Quick Answer: What Belongs in a Communication IEP Goal Bank?
A useful Communication IEP goal bank shows the parts of a measurable goal: the student's current baseline, the skill being taught, the target, how progress will be measured, and when progress will be reported. For a 5th Grade student with Tourette Syndrome, every goal still has to be rewritten around the child's evaluation data and classroom needs.
Use the examples below to understand goal structure, then audit the Tourette Syndrome Communication section, review goals for Tourette Syndrome, or check Communication goals before the next IEP meeting.
The Problem With Cookie-Cutter IEP Goals
A goal can sound measurable and still be generic. Reusing a familiar criterion such as "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials" does not make the goal individualized unless the baseline, target, and measurement method fit the student.
Under IDEA §300.320(a)(2), every goal must be based on your child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance — their unique strengths, their specific barriers, their actual evaluation data. Not a template.
"I've sat at over 500 IEP tables."
I'm Mary, a Special Education Advocate and the founder of The Advocate Ally. I created this Communication IEP goal bank because too many parents feel pressured to accept generic, "cookie-cutter" IEPs.
The guidance below is grounded in the same practical, document-based questions I raise in IEP meetings every day. Use it to ask for clearer, more individualized support for your child.
Mary
Founder, The Advocate Ally
How Tourette Syndrome Affects Communication at the Upper Elementary (3rd–5th Grade) Level
Third through fifth grade marks a critical shift: students move from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn,' and academic demands increase sharply. Students with disabilities often hit a 'wall' during these years as the gap between their abilities and grade-level expectations widens. IEP goals should bridge this gap with explicit instruction in strategies — not just content.
Students with Tourette Syndrome often struggle with Tic Suppression Fatigue, Focus, Social Anxiety — but they also bring real strengths in Creativity, Resilience, Problem-Solving. A well-written IEP goal doesn't just target the deficit. It leverages the strength to build a bridge.
⚡ But here's the thing: The information above is general. Your child isn't a category — they're an individual with specific evaluation data, specific classroom challenges, and specific strengths that no goal bank can capture. That's why we built a tool that analyzes your child's actual IEP.
Get your child's IEP reviewed freeRed Flags: Your Child's Communication Goals May Be Generic If...
The goal says "80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials"
A familiar criterion is not automatically wrong, but it should match your child's baseline data rather than appear as a boilerplate number.
✕Removing accommodations because the child 'seems to be doing okay' — without data showing mastery without them
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'Before removing this accommodation, I need to see data showing my child can perform at the same level without it. Can we do a trial period with data collection before making this permanent?'"
Want this checked automatically? Our audit flags accommodation changes that may need clearer data support and helps you prepare questions for the team.
Run a free audit✕Goals focused only on compliance rather than skill building
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'This goal measures whether my child follows directions — but what skill is being taught? I'd like goals that build academic and functional capabilities, not just obedience.'"
Want this checked automatically? We flag compliance-only goals and suggest skill-based alternatives tailored to your child's needs.
Run a free audit✕No progress monitoring data between annual reviews — this means nobody is tracking whether the IEP is working
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'I'd like to see the progress monitoring data collected since the last IEP meeting. If there's no data, how do we know if these interventions are working?'"
Want this checked automatically? Our audit checks whether your child's IEP includes a clear data collection plan — and alerts you if it doesn't.
Run a free audit✕The school suggests your child 'only needs a 504' without providing data that specialized instruction is no longer necessary
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'I need to see the evaluation data demonstrating my child no longer needs specialized instruction. A 504 removes the right to specially designed instruction — I'm not comfortable with that change without evidence.'"
Want this checked automatically? We review whether the IEP documents data supporting a proposed move away from specialized instruction.
Run a free auditAdvocate Tip for Upper Elementary (3rd–5th Grade) Parents
This is when many schools start pushing for less support. They may claim your child 'is doing fine' based on passing grades while ignoring that they're only passing because of accommodations they want to remove. Growth must be measured against grade-level standards, not against lowered expectations.
What Communication Goal Patterns Look Like at This Level
These are example patterns to help you understand what the school should be writing — not goals to copy. Your child's goals must be built from their evaluation data.
⚠️ These are not your child's goals. Every child with Tourette Syndrome is different. A goal that's right for one 5th Grade student may be completely wrong for another. Use these to understand the structure of a good goal — then make sure your child's IEP team writes goals tied to their specific present levels.
- Example Pattern 1
Initiate a conversation with a peer by making a comment or asking a question related to the current context
What a school might write: "The student will initiate a conversation with a peer by making a comment or asking a question related to the current context with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is initiate a conversation documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 2
Maintain a topic during a conversation for at least four conversational turns without going off-topic
What a school might write: "The student will maintain a topic during a conversation for at least four conversational turns without going off-topic with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is maintain a topic documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 3
Follow two- and three-step oral directions in the classroom without needing repetition
What a school might write: "The student will follow two- and three-step oral directions in the classroom without needing repetition with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is follow two- and documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 4
Use complete sentences (5+ words) to describe a personal experience with logical sequencing
What a school might write: "The student will use complete sentences (5+ words) to describe a personal experience with logical sequencing with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is use complete sentences documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 5
Ask for help or clarification using specific language ('I don't understand step 2' rather than 'I don't get it')
What a school might write: "The student will ask for help or clarification using specific language ('i don't understand step 2' rather than 'i don't get it') with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is ask for help documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
5 more goal patterns are available for this combination. But remember — the right number of goals for your child depends on their evaluation, not on how many a goal bank lists.
Show More Goal Patterns
- Pattern 6
Increase expressive vocabulary by correctly using 5 new curriculum-related words per week in spoken or written responses
- Pattern 7
Adjust vocal volume appropriately based on the setting (whisper in library, outdoor voice at recess) with self-monitoring
- Pattern 8
Use correct verb tenses (past, present, future) in spontaneous speech in at least 4 out of 5 opportunities
- Pattern 9
Retell a story or event in logical order with a clear beginning, middle, and end using temporal words (first, then, finally)
- Pattern 10
Interpret and respond to basic figurative language (common idioms like 'it's raining cats and dogs') in conversation
The Real Question Isn't "What Goals Should I Copy?"
It's: "Are the goals already in my child's IEP actually individualized — or did the school copy them from a bank just like this one?"
The audit reviews the goals in your child's IEP for measurable elements, missing baselines, vague criteria, and alignment with the needs described in the plan.
Audit Your Child's IEP — FreeAccommodations to Discuss With Your IEP Team
These are commonly considered for students with Tourette Syndrome. Like goals, accommodations must be individualized — not selected from a checklist.
What To Do Right Now
- 1
Pull out your child's current IEP
Find the document the school gave you. Look for the section called 'Measurable Annual Goals.'
- 2
Find the Communication goals
Look for goals that specifically address communication. Does the goal reference YOUR child's evaluation data?
- 3
Check for baseline data
Every goal must state where your child IS right now. If there's no number or specific skill level, the goal can't be measured.
- 4
Look for red flags
Compare the goals to the red flags listed above. If you see '80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials' or goals that sound like they could apply to any student, flag it.
- 5
Upload for a free document review
Still not sure? Upload the IEP to review whether the written goals include measurable elements and connect to documented needs.
Private & Secure • Takes 10 Minutes
See Communication Goal Patterns for Other Grade Levels
Goal expectations differ significantly by developmental level.
Communication Goal Patterns for Other Disabilities
Different disabilities create different barriers. Explore what goals should look like for each.