IEP Communication Goals
Expressive and receptive language, made observable.
Communication goals target how a student understands language (receptive) and expresses themselves (expressive) — verbally, with AAC, in writing, or through sign. The trick to measurability is defining the observable act, the context, and the criterion.
Expressive language goals
- Requesting: asking for help, materials, or a break — in words, signs, or with AAC
- Initiating: greetings, comments, or questions to peers and adults
- Expanding: longer utterances, more vocabulary, complete sentences
Receptive language goals
- Following multi-step directions with supports specified
- Answering literal and inferential questions about a passage
- Identifying key information in instruction
Collecting the data
Communication goals probe naturally during routines: morning meeting, snack, small groups. Create the opportunity, wait for the response, and log independent, prompted, or unable — a frequency or opportunity-based count in Spark gives you a defensible trend within weeks.
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