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 2nd Grade student with Traumatic Brain Injury, 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 Traumatic Brain Injury Communication section, review goals for Traumatic Brain Injury, 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 Traumatic Brain Injury Affects Communication at the Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Level
At this stage, children are building the foundational skills they'll use for the rest of their education. IEP goals should focus on concrete, observable behaviors using hands-on materials, visual supports, and structured routines. It's normal for young learners to need more adult support — the key is systematically fading that support as skills develop.
Students with Traumatic Brain Injury often struggle with Memory, Attention, Processing Speed, Emotional Regulation — but they also bring real strengths in Prior Knowledge, Determination, Adaptability. 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.
✕Goals that say 'will improve' without a specific, measurable target
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'Improve from what baseline to what target? How will you measure this? What does progress look like in data?' Every goal needs a starting point and an endpoint."
Want this checked automatically? Our audit reviews the written goals for measurable elements and flags areas that may need clarification.
Run a free audit✕No baseline data — if they can't tell you where your child is NOW, the goal is meaningless
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'Before we set a target, I need to see the current performance data. What assessment was used to determine the present level for this goal?'"
Want this checked automatically? When you upload your IEP, we compare the written goals with the Present Levels section to flag missing baselines.
Run a free audit✕Using the same goals as last year with no change in supports despite lack of progress
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Ask: 'If this goal wasn't met last year, what specific instructional changes are being made this year? Repeating the same approach and expecting a different result isn't a plan.'"
Want this checked automatically? Our audit flags repeated goal language and helps you prepare a focused request for clarification or revision.
Run a free audit✕Goals that appear too easy or already mastered based on the student's current data
💬 What to say in the meeting:
"Say: 'This goal seems below my child's current level. Can you show me the data that supports this as an appropriate target? I'd like to see goals that promote actual growth.'"
Want this checked automatically? We compare written goal targets with grade-level demands and the evaluation data described in the plan.
Run a free auditAdvocate Tip for Early Elementary (PreK–2nd Grade) Parents
If your child is struggling now, ask the team to review the data and consider timely, evidence-based support rather than relying only on a 'wait and see' approach.
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 Traumatic Brain Injury is different. A goal that's right for one 2nd 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
Request a desired item or activity using a word, sign, picture card, or AAC device without physical prompting
What a school might write: "The student will request a desired item or activity using a word, sign, picture card, or aac device without physical prompting with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is request a desired documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 2
Respond to a greeting from a familiar adult or peer with a verbal or gestural greeting within 3 seconds
What a school might write: "The student will respond to a greeting from a familiar adult or peer with a verbal or gestural greeting within 3 seconds with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is respond to a documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 3
Follow a one-step verbal direction in the classroom within 5 seconds of the instruction being given
What a school might write: "The student will follow a one-step verbal direction in the classroom within 5 seconds of the instruction being given with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is follow a one-step documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 4
Name at least 20 common objects (food, clothing, animals, classroom items) when shown the real item or picture
What a school might write: "The student will name at least 20 common objects (food, clothing, animals, classroom items) when shown the real item or picture with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is name at least documented in the present levels? How was 80% chosen as the target?"
- Example Pattern 5
Use two-word or three-word phrases to comment on an activity (e.g., 'big truck,' 'I want more')
What a school might write: "The student will use two-word or three-word phrases to comment on an activity (e.g., 'big truck,' 'i want more') with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials."
What your advocate should ask: "What's the baseline? Where is use two-word or 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
Attend to a speaker by orienting body and eyes toward them for at least 30 seconds during a shared activity
- Pattern 7
Answer simple yes/no questions about personal preferences ('Do you want the red one?')
- Pattern 8
Imitate a peer or adult's spoken words or phrases in a structured activity with at least 80% accuracy
- Pattern 9
Use basic pronouns (I, you, he, she, it) correctly in spontaneous speech in at least 3 out of 5 opportunities
- Pattern 10
Protest or reject an item/activity using words or a communication system instead of crying, hitting, or throwing
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 Traumatic Brain Injury. 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.