte

Thursday 25th of August 2022

Can you include goals for consultation for students in language articulation and fluency--when students have mastered the objectives but want to keep them in consult to monitor that they maintain their skills.

Saturday 27th of August 2022

Hi Lorena, I love this idea! I currently don't have anything in the works, but can add this to my future ideas list! All my best, Melissa

Having trouble creating goals for older students? Explore the goal bank below to get inspired!

Mix and match the following skills, supports, and materials below to create an individualized IEP goal for vocabulary.

Formula: Given [ materials ] and [ supports ], NAME will [ vocabulary skill ] in [ criterion* ].

a tier 2 vocabulary word

a multiple meaning word

a category or topic

a list of 10 words

the context of a sentence

a picture or an object

a 4-6 sentence paragraph

a short story or article

a math word problem

directions to an assignment

a verbal prompt

a graphic organizer

a familiar visual

a sentence frame (i.e. a ____ is a type of ____)

a dictionary

or INDEPENDENTLY

VOCABULARY SKILL:

use a vocabulary strategy (i.e. context clues, part of speech, affixes/roots, etc.) to infer the meaning of an unknown word

use context clues to determine the meaning of an unknown word

state a word’s part of speech

express a definition using the word’s prefix, suffix, and/or root

express five related words

describe using class, feature, and function

state five category members

identify one synonym and one antonym

state the meaning of 5 common prefixes and 5 common suffixes

state the meaning of an underline vocabulary word

Given a sentence containing an unknown word and a familiar visual, [name] will use a vocabulary strategy - i.e. context clues , affixes / root words , part of speech, etc. - to infer the meaning of an unknown word in 80% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a picture or an object and a sentence frame (i.e. __ is a type of __ that has a __ and is used for… ), [name] will describe using class, feature, and function in 4/5 opportunities across three consecutive probes.

Given a word in the context of a sentence, [name] will independently state the part of speech - i.e. noun , verb , adjective , adverb - in 4/5 of opportunities across three consecutive therapy sessions.

*Criterion should be individualized based upon student’s current skill level. For examples of various criterion as applied to vocabulary, see example goals above.

Helpful Resources for Vocabulary:

Vocabulary in Context

Vocabulary File Folder

Vocabulary Strategies

Making Inferences

Mix and match the following skills, supports, and materials below to create an individualized IEP goal for making inferences.

Formula: Given [ materials ] and [ supports ], NAME will [ inferencing skill ] in [ criterion* ].

a photo or illustration

a wordless picture book

a photo paired with a sentence

one to two sentences of text

an auditory passage

a short fictional story or video

a nonfiction article or video

a variety of text and materials (i.e. stories, articles, poems, videos, etc.)

a sentence frame (i.e. I think __ because the text says __ and I know __)

a set of comprehension questions

INFERENCE SKILL:

combine visual evidence with background knowledge to make an inference

differentiate between literal and inferential questions

accurately respond to inferential questions

infer a character’s motivation or emotion

formulate an inference and identify one visual clue to support it

formulate an inference and identify the most important evidence from the text to support it

generate an inferential ‘why’ or ‘how’ question

infer why key vocabulary words were used in the text

support an inference with text evidence

make and describe one connection to their own background knowledge

determine text structure by underlining signal words (i.e. because, such as, first/next/last, therefore, etc.)

Given a photo or illustration , [name] will independently generate an inferential ‘why’ or ‘how’ question in 4/5 opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a short auditory passage and a set of comprehension questions, [name] will accurately differentiate between literal and inferential comprehension questions in 85% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a variety of texts and materials (i.e. article, video, poem) and a graphic organizer, [name] will support an inference using text evidence in 3/4 opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

*Criterion should be individualized based upon student’s current skill level. For examples of various criterion as applied to inferencing, see example goals above.

Helpful Resources for Making Inferences:

Inference Strategies Workbook

Inferencing Strategies & Practice

Truth or Myth: Sports and Hobbies

Articulation & Intelligibility

During structured conversational tasks , [name] will use an intelligibility strategy - i.e. slow rate, over articulation, phrasing, increased volume, etc. - for 80% of utterances across three consecutive probing sessions.

[Name] will accurately produce the vocalic /r/ sound in words, phrases, and self-generated sentences in 90% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

During 5 minutes of unstructured conversation with peers/adults, [name] will accurately produce /s/ and /z/ in all word positions with no more than one corrective prompt across three consecutive probing sessions.

During a 5-minute conversation with the speech language pathologist, [name] will identify and repair communication breakdowns in 3/4 of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Helpful Resources for Articulation & Intelligibility:

Themed Word Lists: Vocalic /R/

Structured Intelligibility Practice

Intelligibility Rubrics and Visuals

Receptive Language

[Name] will use a listening comprehension strategy - i.e. visualization, paraphrasing, questioning, association , etc. - to accurately respond to 80% of WH questions about an auditory passage across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given instructions to a classroom task or assignment, [name] will accurately sequence three-step directions containing temporal terms (i.e. before, after) in 3/5 observed opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

During structured language activities , [name] will accurately identify the sequence of a 4-6 part story or task (i.e. the steps to an activity in speech, cooking activity, etc.) with 100% accuracy across three consecutive probing sessions.

Helpful Resources for Receptive Language:

Listening Comprehension Strategies

Reading Comprehension Strategies & Bookmarks

Text Structure

Mix and match the following skills, supports, and materials below to create an individualized IEP goal for text structure.

Formula: Given [ materials ] and [ supports ], NAME will [ text structure skill ] in [ criterion* ].

a complex sentence containing key words

a 3-5 sentence paragraph

a short, non-fiction passage

a curriculum-based text

a variety of reading materials (i.e. article, textbook, story, classroom assignment, etc.)

highlighted key words

a sentence frame (i.e. this text compares __ and __)

state the text structure ( i.e. sequence, description, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution)

identify key words that signify the structure of the text

use the structure of the text to state the main idea

use the structure of the text to create a 3-sentence summary

Given a short, non-fiction passage and a sentence frame , [name] will use the structure of the text to state the main idea across 4/5 consecutive probes.

Helpful Resources for Text Structure:

Mix and match the following skills, supports, and materials below to create an individualized IEP goal for syntax.

Formula: Given [ materials ] and [ supports ], NAME will [ syntax skill ] in [ criterion* ].

a coordinating/subordinating conjunction

an irregular verb

two simple sentences

a question word

a relative clause

a sentence containing a [verb/conjunction/relative clause/preposition/etc]

a short story

a picture scene or short video

an open-ended question

a classroom writing assignment

a word bank

three choices

a sentence starter

a writing prompt

SYNTAX SKILL:

combine two sentences using a coordinating [or subordinating] conjunction

complete a sentence using correct grammar and word order

edit a sentence to correct errors in grammar/word order

generate a complex sentence

generate a 5-sentence response

generate a declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentence

generate a question

edit their written work to include # conjunctions, relative clauses, adjectives, etc.

Given an irregular verb (i.e. build, catch, etc.), [name] will independently use the present, past, and future tense form of that verb in a sentence for 4/5 verbs across three consecutive probing sessions.

When given two sentences and a familiar visual , [name] will combine those sentences using a subordinating conjunction in 90% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a picture scene or short video , [name] will independently generate a complex sentence about the picture or video in 90% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a relative clause and a sentence starter , [name] will complete the sentence using correct grammar and word order in 4/5 sentences across three consecutive probing sessions.

Given a short story and a familiar visual, [name] will generate three grammatically-correct questions in 4/5 opportunities across three consecutive probes.

Helpful Resources for Syntax:

Subordinating Conjunction Unit

Syntax Strategies File Folder

Verb Photo Cards

Perspective-Taking & Self-Advocacy

During structured conversation opportunities, [name] will identify and advocate for their own unique communication style (i.e. I really like to talk about trains. If you’d like to switch to a different topic, please let me know ) in 3/4 observed opportunities.

When presented with an academic or environmental learning challenge, [name] will advocate for their needs in order to be successful (i.e. use of a fidget, writing larger on the board, standing vs. sitting, clarification of directions, etc.) in 4/5 observed opportunities.

[Name] will independently explain 5 differences between neurodivergent and neurotypical communication styles across three consecutive therapy sessions.

Given a real or hypothetical problem-solving scenario, [name] will answer social inferencing questions from at least 2 different perspectives/points-of-view in 85% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

During structured teaching sessions (i.e. videos, conversation with peers/adults ), [name] will identify the presence of sarcasm and express the possible meaning of the sarcastic remark in 80% of opportunities across three consecutive probing sessions.

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The following is a sample of some goals I write for students with communication disorders. Please feel free to bookmark this page and reference when writing goals and objectives. You make share a link to this page. You may not copy/paste this set of goal and share it as you own or post it in its entirety on a separate website. Happy Goal Writing!

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Written Expression IEP Goals

Special education teachers often have the job of working with and developing written expression goals for students with IEPs. Many teachers feel that it’s important to target this skill in order to help their students communicate more effectively. However, setting achievable goals can be a challenge. Here are some tips for developing effective written expression IEP goals.

WHAT IS A WRITTEN EXPRESSION IEP GOAL?

A written expression IEP goal is a target that is set for a student with an Individualized Education Plan. This type of goal is usually related to the student’s ability to communicate through writing. The written expression goals may be based on the student’s current level of functioning and are often aimed at improving their skills in this area.

WHY ARE WRITTEN EXPRESSION IEP GOALS IMPORTANT?

There are a few reasons why written expression IEP goals may be important for a student. There’s no doubt about it written expression is a fundamental life skill. In order to be successful in school and in most jobs, individuals need to be able to communicate effectively through writing. Written expression goals can help students to improve their communication skills. Many students with written expression goals also see an improvement in other areas, such as reading skills.

How to Write IEP Goals Workbook

Tools to help students with written expression.

Using effective tools in your writing instruction will help you identify a student’s present level and where they need the most help in their written expression. This will enable you to write useful goals for the students in your classroom. Here are some tools you can use as benchmarks. Effective…

• Graphic organizer
• Writing rubric
• Writing samples
• Writing prompts
• Comprehension questions
• Writing assignment
• Editing checklist

HOW TO WRITE WRITTEN EXPRESSION IEP GOALS

Besides using these tools, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing written expression IEP goals. The goals should be realistic and measurable goals that are based on the student’s current functioning and grade level. They should work with the student’s strengths and weaknesses .

The goals should also be SMART Goals (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Timed). Another important thing to remember is that the goals should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. As the student makes progress, the goals should be revised to ensure they are still appropriate and challenging.

Written expression goals can come up in many different areas of writing. Understanding this will help you write written expression goals for student IEPs that are effective. Here are some types written expression goals and examples of each.

CAPITALIZATION GOALS FOR AN IEP

One type of written expression goal has to do with the proper use of capitalization. This is an important rule of grammar and one that students should be able to master. A capitalization goal for an IEP might look something like this:

• The student will correctly capitalize 80% of words that should be capitalized when writing a sentence.
• The student will use proper capitalization when writing the days of the week, months of the year, and holidays.
• The student will capitalize the first word of a sentence 80% of the time.

PUNCTUATION GOALS FOR AN IEP

Another type of written expression goal has to do with proper punctuation usage. Just like capitalization, this is an important rule of grammar that students should be able to master. Here are some ideas for punctuation IEP goals:

• The student will use proper punctuation (such as a period, question mark, or exclamation point) at the end of a sentence 80% of the time.
• The student will use commas correctly when writing a list.
• The student will use quotation marks correctly when writing dialogue.

SPELLING GOALS FOR AN IEP

Spelling is a component of written expression that can be quite complex in the English language. Many students struggle with spelling words correctly. Some spelling goals for an IEP could be:

• The student will spell words correctly 80% of the time when writing.
• The student will successfully spell high-frequency words when writing.
• The student will correctly spell words that follow a certain pattern (such as words that rhyme or words with the same ending sound).
• The student will use a word wall and/or spelling dictionary when writing to help with spelling words correctly.

TRANSITION WORD GOALS FOR AN IEP

Transition words are words that help to connect ideas in writing. They are often used at the beginning of a sentence to show how the current sentence is related to the previous one. Transition words can be a challenge for many students. Some examples of transition word IEP goals are:

• The student will use transition words (such as first, next, then, or finally) when writing a story.
• The student will use transition words to connect ideas within a paragraph. The student will use transition words to show cause and effect.

VOCABULARY GOALS FOR AN IEP

Vocabulary goals are also important in student development when it comes to written expression. Students should be exposed to a variety of words so that they can use them in their own writing. A few ideas for vocabulary IEP goals are:

• The student will use new vocabulary words when writing 80% of the time.
• The student will describe the meaning of new vocabulary words when writing.
• The student will use a thesaurus to find different words with similar meanings when writing.

WRITING FLUENCY GOALS FOR AN IEP

Writing fluency is another important aspect of written expression. Fluency is the speed at which a student can write. Many students struggle with writing fluently. A goal related to writing fluency might be:

• The student will write for a certain amount of time (such as 5 minutes) without stopping.
• The student will write a certain number of words in a certain amount of time (such as 100 words in 5 minutes).
• The student will write a certain number of sentences in a certain amount of time (such as 10 sentences in 5 minutes).

PARAGRAPH WRITING GOALS FOR AN IEP

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that share a common topic. Many students struggle with writing paragraphs that are correctly organized and have all of the necessary elements. Paragraph writing IEP goals could include:

• The student will write a paragraph that includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.
• The student will indent the first line of each paragraph when writing.
• The student will write a five-sentence paragraph.

ESSAY GOALS FOR AN IEP

An essay is a type of written assignment that is typically longer and more detailed than other types of writing. Essays can be difficult and tedious for many students. An essay goal for an IEP might look something like this:

• The student will write a five-paragraph essay with a clear introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• The student will write an essay that is at least 500 words long.
• The student will edit and revise an essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

If you are a teacher who is responsible for developing written expression IEP goals, remember to keep the goals realistic, specific, and measurable. Review and update the goals on a regular basis to ensure they are still appropriate. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to helping your students improve their written expression skills!

Assistive Technology, Classroom Implementation Strategies & Resource Recommendations for Kids Who Struggle to Write

Related resources.

Self Advocacy IEP Goals

Executive Functioning IEP Goals

SMART Goals – Examples for Students

Daily Living Skills – Goals and Objectives

Social Emotional IEP Goals

Behavior IEP Goals

Self Regulation IEP Goals

Fine Motor IEP Goals

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How to Write Brilliant Speech Therapy Language Goals with Ease

• March 12, 2023

Ready to learn how to write speech therapy language goals to meet all of your students’ needs?  Here are all of my favorite, go-to tips for writing speech therapy goals for expressive language and speech therapy receptive language goals.  I have also included a link to my Speech IEP Goal Bank to save you even more time! This bank includes speech therapy articulation goals, speech therapy language goals for kindergarten, preschool speech therapy language goals, and so much more!

To access my IEP goal bank and some of my other favorite freebies, sign up below!

Speech Therapy Goal Writing

One thing I struggled with the most when I was starting out my first year was quickly and easily writing new IEP goals or updating old goals for students on my caseload. I tended to overthink and write and rewrite my goals until they were just right for my students, making it really hard on myself.  For more on my journey as a school SLP, click here.

Now 10 years in, I have created a goal bank for myself of ideas in my head and on paper that are my go-to starting points when writing an IEP. These basic goals give me a good starting point when writing my IEPs and then all I have to do is go in and individualize based on that student’s needs. Now, is absolutely everything included here? No. Will there always be outliers or students with totally different needs? Absolutely. After all, this is the schools and we just never know what each year will bring.  However, we can be pretty sure we’ll need a couple of key goals in the main areas we see year after year. For me, that would be Arctic, Vocabulary, Organization, Fluency, and Comprehension.

How to Write Speech Therapy Language Goals

Goals should be written to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. Let’s break some of these down.

Specific – your IEP goals should be specific and define exactly what you were wanting to be accomplished. They should also specify who will accomplish it and what steps will be taken to accomplish it.

Measurable – your IEP goal should be measurable so that you can track progress and easily be able to tell when they are mastered.

Attainable – your IEP goal should be attainable. This means it’s a goal that the student can meet within a reasonable amount of time (typically within the school year or one calendar year). And remember it should be specific to the student so if that student’s accuracy is currently at 0% an attainable goal for them may be 50 to 60%, not 80.

Relevant – your IEP goal should be related to the big picture. Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish or what you want the student to accomplish with this goal. Whether it’s gaining access to grade-level material in the classroom or building the foundational skills they need in order to gain those age-appropriate skills. Make sure it is relevant to that student’s specific means, not just based on a norm-referenced test item.

Time-based – last but not least make sure your IEP goal is time-based. Have a date and time in which the goal is expected to be mastered, whether it’s by the end of the school year, by the next grade level, or by the IEP expiration date.

Speech Therapy Expressive Language Goals

Speech therapy goals for expressive language can be tricky at times, but I’m here to share my best goal-writing and implementation tips.  I find it easiest to have a few good core goals ready to go that I can then individualize depending on the student and their needs. Keeping a steady log of these goals makes IEP goal writing so much easier. 

During structured therapy tasks, STUDENT will apply an organizational strategy to provide 3 to 4 details when defining/describing presented vocabulary as measured by therapy data and/or student product.

• STUDENT will express regular past tense verbs from pictures with 80% accuracy as measured by therapy data and observations.

Speech Therapy Receptive Language Goals

Receptive language refers to the way our students receive and understand language (e.g., listening and reading).

Here are some examples of receptive language goals:

• During structured therapy tasks, STUDENT will identify word relationships (e.g., categories, functions, parts of a whole) through picture sorts and matching tasks with 75% accuracy as measured by therapy data.
• STUDENT will follow directions with positional concepts (e.g., under, over, in front of, behind) with 80% accuracy as measured by therapy data and observations.

More IEP Goals for Communication

Below are some example smart IEP goals that I may write for my students working on articulation, language, or fluency.

• By the end of this IEP cycle, STUDENT will ________ in structured therapy tasks with ____% accuracy with visual cues only, as measured by therapy data and observations.
• By the end of this IEP cycle, STUDENT will apply _______ strategies in structured speaking tasks (e.g., answering questions, describing, story retell) in _____ out of 5 attempts independently as measured by therapy data and observations.
• By the end of this IEP cycle, STUDENT will accurately produce the following sounds: _________ in words and phrases with 80% accuracy as measured by therapy data and observations.

Speech Therapy Articulation Goals

Here are some examples of how I write articulation goals:

• STUDENT will accurately produce ____ sounds in isolation, words, and phrases with 90% accuracy across 3 therapy sessions as measured by therapy data and progress monitoring.
• During structured therapy tasks, STUDENT well accurately produced CVCVCV words (E.g., animal, tomato) with 80% accuracy as measured by therapy data and observation.

Progress Monitoring Speech Goals

Now, for my students with more severe articulation and/or phonological delays, that’s where it can get a little more tricky.  If I were to try to go through every single sound error in every position, it would take forever.  I also may not get great information about sound patterns and situations they may struggle/not struggle with – not to mention how incredibly frustrating it would be for the child.  For that reason, I use a quick articulation/phonological progress monitoring tool (which also doubles as a screener) to get a snapshot of the child’s overall sound errors.  It not only gives me a great place to start but also gives me a quick, visual, easy way to progress-monitor throughout the year and before IEP updates.

Speech IEP Goals Bank

A speech IEP goals bank is a great place to start when writing a new IEP, especially when you are new to the schools.  While absolutely IEP goals fro speech should always be individualized, it doesn’t hurt to have a place to start.  My IEP goals bank is a brief but inclusive list of a variety of goals that target various areas of speech and language therapy.

Remember, while it is great to have a goal bank in a place to start, you always have to individualize. What is right for one student may not necessarily be what’s right for another. Even when students are working on similar goals they may reach those goals in different ways and at different times. This is where you can individualize percentages, number and types of prompts needed/provided, in what situations, and with what mode of communication.

Speech Therapy Language Goals for Younger Populations

Working on story retell and vocabulary are both great ways to get the most bang for your buck in language therapy.  Vocabulary knowledge helps to build the foundation for later reading and academic success.  Narrative language acquisition helps promote better comprehension as well as use of complex language.  When working on narrative language, you are also incorporating grammar skills, social skills, vocabulary, and comprehension all in one.

While these areas are great to work on, sometimes writing goals for them can be tricky.  I’ve found it easiest to do it one of two ways:

1. Write a goal for one target you want to address within the goal

    1. For example, targeting past tense verbs for grammar while working on retell

    2. Or focusing on category words while learning vocabulary strategies

2. Or write the goals for the big picture you want to accomplish

    1. For example, STUDENT will retell a simple episode by including 4/5 story grammar components.

    2. STUDENT will apply an organizational strategy to describe/define vocabulary by providing at least 3 attributes (e.g., category, parts, function, etc.)

Speech Therapy Language Goals for Kindergarten

By Kindergarten/early elementary, children should be able to retell a simple story, answer questions about the story, AND demonstrate understanding of more components of the story- character/character description, setting, feelings, plot, etc.

At this stage, I may still work on simple word relationships if needed, but I also may move into applying vocabulary strategies to help with organization. So my goals might look like this:

STUDENT will apply an organizational strategy to express 3-4 story grammar parts (e.g., character, setting, problem, ending) following an orally presented story in 3 out of 4 attempts as measured by therapy data and progress monitoring.

Speech Therapy Language Goals for Preschool

In preschool, a child should be able to understand a simple story, as shown by answering questions about the orally presented story and retelling a simple story in sequence.

At this stage, I like to focus on simple word relationships, simple narratives, and basic comprehension (e.g., sorting items in categories, retelling a simple/single episode, answering who and what questions following a story). So my goals might look like this:

Given a sentence starter, STUDENT will express word relationships (e.g., category, parts of a whole, similarities/differences, color) with 80% accuracy.

STUDENT will accurately sequence at least 3 events from an orally presented story with 80% accuracy as measured by therapy data and observation.

Long pin   preschool-speech-therapy-language-goals

More Preschool Speech Therapy Language Goals

I love using wordless pictures books to work on describing and narrative retell.  Because you are not stuck to one story line or one main character, you can work on multiple different story lines and take your therapy targets in any direction.  These are some things I might target with a wordless book:

• Character description (use visual strategies and/or graphic organizers)
• Setting description (use visual strategies and/or graphic organizers)
• Sequenced events – use the pictures to guide the story, have a student make it up, generate a story together, or you tell the story and have students retell it using the pictures
• Transition words
• Feeling words – use facial features to describe how they may be feeling
• Drawing conclusions

For more information on speech therapy goal writing:

How to Write Expressive Language Goals [with goal bank] from Communication Community

Speech Therapy Goals for 4th and 5th Graders from The Pedi Speechie

Quick Tips for Writing Speech and Language IEP Goals from Anna Dee SLP

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I hope you found some of these ideas helpful and can use one or more in your therapy room.  Please leave a comment or shoot me an email if you want to share some of your favorite speech therapy language goals and treatment ideas.

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IEP Goals for Written Expression or Difficulty with Writing

Two Quick Tips Before Creating IEP Goals for Written Expression:

When your child struggles with his writing skills, you need Measurable IEP Goals for Written Expression. This page shares information about writing measurable IEP goals, so you can tell if your child is making progress in writing.

If your child has a hard time with handwriting, be sure to check out the IEP Goals for Writing , Keyboarding and Copying for Students with Dysgraphia or Handwriting Difficulties too.

You may also want to check out these other resources about writing: + “ How To Teach Handwriting to A Child with Dysgraphia .” And + “ Help Your Child Learn Grammar Without Hating It! ” too.

NOW, let’s talk about written expression itself. If your child can write more easily, then he is more likely to express himself well in writing.

How To Write Measurable IEP Goals for Written Expression

Even though your child’s IEP may specify a writing program, you may find it hard to determine if your child is making progress with written expression. This is where great IEP Goals for written expression are necessary.

You need to KNOW if your child is making progress in his ability to write. Therefore, you need specific, measurable goals for writing in your child’s IEP, like those below. The example IEP goals for written expression must be changed to meet your child’s specific needs, so you need to learn how to create good goals. The examples make more sense once you know what a measurable goal looks like. 😉

After learning how to write great IEP goals for written expression below, you can use the examples below to create great goals for your child, especially if he has dysgraphia or dyslexia.

Why Written Expression is a Problem:

Learning to write well involves many complex mental processes for organizing the writing in the child’s mind. Your child must hold information in his brain, recall phonemes, syllables, and sight word spellings for writing. Then he uses motor planning skills to get his ideas into written form.  Thus, your child needs goals for each writing skill that makes writing hard for him.

Your child may also have a lot problem with handwriting itself. Writing by hand might not allow your child to express himself at the same level at which he thinks. You see this when a child uses big words when talking, but writes at a much lower level. In that case, setting goals that include keyboarding, dictation, a scribe, or the use of dictation software helps.

There are sample IEP Goals for written expression below. The list includes goals for many skills used in writing.

For your child, you can write goals that are similarly worded. However, you need to change the goals, so they are based on your child’s current skill level.

To make good IEP Goals for written expression, add similar goals or modify these goals to create great goals for your child.

Examples of MEASURABLE IEP Goals for Written Expression:

For each writng assignment, [Child’s name] will independently create a keyword outline. He will have a main topic and three supporting points as a basis for his essay.

[Child’s name] will use the keyword outline process to create a written composition which contains paragraphs of at least three sentences each, an introduction, conclusion. [Child] will include at least three supporting points in three separate paragraphs. [Child’s name] will demonstrate this ability in all content areas and all settings.

For each essay assignment, [Child’s name] will independently develop his ideas fully. [Child] will write passages that contain well developed main ideas. [Child’s name] will give at least 3 details in each paragraph . [Child’s name] will demonstrate this ability in all content areas and all settings for all written essays.

When assigned essays, [Child’s name] will independently develop his ideas. [Child] will create five-paragraph essays with proper essay structure using Dragon Naturally Speaking software to dictate his ideas to the computer. [Child’s name] will demonstrate the ability to use Dragon Naturally Speaking to dictate essays in all class subjects.

Given general curriculum writing assignments, [Child’s name] will edit his writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. [Child] will have fewer than 2 overlooked errors per 250 words , without assistance. [Child’s name] will demonstrate this ability across all settings.

Consider writing goals for all skills in your child’s IEP Goals for written expression.

Keep in mind, when writing, your child must hold information in his head, then process it in his working memory. Your child can learn to use fine motor skills and good planning to get his ideas into writing. Thus, you’ll want to consider all of the necessary skills when creating IEP goals for written expression for your child.

Don’t forget to check out the IEP Goals for Writing, Keyboarding and Copying for Students with Dysgraphia or Handwriting Difficulties too. Keyboarding and handwriting are important as written expression skills as well.

You may ALSO want to check out Assistive Technology for kids with dysgraphia or writing difficulties . Include assistive technology in your IEP goals for written expression to set your child up for better long-term success.

Check related IEP Goals :

Executive Functioning IEP Goals for Organization Skills and ADHD IEP Goals for Reading Example IEP Goals for Spelling IEP Goals for Copying

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5 Tips to Write Speech Therapy Goals for IEPs

We’ve all been there. Blankly staring at a screen hoping that your speech therapy goals would write themselves, and the IEP would be complete. After the long process of an assessment, it feels like you’re at the summit only to find there’s another mountain to climb. 🏔

We’ve got you! Keep reading if you want tips on how to create smart goals!

How to Write SMART Goals to Help Your Students and Make your IEP Goals as Clear as Possible

This post will help guide you on a path to write SMART goals that really help your students. My goal is to help make your goal writing a little easier. The decision process is hard to nail down and something you learn on the job, but I’m hoping this guide will give you some good ideas!

Getting Started with Speech Therapy Goals

Let’s start at the beginning with a little review of what can prepare you for writing really solid speech therapy goals.

1. A complete assessment that included formal and informal testing 

2. Input from the student, teachers, staff members, and family members

3. Data from your sessions (if applicable)

4. Your student’s strengths and the foundation you’re going to build on

5. An understanding of your student’s challenges and where they are struggling in the school environment

If you’re an SLP Now member, you have access to the paperwork binder that includes assessment, treatment plan ideas, and factors to consider that can help shape your speech therapy goals. There are also lots of quick informal assessments to use for baseline and probe data! 

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

We all know our speech therapy goals need to be SMART, but how do you get from your assessment results to goal areas to target? We’ll go through a couple of different treatment areas to cover our bases.

S – Specific : Is your goal specific? Did you talk about the setting? Are you putting too many things in one goal?

M – Measurable : Can you measure this goal with data? Consider a rubric for some of those harder-to-measure speech therapy goals.

A – Attainable : Is this goal attainable in a year for this particular student? Goals are individual, make sure it’s feasible for this student.

R – Realistic: Is this goal something that will generalize to the classroom/school environment and help the student succeed at school? Have you considered the whole EBP triangle with research, clinical judgment, and information from the student and their family?

T- Timely: Can the student achieve the speech therapy goal in the amount of service time you are recommending for the IEP?

Start with our Speech Therapy IEP Goal Bank

If you’re wondering where you should start, the SLP Now Goal Bank is full of speech therapy goal ideas that can help you create individualized speech therapy goals based on your students’ speech and language strengths and needs.

The goal bank includes AAC goals, fluency goals, social language goals, receptive language goals, expressive language goals, articulation goals, and more! Definitely head to the SLP Now Goal Bank to brainstorm IEP goals and objectives for your speech therapy IEP goals.

Tips for Speech Therapy Goals

1. goals must be educationally relevant in the school setting..

Goals do not have to be based on developmental norms. To be aligned with IDEA, you have to find out the educational impact of the child’s speech errors and select your goals after that process (Ireland & Conrad, 2016).

2 . Look for patterns.

Do you see articulation errors, phonological patterns, apraxia, inconsistent speech disorder? If your student is bilingual, don’t forget to cross-check the student’s native language!

3. Select a treatment plan.

Sometimes it’s easier to select your treatment plan before you write your goals. That way your goals and treatment plan are nicely aligned. I’m a big fan of the complexity approach!

4. Keep phonological awareness in mind.

Make sure you think about phonological awareness skills as well, especially if the student is writing their error the way they say it. Students with speech sound errors are more likely to have difficulty reading and writing (Cabbage et. al., 2018).

5. Vary your target selection and individualize.

M ap out the student’s pattern of errors on a place, manner, voice chart. Make sure that your targets are varied. You might pick one marked sound, one early developing sound, one sound that is relevant to the child’s life, and one sound that is frequently occurring. Choosing targets from different classes is also a good way to make sure you have well-rounded goals.

6. For childhood apraxia of speech.

We love Edyth Strand as a resource.  Treatment for childhood apraxia of speech focuses on movement, not specific sounds. Goals should allow for use of an EBP based treatment plan like (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing) DTTC (Strand, 2020). A goal for syllable shapes (e.g., CV, CVC, CVCV) is  one example of a goal that is appropriate for apraxia. Don’t forget to consider AAC!

Whew! That was a lot. Thanks for hanging in there. Check out these related posts on speech sound disorder treatment if that’s your next step in the process!

– A Review of Articulation Approaches – Tips for Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech – Where to Start with Phonological Awareness – How to Implement the Complexity Approac – How to Implement the Cylces Approach – Target Selection Considerations for Speech Sound Disorder Intervention in Schools

Tips for Language Goals for Speech Therapy IEPs

Zeroing in on your student’s strengths and challenges can really narrow down where to go with language goals. Look for patterns and what the ROOT of the challenge is. In order to be educationally relevant, your goals need to target skills that will help the child’s ability to access curriculum and participate in the school environment. If your goals aren’t generalizing outside of the speech room, we’ve got some ideas to help! 

Make sure to take baseline/probe data in order to be in the student’s sweet spot for learning. Including visuals and varying your prompting can also give you clues about a student’s learning potential. A goal that is either too hard or too easy will not lead to the optimal amount of progress for a student.

1. Work on executive functioning.  

Consult with other IEP team members (like the psychologist and special education teacher). Talk about executive functioning challenges you both see. You want to be working on strategies that will generalize into the classroom (Kamhi 2014). For example: Work on using describing words to talk about new concepts instead of memorizing a set of new words, or work on embedded narrative skills like story grammar rather than working on sequencing separately. Working on these types of skills will help executive functioning skills like working memory and planning. It is within your scope of practice to work on executive functioning in the school setting (Ward & Jacobsen, 2014), you probably do already!

2. Consider s ocial-emotional needs.  

Consider any factors related to social-emotional aspects (Kirch et. al., 2020).

Are they able to get their daily needs met? Can they talk about how they are feeling? Can they tell a peer a story or joke?

If this is a need, it needs to be a goal.

3. Consider the Common Core.

Look through Common Core State Standards and find where your student isn’t able to participate in the classroom or access academics. I usually start by looking at the speaking and listening and language sections. What sticks out as an area to target? 

– Vocabulary – Grammar – Language skills like narratives – Functional Communication

4. Build on student’s strengths.  

Focus on what they were able to do and what the next attainable steps are. (Example: they can describe different things that happened in a story but can’t sequence them correctly in their working memory, so you target story grammar to improve working memory and their ability to tell a story. This helps with both academics and with their social relationships).

5. Consider the e ducational impact.

Prioritize what will help your students succeed academically and participate in the school environment. This puts you in the right mindset to pick their goals as well. Collaboration is always encouraged. I check in with teachers to make sure that the goals make sense for their classroom and would help them. Make sure there is educational impact in order to justify services!

6. Provide additional speech therapy supports.

Do they need other supports for sensory processing during the session and/or are they a gestalt language processor? This may affect the amount of trials, visuals, prompts/cues, the environment, et cetera as you’re formulating your goals.

Tips for Fluency Goals

For fluency and social goals, a great mindset to have is to think of the social model of disability. We aren’t trying to change the person, we’re thinking of ways to support the student and change the environment in order for them to succeed.

Yes, you read that right! Check out this post by Nina Reeves about why we shouldn’t be writing goals for a percentage of fluency. She links to a handout about writing goals for fluency. 

First and foremost, we are going to consider the student and what their communication goals are. We want to focus on creating an environment through education/training and levels of support that encourage the student to be confident and comfortable speaking.

Areas to Target

1. Change the environment. – Education about stuttering (journals)

2. Support the student. – Thoughts and feelings about stuttering (including acceptance) – Demonstrate fluency strategies – Demonstrate awareness of dysfluencies – Self-advocacy (e.g., decrease avoidance)

Tips for Social Language Goals

Goals for social language/pragmatics are going through quite the shift lately. In following the social model of disability, our thinking has to shift to what WE can change to accommodate the student, not what they can change about themselves. Research points to masking (an autistic person having to change who they are to blend into a neurotypical world) as being very detrimental to their mental health (Beck et. al., 2020). So what can we do about it? Listening to autistic voices is one way of making sure that you are targeting goals that are supporting the student’s environment and their needs, rather than forcing them to mask.

Check out this website made by an autistic SLP/SLT in the UK!

Goals should not be compliance-based.

Goals should support the needs of the student.

Goals should not support masking, unless requested by the student!

Example Goal Areas

1. Student Supports Support for gestalt language processing AAC/any form of communication student is comfortable with Self-advocacy (e.g., for sensory breaks) Self-regulation skills (e.g., recognizing when they need a break) Daily living skills (e.g., job training) Recognizing emotions in themselves and others

2. Supporting the Student in Interactions Problem-solving Self-advocacy (e.g.,  tell the teacher they are listening so they don’t have to make eye contact)

When working on these goals, push-in lessons are ideal to talk to both neurotypical and neurodiverse students. It’s a great way to promote understanding and to talk about the double empathy problem (Mitchell et. al., 2021). Neurodiverse students don’t have difficulty communicating with each other, but neurotypical and neurodiverse relationships can have difficulty understanding each other.

Being present in the classroom is also a great way to know what supports the student needs in that setting and an easy way to model it for classroom teachers. 

3. Supporting the Student Academically Figurative Language Narrative Language Story Grammar Perspectives in books (e.g., character’s perspectives)

Adjust the Setting and Supports

After your goals are set, you can adjust the setting and any types of supports either with the goal (visuals and prompts) or in the school setting with accommodations/supports sections of the IEP. You’ll also make final adjustments to your service delivery model and service minute recommendations. 

I hope this post has given you some confidence to justify your goal areas as treatment targets. It takes a lot of time and practice to go from assessment to goals easily. I still call my SLP friends to bounce ideas off of (following FERPA guidelines, of course!).

Give yourself the space to learn and grow.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Speech sound disorders: Articulation and phonology . https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/articulation-and-phonology/#collapse_6 .

Barlow, J. A., & Gierut, J. A. (2002). Minimal pair approaches to phonological remediation. Seminars in Speech and Language , 23 (1), 57–68.

Beck, J. S., Lundwall, R. A., Gabrielsen, T., Cox, J. C., & South, M. (2020). Looking good but feeling bad: “Camouflaging” behaviors and mental health in women with autistic traits. Autism , 24 (4), 809–821.

Beukelman, D. & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children & Adults with Complex Communication Needs 4th Edition . Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Cabbage, K. L., Farquharson, K., Iuzzini, -Seigel Jenya, Zuk, J., & Hogan, T. P. (2018). Exploring the Overlap Between Dyslexia and Speech Sound Production Deficits. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , 49 (4), 774–786.

Crosbie, S., Holm, A., & Dodd, B. (2005). Intervention for children with severe speech disorder: A comparison of two approaches. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders , 40 (4), 467–491.

DeVeney, S. L., Cabbage, K., & Mourey, T. (2020). Target Selection Considerations for Speech Sound Disorder Intervention in Schools. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups , 5 (6), 1722–1734.

Dodd, B., Crosbie, S., Mcintosh, B., Holm, A., Harvey, C., Liddy, M., Fontyne, K., Pinchin, B., & Rigby, H. (2008). The impact of selecting different contrasts in phonological therapy. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 10 , 334–345.

Dodd, B., Holm, A., Crosbie, S., & McIntosh, B. (2006). A core vocabulary approach for management of inconsistent speech disorder. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology , 8 (3), 220–230.

Gierut, J. A. (1989). Maximal Opposition Approach to Phonological Treatment. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders , 54 (1), 9–19.

Hodson, B. W. (2018, March 12). Enhancing Phonological Patterns of Young Children With Highly Unintelligible Speech (world) [Review-article]. The ASHA Leader; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Julien, H. M., Finestack, L. H., & Reichle, J. (2019). Requests for Communication Repair Produced by Typically Developing Preschool-Age Children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research , 62 (6), 1823–1838.

Justice, L. M., & Fey, M. E. (2018, December 31). Evidence-Based Practice in Schools (world) [Review-article]. The ASHA Leader; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Kamhi, A. G. (2014). Improving Clinical Practices for Children With Language and Learning Disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , 45 (2), 92–103.

Kerch, C. J., Donovan, C. A., Ernest, J. M., Strichik, T., & Winchester, J. (2020). An Exploration of Language and Social-Emotional Development of Children with and without Disabilities in a Statewide Pre-Kindergarten Program. Education and Treatment of Children , 43 (1), 7–19.

Levy, E. S. (2014). Implementing two treatment approaches to childhood dysarthria. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 16 (4), 344–354.

Maas, E., Robin, D. A., Austermann, H. S. N., Freedman, S. E., Wulf, G., Ballard, K. J., & Schmidt, R. A. (2008). Principles of Motor Learning in Treatment of Motor Speech Disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 17 (3), 277–298.

McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Children’s Consonant Acquisition in 27 Languages: A Cross-Linguistic Review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , 27 (4), 1546–1571.

Miccio, A. W., & Elbert, M. (1996). Enhancing stimulability: A treatment program. Journal of Communication Disorders , 29 (4), 335–351.

Mitchell, P., Sheppard, E., & Cassidy, S. (2021). Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health. British Journal of Developmental Psychology , 39 (1), 1–18.

Smith, A. L., & Hustad, K. C. (2015). AAC and Early Intervention for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Parent Perceptions and Child Risk Factors. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985) , 31 (4), 336–350.

Tags: Fluency , Goals , Language , Productivity , Speech Sound

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Hi there! I'm Marisha. I am a school-based SLP who is all about working smarter, not harder. I created the SLP Now Membership and love sharing tips and tricks to help you save time so you can focus on what matters most--your students AND yourself.

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How to Write Speech Therapy Goals

Speech therapy goals are incredibly important! They are what we (as SLPs) write as a way to outline who, what, when, and how we will target speech-language objectives with our clients. We shared our step-by-step goal development framework - helpful for both clinicians and caregivers!

Our comprehensive goal banks for school-aged language, AAC, Early Intervention & preschool, and fluency are available on our site or Teachers Pay Teachers store !

Save time creating goals with over THOUSANDS of possible goal combinations. Select your own combination of DO + CONDITION + CRITERION (and consistency) statements to develop personalized and measurable goals for your caseload. Scroll to the bottom to find many more (free) goal banks!

For many speech-language pathologists (myself included), it is that time of year again! Time to write goals for our students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) .

Maybe you are working in a private practice and just received a new client on your caseload. Or maybe you are a graduate student who is writing goals for your first client in your university clinic. Regardless, it is an essential piece of what we do and is the foundation for the way we target our clinical objectives.

Parents - listen up! Learning about speech therapy goals isn’t just for clinicians. We want this to be helpful for you too. The better your child’s speech therapy goals are written, the clearer the expectation for skill development is. What does that mean? Well, their goals should explicitly outline the skill area that should be worked on and exactly how it will be worked on. Goals hold everyone on the client’s team ACCOUNTABLE!

Any who, this daunting saga of goal writing usually occurs in the spring so that clinicians have adequate time to deliver informal/formal language assessments, observations, etc. before the school year concludes. This process of gathering information is very important so that clinicians have accumulated enough evidence-based data for your goal framework. It usually looks like this:

Talk to the people who matter to the client

The best way to look at it is to think about who truly knows the child. Who can deliver the most accurate information to give you the best “picture” of their skills? The parents/caregivers may be the most important persons you speak with during this process. Parents may also request areas that they would like to see their child work on; areas that we may not know should require intervention because it is a home-based skill (e.g., sequencing the steps for brushing teeth).

In a school setting, the classroom teacher and other related service professionals who treat the child are important individuals to talk to as well. Usually, they are the people who spend the most time with the child at school and can provide a broader picture of the child’s skills across a school day. Not every SLP can always be hands-on in the classroom; so a teacher may share that [client] has difficulty initiating play attempts with their classmate. Another example may be that the client demonstrates an inconsistent vocal volume when talking to different communication partners.

Look at the client’s skills as a whole

It is important to really stop and think about the client’s long-term goals (if they have them from years past) and assess where they are relative to those goals. From there, what areas still need to be targeted? What skills have already been mastered? Have these mastered skills been maintained? Should they be modified, removed, or, are there goals to be added?

Other alternatives to IEPs include transition plans (commonly seen with adolescents in special education settings) and care plans (commonly seen with adults in medical/skilled nursing facilities) are documents to consider as well. Speech therapy goals should be tailored to meet the objectives within these plans, as these are documents that often outline what exactly the individual has to work on to transition to the next phase of their life.

Select formal/informal assessment measures

Remember how talking to the caregiver/parents are important? Well, that’s when informal assessments, like questionnaires and clinical observations, come into play. Questionnaires may not provide the same level of data as some formal assessment measures may, but they can highlight areas of concern that come directly from a familiar source. Observations are valuable because it allows clinicians to examine the client’s speech/language skills in natural and less contrived contexts, such as with individuals the client may communicate with most (e.g., siblings/caregivers).

It is important for clinicians to select the most appropriate assessments...based on the information you have gathered about the client. Maybe a screener was delivered prior to determining what areas required further assessment are needed to further assess. So if a screener/language sample does not indicate articulation errors, there’s likely no need to do a full speech sound assessment. A mix of informal and formal assessment measures (if possible) will give you a wide breadth of information to base your goals off of (remember: your goals should always be evidence-based!).

Gather and synthesize information

This is the time when you analyze all of the data you have collected and determine the client's relative strengths and areas of concern. What are your most important findings? What are some goals they could make progress towards? Spoiler: you can’t target everything ! So, prioritize the areas of concern. Consider some of our above points - e.g., what findings align/best support the client’s transition plan? Is it more functional for your 18-year-old client to work on producing /th/ in the final position of words or follow multi-step directions in a vocationally-based setting?

You also want to think about a reasonable amount of goals your client can master/achieve progress within the allotted time frame. For school-based IEP goals, they are written to be measured across a year span. For more medically-based settings, they may be written to be measured for as little as a few days or maybe across several weeks. It would likely be very difficult for anyone to master 20 different goals in an 8-week time frame!

Okay, we are FINALLY here! Once you have gone through each step in the framework, you are ready to write goals! That can seem like a lot on your plate when you have a tremendous amount of clients to cover. Well, we are here to make that step a little easier - we present to you our SLP goal writing formula:

• DO statement
• CONDITION statement
• CRITERION statement

DO STATEMENT

This is what the client is actually going to DO. Be very clear with this piece. What is the flat-out skill you want the client to achieve? Okay, great. Now think about if it is something that does/does not need to be quantified/specified. You may want to specify a goal if you think that it is overreaching for the client to follow every single multi-step direction presented to them, with independence. Perhaps following 5 is more achievable in the year span in which the goal will be targeted.

-Example #1: [Client] will follow ___ multi-step directions

-Example #2: [Client] will eliminate the phonological process [list phonological process]

-Example #3: [Client] will navigate to ___ novel pages within his AAC device

CONDITION STATEMENT

Where/within what context is your client going to work on this goal? Is it a skill you want the child to work on in a structured setting first and then in more natural settings? During mealtimes? In a certain position of a word? Or is it something he should master across different contexts? Think clearly about the specificity of this piece; sometimes broader (e.g., “structured”) can be better for targeting purposes, in the event that a client-specific setting no longer prevents itself as available.

-Example #1: with familiar/unfamiliar communication partner

-Example #2: at the single word level

-Example #3: in a structured/unstructured setting

Note : Depending on the provider facility, some may permit prompts to be written within the goal. In that case, this may be something to add to your condition statement. Prompts may be appropriate if you do not see the client achieving the goal with entire independence, but it remains an important skill to work on.

-Example WITH prompts: during a structured activity, given phonemic prompts

CRITERION STATEMENT

This is one of the MOST important pieces of goal writing because this is where you add the measurable aspect. Goals. Should. Always. Be. Measurable. If they are not measurable, there is no way to indicate that there has been an increase in performance. In your head, you should have a baseline (present level of performance) as to where the client is currently at with the skill, followed by what level you think they can get to. Do NOT write a goal that you are confident that the client will not achieve. Why? Because goals are meant to be realistic and attainable (or at minimum show increased performance towards the skill) with proper intervention.

-Example #1: within 3 out of 4 opportunities

-Example #2: with 90% accuracy

-Example #3: in 9 out of 10 trials

DO + CONDITION + CRITERION

-Example #1: [Client] will follow 5 multi-step directions, when delivered by an unfamiliar communication partner, within 3 out of 4 opportunities.

-Example #2: [Client] will eliminate the phonological process stopping, at the single word level, with 90% accuracy.

-Example #3: [Client] will navigate to novel pages within his AAC device, in a structured setting, in 9 out of 10 trials.

-Example WITH prompts: [Client] will label 15 common objects during a structured activity, given phonemic prompts, with 90% independence.

There you have it, the "formal,” if you will, steps to writing speech therapy goals. It’s also key to remember that a goal really isn’t “mastered” unless the performance is consistent over time. You may see a caveat to goals that may say something like, [goal] across 3 consecutive sessions . AKA, the goal is mastered when the client can meet the criterion (e.g., 90% accuracy) across 3 sessions.

Happy writing!

Find goal banks for many areas of speech and language!

• How to Write AAC Goals
• How to Write Aphasia Goals
• How to Write Articulation Goals
• How to Write Cluttering Goals
• How to Write Early Intervention Goals
• How to Write Executive Functions Goals
• How to Write Expressive Language Goals
• How to Write Figurative Language Goals
• How to Write Fluency (Stuttering) Goals
• How to Write Phonological Awareness Goals
• How to Write Play Skills Goals
• How to Write Pragmatic Language Goals
• How to Write Receptive Language Goals
• How to Write Self-Determination Goals
• How to Write Voice (Pediatric) Goals

You might also like

How to Write Play Skills Goals [with goal bank]

Types of Figurative Language

Early Intervention and Speech Therapy: What to Expect

Core Word Books for AAC

Cognition and Speech Therapy: Addressing Cognitive-Communicative Deficits

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Home » SEL Implementation » Creating Meaningful IEP Goals for High School Students: Best Practices and Examples

Creating Meaningful IEP Goals for High School Students: Best Practices and Examples

Key takeaways.

• IEP goals play a crucial role in supporting high school student success academically, functionally, and socially.
• An IEP includes present levels of performance, annual goals, accommodations and modifications, related services, and transition planning.
• Best practices for creating IEP goals involve considering student strengths, collaboration, alignment with academic and functional skills, specificity and measurability, realism, and incorporation of social-emotional learning objectives.

Introduction: Creating Meaningful IEP Goals for High School Students: Best Practices and Examples

As a Speech Language Pathologist and Social Emotional Learning expert, I understand the importance of creating meaningful Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for high school students. These goals play a crucial role in supporting student success and ensuring that they receive the necessary support and accommodations to thrive academically, functionally, and socially. In this blog post, I will provide you with best practices and examples to help you create effective and impactful IEP goals for high school students.

Understanding the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Before we dive into the best practices for creating IEP goals, let’s first understand what an IEP is and its purpose. An IEP is a legally binding document that outlines the specialized instruction, support services, and accommodations that a student with disabilities will receive in the educational setting. It is designed to ensure that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education.

The key components of an IEP include:

• Present levels of performance: This section describes the student’s current academic, functional, and social-emotional abilities.
• Annual goals: These are the specific, measurable objectives that the student is expected to achieve within a year.
• Accommodations and modifications: These are the supports and adjustments that will be provided to the student to help them succeed in the general education curriculum.
• Related services: These are the specialized services, such as speech therapy or occupational therapy, that the student may require to meet their goals.
• Transition planning: For high school students, this section focuses on preparing them for life after graduation, including post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.

Now that we have a clear understanding of what an IEP is, let’s explore the best practices for creating meaningful IEP goals specifically for high school students.

Best Practices for Creating IEP Goals for High School Students

1. Consideration of student’s strengths, needs, and interests:

When developing IEP goals, it is essential to consider the unique strengths, needs, and interests of each high school student. By identifying their strengths, you can build upon their existing abilities and foster a sense of confidence and motivation. Understanding their needs will help you target areas for growth and provide appropriate support. Additionally, incorporating their interests into the goals can increase engagement and relevance.

2. Collaboration with the student, parents, and educational team:

Creating meaningful IEP goals requires a collaborative approach. It is crucial to involve the student, their parents or guardians, and the educational team in the goal-setting process. By including the student in the decision-making process, you empower them to take ownership of their education and foster self-advocacy skills. Collaborating with parents and the educational team ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards the student’s success.

3. Alignment with academic and functional skills:

IEP goals should be aligned with both academic and functional skills to ensure a well-rounded education. Academic goals should focus on areas such as reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematical problem-solving. Functional goals should target independent living skills, self-advocacy, decision-making, time management, and organizational skills. By addressing both academic and functional areas, you are preparing the student for success in both school and life beyond.

4. Specificity and measurability of goals:

IEP goals should be specific and measurable to track progress effectively. Instead of vague statements like “improve reading skills,” a specific goal could be “increase reading comprehension by answering inferential questions with 80% accuracy.” Measurable goals allow for objective data collection and provide a clear indication of progress.

5. Realistic and achievable goals:

It is important to set goals that are realistic and achievable for high school students. Goals should be challenging enough to promote growth but not so overwhelming that they become discouraging. By setting realistic goals, you set the student up for success and foster a sense of accomplishment.

6. Incorporation of social-emotional learning (SEL) objectives:

High school is a critical time for social-emotional development. Including social-emotional learning objectives in IEP goals can help students develop effective communication and social skills, enhance self-regulation and emotional management, and build positive relationships and peer interactions. SEL goals can be integrated into academic and functional goals to provide a holistic approach to student growth.

Examples of Meaningful IEP Goals for High School Students

Now, let’s explore some examples of meaningful IEP goals for high school students across different areas:

A. Academic goals:

• Improving reading comprehension skills: Increase reading comprehension by identifying main ideas and supporting details in grade-level texts with 90% accuracy.
• Enhancing written expression abilities: Improve written expression by using appropriate grammar, punctuation, and paragraph structure in persuasive essays with 80% accuracy.
• Developing mathematical problem-solving skills: Solve multi-step word problems involving fractions and decimals with 75% accuracy.

B. Functional goals:

• Increasing independent living skills: Demonstrate the ability to plan and prepare a healthy meal independently twice a week.
• Improving self-advocacy and decision-making abilities: Advocate for personal needs and preferences during IEP meetings by expressing opinions and asking clarifying questions.
• Enhancing time management and organizational skills: Use a planner or digital calendar to manage assignments, deadlines, and extracurricular activities consistently.

C. Social-emotional goals:

• Developing effective communication and social skills: Engage in reciprocal conversations by asking open-ended questions and actively listening to peers during group discussions.
• Enhancing self-regulation and emotional management: Use self-calming strategies, such as deep breathing or taking a break, when feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.
• Building positive relationships and peer interactions: Initiate and maintain friendships by participating in shared activities and showing empathy towards others.

Strategies for Monitoring and Evaluating IEP Goal Progress

Once IEP goals are set, it is crucial to monitor and evaluate progress regularly. Here are some strategies to help you effectively track goal progress:

A. Regular progress monitoring and data collection:

Consistently collect data to track the student’s progress towards their goals. This can include observations, work samples, assessments, and checklists. Regular progress monitoring allows for timely adjustments and interventions if needed.

B. Collaboration with teachers and related service providers:

Work closely with the student’s teachers and related service providers to gather additional insights and data. Collaborating with the educational team ensures a comprehensive understanding of the student’s progress and allows for a holistic approach to goal monitoring.

C. Adjusting goals as needed based on progress and student feedback:

Goals should be flexible and subject to adjustment based on the student’s progress and feedback. If a goal is too challenging or not challenging enough, it may need to be modified. Regularly communicate with the student and involve them in the goal evaluation process.

Creating meaningful IEP goals for high school students is essential for their academic, functional, and social-emotional growth. By considering the student’s strengths, needs, and interests, collaborating with the student, parents, and educational team, aligning goals with academic and functional skills, ensuring specificity and measurability, setting realistic and achievable goals, and incorporating social-emotional learning objectives, you can create impactful IEP goals that support student success.

Looking for More Resources on Creating Meaningful IEP Goals for High School Students?

If you are an educator, or professional looking for further resources and support in creating meaningful IEP goals, I highly recommend starting an Everyday Speech Free Trial . Everyday Speech offers a comprehensive platform that provides social-emotional learning resources, including IEP goal examples, activities, and strategies, to help high school students thrive.

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Speech-Language Pathology IEP Goals: A Complete Guide and Goal Bank

Introduction

Effective communication is the cornerstone of a student's education and overall development. For some students facing unique communication challenges, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) play a crucial role in paving the way toward proficient communication. Individualized Education Program (IEP ) goals in Speech-Language Pathology serve as powerful tools, uniquely tailored to address each student's specific communication needs. These goals guide educators, therapists, and parents toward a shared destination: empowering students to communicate confidently, express themselves authentically, and navigate both academic and social environments.

In this comprehensive guide we:

• Provide practical insights into crafting meaningful objectives
• Offer a goal bank with real-world examples
• Emphasize collaborative efforts needed to support students on their communication journeys

Understanding Speech-Language Pathology IEP Goals

The term "IEP goals" carries profound significance. An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a personalized blueprint designed to ensure that every student, regardless of their unique challenges, receives an education tailored to their needs. At its heart, IEP goals are the compass guiding this journey, directing educators and specialists toward specific objectives that will help students flourish academically and socially.

Defining IEP Goals: Personalized Pathways to Success

IEP goals are precise, measurable objectives that chart a student's progress in various domains of education. They are not one-size-fits-all; instead, they are meticulously tailored to address the individual strengths and challenges of each student. These goals encompass a wide spectrum of skills, ranging from academic achievements to specialized areas such as Speech-Language Pathology (SLP).

The Role of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) offers support for students facing communication difficulties. SLP professionals, known as Speech-Language Pathologists, possess the expertise to diagnose and treat a wide range of speech and language disorders, articulation difficulties, fluency disorders, voice disorders, and more. Their role extends beyond merely helping students articulate words clearly; it encompasses fostering effective communication in all its forms.

The Significance of IEP Goals in Speech-Language Pathology

Within the context of SLP services, IEP goals serve as the foundation upon which Speech-Language Pathologists build their intervention plans. Whether addressing articulation issues, language delays, or social communication challenges, SLPs rely on IEP goals to ensure that their strategies align with the specific needs of each student.

In the sections that follow, we will delve deeper into the art of crafting meaningful and impactful IEP goals in Speech-Language Pathology. We'll explore the intricacies of goal setting, share practical insights into aligning goals with students' unique communication profiles, and provide real-world examples that showcase the transformative power of well-crafted IEP goals.

Certainly! Here's an expanded Section 2 for your blog post on Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) IEP Goals:

The IEP Process: From Referral to Evaluation:

The journey of crafting and implementing Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) IEP goals is intricately woven into the larger landscape of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Understanding this process, step by step, is essential to appreciate the vital role SLPs play in ensuring students' communication needs are met comprehensively.

The IEP Process Unveiled

The IEP process is a structured approach designed to identify, evaluate, and support students with diverse needs. It encompasses several key stages, each playing a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience of the student.

1.Referral: The process begins with a referral, where a student's unique needs are brought to the attention of educators and specialists. This stage is often initiated by teachers, parents, or other professionals who observe challenges in a student's communication skills.

SLP's Role : Speech-Language Pathologists may be among the first to identify communication difficulties and initiate the referral process. Their expertise in assessing speech and language disorders equips them to identify students who would benefit from SLP services.

2. Evaluation : Following the referral, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted to assess the student's strengths and challenges. This assessment involves a multidisciplinary team , which may include the SLP, working together to gather data, conduct tests, and analyze the student's communication abilities.

SLP's Role : In the evaluation stage, SLPs play a crucial role in assessing the student's speech and language skills. They contribute valuable insights into the nature and extent of communication difficulties, helping to inform the development of IEP goals tailored to the student's needs.

3. Eligibility Determination : Based on the evaluation results, the IEP team determines whether the student is eligible for specialized services. If eligibility is established, the team proceeds to create the student's individualized education plan, which includes SLP-related goals.

SLP's Role : SLPs provide critical input during the eligibility determination process, drawing on their expertise to advocate for students who require speech and language support. Their insights guide the team in making informed decisions about the student's eligibility.

4. Goal Setting : With eligibility confirmed, the IEP team, including the SLP, collaborates to set specific, measurable, and achievable goals for the student. These goals are at the heart of the IEP and serve as the foundation for intervention strategies.

SLP's Role : Speech-Language Pathologists take a lead role in crafting communication-related goals that address the student's individual needs. These goals are designed to enhance the student's speech production, language comprehension, or social communication skills.

5. IEP Implementation : Once the IEP is developed, it is put into action. SLPs work closely with the student, educators, and other professionals to implement the strategies and interventions outlined in the plan.

SLP's Role : SLPs are instrumental in delivering specialized services as outlined in the IEP. They employ evidence-based techniques and interventions to support the student in achieving their communication goals.

6. Progress Monitoring : Regular progress monitoring is essential to ensure that the student is making meaningful strides toward their goals. Adjustments to the IEP may be made based on the student's progress and evolving needs.

SLP's Role : Speech-Language Pathologists play a central role in tracking the student's communication progress. They use assessment data and ongoing observations to gauge the effectiveness of interventions, adapting strategies as necessary.

7. Collaboration: Throughout the IEP process, collaboration is key. This extends not only to the professionals involved but also to parents and caregivers who play a vital role in supporting the student's journey.

SLP's Role : SLPs foster collaboration by engaging with parents and other professionals to ensure a holistic approach to communication support. They provide insights, guidance, and resources to empower families in helping their child succeed.

Crafting Effective SLP IEP Goals

In Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), the path to effective communication starts with clear, purposeful goals. These goals act as guides for educators, specialists, and students, leading them toward proficient communication. To do this effectively, create SMART SLP IEP goals—ones that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

1. Specific : Tailored to the student's unique needs.

2. Measurable : Trackable for progress.

3. Achievable : Realistic and attainable.

4. Relevant: Address specific communication challenges.

5. Time-bound : Set clear deadlines.

Common SLP IEP Goal Areas

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) play a pivotal role in helping students overcome a wide array of communication challenges. To appreciate the breadth of their expertise, let's explore some of the common domains in which SLPs work their magic:

1. Articulation and Phonology

  - Goal : Improve the clarity of speech sounds.

  - Example : The student will correctly produce the /s/ and /z/ sounds in words and sentences with 80% accuracy in three consecutive therapy sessions.

2. Expressive Language

  - Goal : Enhance the ability to express thoughts and ideas.

  - Example : The student will use complete sentences to describe a picture or event, incorporating appropriate vocabulary and grammar.

3. Receptive Language

  - Goal : Strengthen comprehension skills.

  - Example : The student will follow two-step directions in the classroom environment, demonstrating understanding by completing tasks accurately.

4. Fluency (Stuttering)

  - Goal: Improve speech fluency and reduce stuttering behaviors.

  - Example: The student will employ smooth, uninterrupted speech patterns during oral presentations, with the ability to self-monitor and implement fluency techniques.

  - Goal : Enhance vocal quality and resonance.

  - Example: The student will use appropriate pitch and volume levels during conversational exchanges, maintaining vocal health and clarity.

6. Social Communication and Pragmatics

  - Goal : Develop effective social interaction skills.

  - Example : The student will engage in reciprocal conversations with peers, demonstrating turn-taking, active listening, and appropriate body language.

These are just a few of the areas where SLPs make a profound impact. Each goal is carefully tailored to the unique needs of the student, ensuring that interventions address specific challenges while promoting confidence and proficiency in communication.

In the next sections, we'll delve deeper into these domains, providing further insights and practical examples to illuminate the path toward achieving these goals.

IEP Goal Bank for Speech-Language Pathology

Articulation and phonology.

Preschool (Ages 3-5):

• The student will correctly produce the /k/ and /g/ sounds in initial and final word positions with 90% accuracy in spontaneous speech, as measured by audio recording and analysis.
• The student will reduce tongue thrust patterns, achieving 80% accuracy in structured speech tasks, as measured by audio recording and analysis.

Elementary (Ages 6-8):

• The student will use age-appropriate speech sounds when describing pictures, achieving 100% intelligibility among peers, as measured by peer evaluations.
• The student will maintain appropriate oral posture for speech production, reducing jaw tension and strain, as measured by an SLP's visual observation.

Middle School (Ages 9-12):

• The student will generalize correct /s/ and /z/ sounds from structured activities to conversational speech, as measured by audio recording and analysis.
• The student will improve the production of blends (e.g., "bl," "fl," "sn") in words and sentences, achieving 80% accuracy in structured speech tasks, as measured by audio recording and analysis.

Expressive Language

• The student will use basic vocabulary to express needs and preferences in sentences with 4-5 words, as measured by language samples.
• The student will increase the use of action verbs in spoken sentences and describe sequential events, demonstrating a 100-word vocabulary, as measured by language samples.
• The student will construct complex sentences with conjunctions (e.g., "although," "while") in written assignments, achieving 85% accuracy.
• The student will expand vocabulary by using synonyms, antonyms, and figurative language appropriately in oral and written language, as measured by vocabulary assessments.
• The student will improve narrative skills by generating original stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end, incorporating descriptive details, achieving 90% accuracy, as measured by narrative assessments.
• The student will use persuasive language and argumentative strategies in written essays, demonstrating effective communication of ideas, as measured by written compositions.

Receptive Language

• The student will follow one-step and two-step directions related to daily routines, such as "pick up the crayons and put them in the box," with 85% accuracy, as measured by teacher observations.
• The student will identify objects, actions, and spatial concepts in pictures and respond to "wh" questions (e.g., "Where is the cat?") with 80% accuracy, as measured by language samples.
• The student will listen to short stories and answer complex comprehension questions, including inferential questions, with 90% accuracy, as measured by reading comprehension assessments.
• The student will demonstrate improved auditory memory by recalling and summarizing spoken information, including main ideas and details, as measured by recall exercises.
• The student will use effective listening strategies, such as paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions, during classroom discussions and lectures, as measured by teacher feedback.
• The student will identify figurative language elements (e.g., similes, metaphors, idioms) in written texts and explain their meanings, achieving 85% accuracy, as measured by reading comprehension assessments.

Fluency (Stuttering)

• The student will reduce instances of stuttering by using easy onsets and light contacts during speech, achieving 95% fluency in structured speaking tasks, as measured by audio recording and analysis.
• The student will increase self-awareness of stuttering behaviors and use self-correction strategies, as measured by self-monitoring logs.
• The student will participate in classroom activities that involve speaking in front of peers, demonstrating improved fluency and control, as measured by teacher observations.
• The student will confidently engage in peer conversations, including open discussions and debates, demonstrating consistent fluency, as measured by peer evaluations and recorded conversations.
• The student will use appropriate pitch and resonance in speech, achieving a balanced vocal tone, as measured by audio recording and analysis.
• The student will employ vocal techniques to convey emotions and intentions effectively in spoken language, as measured by audience understanding and feedback.
• The student will improve vocal hygiene practices, reducing vocal strain and hoarseness, as measured by an SLP's visual observation and self-reporting.

Social Communication and Pragmatics:

• The student will initiate and maintain conversations with peers, incorporating turn-taking and active listening skills, as measured by peer evaluations and recorded conversations.
• The student will use polite language and request clarification appropriately during social interactions, demonstrating effective communication, as measured by teacher observations.
• The student will interpret non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, to understand social contexts and adjust behavior accordingly, as measured by comprehension of non-verbal cues in social interactions.
• The student will engage in cooperative group activities, demonstrating the ability to negotiate, compromise, and resolve conflicts with peers, as measured by teacher observations.
• The student will engage in role-play scenarios to practice problem-solving and conflict resolution in social situations, as measured by performance in role-play exercises.
• The student will use appropriate communication strategies in academic settings, such as seeking clarification from teachers and participating in classroom discussions, as measured by teacher feedback.

In the world of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), the importance of setting clear and purposeful goals cannot be overstated. These goals act as guiding lights, directing educators, specialists, and students toward the destination of proficient and effective communication. Crafting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) SLP IEP goals is a transformative step, promoting personalized growth.

Effective communication profoundly influences students' academic and social success. As advocates for students' speech and language needs, we encourage you to champion well-crafted IEP goals. By doing so, we empower students to navigate their educational journey confidently, armed with the indispensable ability to communicate effectively. Together, let's ensure every student's voice is not only heard but celebrated in their journey of growth and achievement.

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Written Expression IEP Goals for Kindergarten and Beyond: Crafting Effective Strategies

Updated: Sep 2

Creating individualized education program (IEP) goals can be a tough assignment, especially when it comes to crafting written expression IEP goals that effectively support a student’s development. The key is to focus on the student’s strengths while also targeting areas for improvement. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of measurable IEP goals designed to enhance writing skills, oral language comprehension, and written language production.

Why Measurable IEP Goals Matter

IEP goals need to be specific, measurable, and tailored to each student’s needs. For example, if a student struggles with pencil control, it wouldn’t be appropriate to start with a goal like writing the letter “a.” Instead, an initial objective might involve mastering line tracing, building the fine motor skills necessary for writing. Addressing child struggles, particularly in writing and written expression, is crucial for developing measurable IEP goals that focus on skills such as content development, writing fluency, and overall written communication.

This approach ensures that goals are developmentally appropriate and progress logically, laying a solid foundation for more complex skills. However, for new teachers or even experienced educators, drafting these goals can be a daunting process. That’s why resources like TeachTastic IEP are invaluable, offering a growing bank of over 1,000 goals to help guide your efforts.

Sample Measurable IEP Goals for Written Expression

Here are some sample written expression goals to help you create effective, measurable objectives for your students:

Kindergarten Writing IEP Goals

Pencil Control and Tracing

Objective:  By (date), the student will improve fine motor skills by tracing lines and shapes with 80% accuracy across 5 trials.

Letter Formation

Objective:  By (date), the student will correctly form 10 uppercase letters, improving from 0/10 to 8/10 letters in three consecutive trials.

Sentence Structure

Objective:  By (date), the student will write a simple sentence using a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the end, with 80% accuracy across 5 samples.

Objective:  By (date), the student will write complete sentences, ensuring proper mechanics such as capitalization and punctuation, with 80% accuracy across 5 samples.

1st Grade Writing IEP Goals

Pencil Grip and Control

Objective : By (date), the student will improve their pencil grip and control, completing tracing activities with 80% accuracy across 5 trials, to support better handwriting skills.

Letter Recognition and Writing

Objective : By (date), the student will correctly identify and write 20 lowercase letters, improving from 5/20 to 18/20 in four consecutive trials.

Simple Sentence Writing

Objective : By (date), the student will write simple sentences using correct word spacing, capitalization, and punctuation, achieving 80% accuracy across 5 writing samples.

Word Spacing

Objective : By (date), the student will demonstrate proper word spacing in writing, with 80% accuracy across 5 written assignments.

Story Sequencing

Objective : By (date), the student will write a three-sentence story, including a beginning, middle, and end, with 80% accuracy in content structure across 5 trials.

Word Choice and Vocabulary

Objective : By (date), the student will use grade-appropriate vocabulary words in writing, demonstrating an improvement from 0/5 to 4/5 in vocabulary usage across 5 samples.

2nd Grade Writing IEP Goals

Capitalization

Objective:  By (date), the student will correct capitalization errors in sentences, improving from 0/10 to 8/10 work samples in ten consecutive trials.

Objective:  By (date), the student will accurately use commas in a series, dates, and names of places, with 80% accuracy over ten trials.

Combining Sentences

Objective:  By (date), the student will combine simple sentences using appropriate conjunctions, demonstrating 80% accuracy over ten trials.

Writing Assignment

Objective:  By (date), the student will complete a writing assignment with clear structure, correct mechanics, and relevant content, achieving a score of 80% or higher based on the provided rubric.

3rd Grade Writing IEP Goals

Using Linking Words

Objective:  By (date), the student will use linking words (e.g., because, although, since) to connect ideas in a passage, improving accuracy from 0/10 to 8/10 in ten trials.

Transition Words

Objective:  By (date), the student will choose the best transition word to complete sentences, achieving 80% accuracy over ten consecutive trials.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Objective:  By (date), the student will use subordinating conjunctions to combine two simple sentences, improving writing fluency from 0/10 to 8/10 work samples.

Five Sentence Paragraph

Objective:  By (date), the student will write a five sentence paragraph that includes a topic sentence, three supporting details, and a conclusion, achieving 80% accuracy in five trials.

4th Grade Writing IEP Goals

Objective:  By (date), the student will correctly use commonly confused homophones (e.g., their, there, they’re) in sentences, with 80% accuracy over ten trials.

Identifying Opinions

Objective:  By (date), the student will distinguish between fact and opinion in writing prompts, improving from 0/10 to 8/10 in ten consecutive trials.

Organizing Ideas

Objective:  By (date), the student will organize information by the main idea, demonstrating 80% accuracy in ten trials.

Writing Assignments

Objective:  By (date), the student will complete various writing assignments, such as essays and compositions, to improve overall writing skills, achieving 80% accuracy in structure and grammar over ten trials.

5th Grade Writing IEP Goals

Determining the Main Idea

Objective:  By (date), the student will identify the main idea in a passage using key details, improving from 0/10 to 8/10 accuracy over ten trials.

Ordering Sentences

Objective:  By (date), the student will arrange sentences in logical order within a paragraph, achieving 80% accuracy in ten trials.

Choosing Topic Sentences

Objective:  By (date), the student will select the most appropriate topic sentence for a paragraph, with 80% accuracy over ten trials.

Enhancing Written Expression Skills

Objective:  By (date), the student will improve written expression skills by setting realistic and measurable goals, focusing on fine motor skills, planning, and the use of assistive technology, achieving 80% accuracy in ten trials.

Tips for Teachers and Parents

Teacher Tip:  When developing IEP goals, consider using a writing rubric to assess and track progress. Regular writing samples across different topics can provide valuable insights into a student’s development.

Teacher Tip:  Integrate reading skills into your IEP goals. Emphasize the interconnectedness of reading and writing, as improvements in one area often lead to advancements in the other. This integrated approach can foster better educational outcomes.

Parent Tip:  If you’re looking to support your child’s IEP goals at home, review this list with your child’s IEP case manager. It’s a great starting point for understanding the objectives and how you can reinforce them.

Moving Forward

This list of IEP goals is not exhaustive but is intended to help you get started in crafting effective objectives tailored to your students’ needs. While some writing skills, such as developing five-paragraph essays and specific writing assignments, are more complex and require detailed rubrics, they are equally important and will be covered in future articles.

For more sample IEP goals and resources, consider subscribing to our blog. We’re committed to providing tools and strategies that support you in delivering the best education for your students.

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Written Expression IEP Goals: Writing Goals in Special Ed

It’s not uncommon for special education students to have reading IEP goals set out by the IEP team. Reading is an essential skill. Where we often drop the ball as a special education teacher is focusing as much time and effort on writing IEP goals. When a child struggles with reading, they often struggle with written expression. An important first step in focusing in on the specific skills associated with reading is to write companion written expression IEP goals.

What are Written Expression IEP Goals?

Written expression goals refer to specific objectives that students with special needs aim to achieve in the area of written communication. These goals are designed to address the student’s individual needs and abilities as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Written expression goals can cover various aspects of writing, such as grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, paragraph development, organization, and coherence. The goals can be short-term or long-term. They should be measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (see below). The goals are developed collaboratively by the student, parents, educators, and other professionals on the IEP team. They monitor and adjust those goals as needed to ensure that the student makes progress toward achieving them.

Why Write Written Expression IEP Goals?

Whether it’s writing an essay, taking notes, sending an email, or communicating in the workplace, the ability to write is essential. Being able to write as a functional skill can improve all aspects of postsecondary life. That includes independent living, employability, and social skills. On top of that, writing skills support all content areas. They allow a student to express their ideas on any given subject.

Written expression IEP goals should go hand in hand with reading goals in a child’s IEP. The National Reading Panel outlines the pillars of reading. They include phonemic awareness , phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. I think writing should accompany that.  

If a student struggle with reading, they likely struggle with writing too. Coupling instructional goals in this manner is a good educational practice since the two skills go hand in hand. A student that doesn’t master phonics likely struggles with spelling during writing assignments. Likewise, a student that has difficulty learning phonic skills or has weak phonemic awareness skills may also lack the necessary components needed to write successfully. Systematic instruction focused on writing is how you build better writing skills. An unintended consequence is building better reading skills.  

The Form and Function of Writing

Written expression IEP goals are goals that support a student’s ability to write. Remember, though, that this is a goal based on the function of writing, not the form of writing. In other words, it’s about the process of conveying one’s thoughts and ideas in writing. Goals about the form of writing, like properly holding a pencil or forming letters, is more about the student’s physical abilities, not cognitive skills.

For many students with complex access needs, the task of writing is a challenge. Beyond the many physical and sensory issues that make writing difficult, there are disability related hurdles too. Students may have learning and attention issues, memory and recall deficits, and problems organizing information. This makes written expression a challenging task. That’s why IEP goals that focus on the function of written expression are crucial. As is providing individualized support and instruction to help students improve their writing skills.

When Do We Write These IEP Goals?

IEP goals for written expression are typically written as annual goals. This is during the IEP development process for students with disabilities who qualify for special education services. The IEP team includes parents, educators, specialists, and the student (when appropriate). They meet to discuss the student’s strengths, weaknesses, goals, and progress in various areas, including written expression. Based on the student’s needs and abilities, the team identifies specific areas of writing that require improvement and sets individualized goals.

The goals should be designed to help the student make progress toward grade level standards. They should also address the student’s functional needs in daily life. The goals should also be appropriate for the student’s age, grade, and disability. They should consider the student’s learning style, interests, and preferences. Once the goals are written, the team discusses the instructional strategies, accommodations, and services that will support the student in achieving the goals and documents them in the IEP. Lastly, the team reviews the goals and the student’s progress toward them regularly. They should then adjust them as needed to ensure that the student makes progress toward achieving them.

SMART & Measurable Goals

SMART goals are S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R elevant, and T ime-bound. SMART IEP goals are important because they provide clarity, motivation, accountability, and a clear framework for evaluating progress toward the goal. They help to ensure that the goals are relevant and achievable for the student. They also help to make sure instruction and supports are effective in helping the student achieve the goals.

Drafting measurable IEP goals is essential. Those are goals that can be quantified or observed. That makes tracking and evaluating progress toward the goal easier. Rubrics make a great grading tool. It’s an objective way to measure performance and progress in a consistent manner.  Then it’s easier to determine if the student is developing specific skills as an intended outcome of instruction and if the outlined educational program is effective. If not, then it’s easier to adjust the instruction and supports in a meaningful way.

Strategies for Setting Written Expression IEP Goals

Setting effective written expression IEP goals requires careful consideration of the student’s needs, abilities, and interests. Here are some strategies for setting written expression IEP goals:

• Use assessment data : Assessments can provide valuable information about the student’s strengths and weaknesses in writing. Use the data to identify specific areas of writing that require improvement. Then use it to set measurable goals that address those areas.
• Collaborate with the student : Involve the student in the goal-setting process as much as possible. Ask the student about their writing strengths and weaknesses, interests, and preferences, and use their input to set goals that are relevant and achievable.
• Use SMART criteria : Set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will keep the goals clear, focused, and relevant to the student’s needs.
• Consider the writing process : Set goals that address various stages of the writing process. That includes planning, drafting, revising, and editing. This will help the student to have a comprehensive understanding of writing and is able to produce high-quality written work.
• Use visual models and graphic organizers : Provide visual models and graphic organizers. This can help the student understand the structure and organization of written work. This can be particularly helpful for students with learning and attention issues.
• Use informal assessments : Use informal assessments to monitor the student’s progress towards the goals and to adjust instruction and supports as needed. This can help ensure progress is being made toward the goals and that the goals remain relevant and achievable.

By using these strategies, educators and IEP teams can set effective written expression goals that are tailored to the student’s needs and abilities, and that help the student develop the skills needed to succeed in academic and personal settings.

Areas of Focus with Written Expression IEP Goals

When setting written expression IEP goals, it’s important to consider the specific areas of writing that require improvement. Here are some areas of focus to consider:

• Sentence structure and syntax : Set goals that address the student’s ability to write complete sentences with proper syntax and grammar. This can include goals related to sentence variety, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and capitalization.
• Paragraph structure and organization : Set goals that address the student’s ability to organize their writing into coherent paragraphs with a clear topic sentence and supporting detail sentences. This can include goals related to clear main ideas, transitions, paragraph length, and the use of graphic organizers.
• Word usage and vocabulary : Set goals that address the student’s ability to use appropriate and varied vocabulary in their writing. This can include goals related to word choice, the use of descriptive language, and the use of word lists and dictionaries.
• Writing style and tone : Set goals that address the student’s ability to write with a clear and appropriate style and tone. This can include goals related to the use of figurative language, the use of dialogue, and the development of a personal voice.
• Written composition and essay assignments : Set goals that address the student’s ability to write longer, more complex pieces of writing, such as essays and research papers. This can include goals related to research skills, thesis development, and the use of sources.

By focusing on these areas, educators and IEP teams can set goals that are specific, measurable, and relevant to the student’s needs, and that helps the student develop the skills needed to produce high-quality written work.

Ideas for Written Expression IEP Goals

Examples of written expression goals include writing a complete sentence, constructing a five-sentence paragraph, developing a thesis statement, using transition words, revising and editing one’s work, and writing an essay on a given topic. Here are five examples of written expression IEP goals that can help students improve their writing skills. Use these as models for your personal goal bank as you work to collect sample IEP goals for writing.

• Example Goal #1: By the end of the school year, given a writing assignment, the student will write a five-sentence paragraph with transition words and detailed sentences, in 80% of opportunities, as measured by teacher observation.
• Example Goal #2: By the end of the first semester, given a writing assignment, the student will write a complete sentence with correct capitalization and punctuation, with no more than two errors, in 90% of opportunities, as measured by a writing rubric.
• Example Goal #3: By the end of the second semester, given a writing assignment, the student will write a paragraph with a clear main idea and at least two key details, in 80% of opportunities, as measured by teacher observation and a writing rubric.
• Example Goal #4: By the end of the school year, given a writing assignment, the student will use appropriate vocabulary words and descriptive language to write a complete sentence with a clear subject-verb agreement, in 80% of opportunities, as measured by teacher observation and a writing rubric.
• Example Goal #5: By the end of the second quarter, given a writing assignment, the student will use a graphic organizer to plan and organize a written composition with a clear main idea, at least three supporting details, and a logical organizational structure, in 80% of opportunities, as measured by teacher observation and a writing rubric.

Special education teachers as well as the IEP team need to start with a good IEP goal. Ideally, you should be able to gather objective data to track the goal. You may also want to consider the supports you set out in as part of the condition of the goal. That could include a word list, a sample sentence or sentence starters , of set the goal for a specific number of sentences in the writing sample. Personalize the student’s goals and be sure they are achievable goals. And remember, these are example IEP goals, not an exhaustive goal bank.

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Implementing and Monitoring Written Expression IEP Goals

Implementing and monitoring written expression IEP goals is essential to ensure that students are making progress toward their goals. Here are some strategies that educators and IEP teams can use to implement and monitor written expression IEP goals:

• Regular progress monitoring: It’s important to regularly monitor the student’s progress toward their written expression goals. This can be done through regular writing assignments, teacher observations, and assessments. The data collected from progress monitoring can help educators make informed decisions about the student’s writing instruction and support. Remember to use short-term steps and objectives that support a larger goal.
• Provide accommodations and modifications: Students with written expression difficulties may benefit from accommodations and modifications, such as extended time, use of a word processor, or the use of graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are a great visual model to help students process information. Providing these accommodations and modifications can help students access the writing curriculum and make progress toward their goals.
• Deliver targeted instruction: Students with written expression difficulties may need targeted instruction to help them develop specific writing skills. This can include direct instruction on sentence structure, paragraph organization, or vocabulary development. Providing targeted instruction can help students develop the skills they need to achieve their written expression goals.
• Provide feedback: Providing timely and specific feedback to students on their writing can help them improve their skills and make progress toward their goals. Feedback can be provided through teacher conferences, peer review, or written comments.

By implementing and monitoring written expression IEP goals using these strategies, educators and IEP teams can help students develop the skills they need to succeed in academic and personal settings.

RECAP: Written Expression IEP Goals

Writing is a fundamental skill that can greatly impact a student’s academic and personal success. Setting effective written expression IEP goals is crucial to help students with writing difficulties make progress in their academic and personal lives. SMART and measurable goals, set collaboratively with the student and their support team, can help guide instruction and provide a clear target for progress monitoring. Strategies such as regular progress monitoring, accommodations and modifications, targeted instruction, and feedback can help implement and monitor written expression IEP goals.

With a focus on specific areas of writing skills such as sentence structure, paragraph organization, and vocabulary development, students can improve their writing skills and achieve success in their academic and personal lives. That all starts with a great writing goal that targets essential skills and is backed in educational research. And writing matters.

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