For emerging communicators, defining goals can be so stressful. I want to help relieve that overwhelmed feeling for you that I often had at the beginning of my practice. As you create speech therapy IEP goals, I want you to keep in mind how assessment, collaboration, and functional goals all work together to support and sustain the student as they work with you throughout the year.

One of the common tools used in the classroom is a standardized test, but for students with autism, this may not give us the best information. Oftentimes, children with autism may not be able to answer, or their manding may not be assessed. Instead, I prefer to use the VB-MAPP test or the functional communication profile.

As you set the early learning goals for your students with autism, you’ll need to consider measurable communication skills they may already have like labeling, verbal imitation, filling in the blank, matching abilities, or group listening skills.

Once the initial assessment has been given, and the team collaboration has produced a good picture of where the student is and where the team would like to send him, then it’s time for you to apply a practical and systemic approach to establishing the year’s goals. In this episode, I’ll share with you why these questions are so important to ask as you write the IEP:

• Why is this goal important for this student?
• What behavior are we targeting?
• Is it appropriate for our client?
• How is this goal specific?
• Is the goal observable?
• What does mastery look like?

Please take a minute and download my IEP Goal Bank to help your team as you write specific and actionable IEP goals for your students.

What's Inside:

• Strategies for embedding parents’ concerns into their child’s IEP goals.
• Examples of what a specific, observable goal looks like in the classroom.
• Because standardized tests can’t measure the progress we are often looking for, I share my favorite assessment tools that will give you a better idea of where your student’s strengths and weaknesses lie.