Communication IEP goals for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing
With hearing loss, a communication goal can score as missed on a morning the hearing aid died or the interpreter was out. The goal should name the mode Hazel uses, the access check done before scoring, and who she is asked to reach. Open your child’s IEP to the goal page and read one goal for three things: the baseline it starts from, the behavior someone could count, and the date it gets reported.
By The Advocate Ally, checked against the rules it cites. Sources checked September 14, 2026.
Is this your goal?
“Student will communicate effectively with peers and adults during the school day in her preferred mode, as observed by staff.”
It never confirms her equipment was working, or which mode was expected that day.
What the rule says
“A statement of measurable annual goals … [and] [a] description of … [h]ow the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured, and when periodic reports … will be provided.”
34 CFR 300.320(a)(2)(i) and (a)(3)
The rule’s own example of a periodic report is quarterly, issued with report cards: four updates a year.
The three tests
Every strong goal below passes all three.
BaselineWhere your child is today, as a number with its date, in present levels.
CountableA behavior two adults would tally the same way. Read the goal: what would you count?
ReportedHow often the number comes home. Check the progress-reporting box, then the last report sent.
Weak“With her hearing aids checked working each morning, Hazel will initiate a greeting to a peer, tracked weekly.”
Strong“With her hearing aids checked working each morning, Hazel will initiate a greeting to a peer, on 4 of 5 mornings, tracked weekly.”
Baseline
One greeting started in five mornings today.
Countable
A started greeting: clear whether it happened.
Reported
Weekly totals reach the folder every Friday.
Skip the rate and a single greeting in September scores as met, while Hazel’s quiet mornings go uncounted until spring.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“How many greetings a week does Hazel need before this counts as met?”
Look at the accommodations page. Are working hearing aids listed as a support?
3rd through 5th grade
Weak“Hazel will answer a peer’s question during group work, on 4 of 5 sessions, reported monthly.”
Strong“With an interpreter present and answers in sign accepted, Hazel will answer a peer’s question during group work, on 4 of 5 sessions, reported monthly.”
Baseline
No interpreter: she answered 1 session of 5.
Countable
One answered question: an adult can confirm easily.
Reported
A count comes home with every monthly report.
Drop the interpreter and a missed answer looks like a skill gap, when it was really language Hazel never received.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Does this goal say an interpreter is there when it is scored?”
Check the meeting notes for whether an interpreter was present at the baseline.
6th through 8th grade
Weak“With an FM system checked working, Hazel will use appropriate communication skills, on 3 of 4 classes, scored each quarter.”
Strong“With an FM system checked working, Hazel will ask a classmate to repeat a missed direction, on 3 of 4 classes, scored each quarter.”
Baseline
She asks for a repeat once in four.
Countable
“Appropriate communication skills” names no repeat request.
Reported
Four dated repeat-request counts a year.
“Appropriate communication skills” can be checked off with a nod, while Hazel still misses every direction she cannot hear.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“What exact act counts as asking for a repeat here?”
Read the goal page. Is the FM-system check written into the goal itself?
9th through 12th grade
Weak“Before each class that uses video, Hazel will ask the teacher for captions or an interpreter in her chosen mode, on 4 of 5 classes.”
Strong“Before each class that uses video, Hazel will ask the teacher for captions or an interpreter in her chosen mode, on 4 of 5 classes, reported each semester.”
Baseline
Hazel asked for captions once this term.
Countable
A request made before class: yes or no.
Reported
No semester is named, so nothing reaches home.
With no semester fixed for reporting, a request Hazel made in September is the only evidence when transition planning starts.
IDEA requires the IEP to say how progress is measured and reported: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3).
“When does the count of her requests reach me, and from whom?”
Turn to the services page: which provider is listed for self-advocacy?
What to ask the team
Was her equipment or interpreter confirmed working before this baseline was taken?
Does this goal name the mode she uses, or assume everyone signs the same way?
How will the team tell an access problem from an actual skill gap?
An example is not your child’s goal: it does not replace the data the team starts from, or advice from someone qualified in your state.
Have every goal in your IEP checked against these three tests, free.
The review reads every page you upload, flags each goal missing a baseline, measurable criteria, a target or a timeline, and quotes the wording with its page.
