Communication IEP goals for a child with dysgraphia
Dysgraphia can drain so much effort into forming letters that a child's clear spoken idea arrives on paper broken, short, or missing. The goal should name the output mode tested, the message length expected, and how often that count reaches you. 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 15, 2026.
Is this your goal?
“Student will communicate effectively in the classroom setting per teacher observation.”
Nothing here says how the message was made, how long it should run, or when anyone checks it.
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“Shown a wordless three-panel strip, Felix will dictate a message naming its beginning, its middle and its end, tallied each Friday and reported quarterly.”
Strong“Shown a wordless three-panel strip, Felix will dictate a message naming its beginning, its middle and its end, on 4 of 5 tries, tallied each Friday and reported quarterly.”
Baseline
None of five dictated tries names three parts.
Countable
A message with three named story parts.
Reported
Every Friday's tally rolls into the quarter total.
Without a target number, a single good dictation can be called progress while Felix still leaves most messages half finished.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Which of these five attempts has to succeed for credit?”
Check present levels: does it list a number for dictated messages this year?
3rd through 5th grade
Weak“Felix will type a five-sentence response to a prompt, on 3 of 4 assignments, scored monthly.”
Strong“Using a keyboard with word prediction turned on, Felix will type a five-sentence response to a prompt, on 3 of 4 assignments, scored monthly.”
Baseline
Without word prediction, Felix types two sentences.
Countable
A five-sentence typed response, present or missing.
Reported
Scores reach home each month with grades.
Drop word prediction from the plan and a class can stop offering it, so Felix types alone what he cannot yet spell.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“Does the plan name word prediction, or just assume he has it?”
Open the accommodations page and confirm word prediction is listed for every typed assignment.
6th through 8th grade
Weak“Given a graphic organizer and speech-to-text, Felix will communicate his ideas clearly, on 4 of 5 assignments, reported monthly.”
Strong“Given a graphic organizer and speech-to-text, Felix will state his main point and one supporting detail before typing, on 4 of 5 assignments, reported monthly.”
Baseline
Felix states no point in six tries.
Countable
State main point plus detail: two countable acts.
Reported
Monthly totals reach you with grade updates.
Nobody fails at communicating ideas clearly, so a term of checkmarks can pass while Felix still leaves his main point unstated daily.
IDEA requires goals to be measurable: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(2).
“How does a scorer decide this one is right or wrong?”
Does the progress-reporting box give this typed goal a month of its own?
9th through 12th grade
Weak“In content classes with assistive technology available, Felix will submit a typed response of three sentences per discussion, on 4 of 5 discussions.”
Strong“In content classes with assistive technology available, Felix will submit a typed response of three sentences per discussion, on 4 of 5 discussions, reported each semester.”
Baseline
Felix submits one typed response monthly now.
Countable
A typed three-sentence response, present or absent.
Reported
This total is not tied to any semester.
Without a stated semester, a fall gap in typed work can stay unnoticed until Felix nears graduation.
IDEA requires the IEP to say how progress is measured and reported: 34 CFR 300.320(a)(3).
“Which semester carries this typed-response total, and who mails it home?”
Ask whether the meeting notes describe which classes count toward this total.
What to ask the team
Was this baseline measured through speech, through dictation, or through typing?
Does this goal grade the ideas in his message, or just his handwriting neatness?
Does progress get tracked in content classes, or only on handwriting drill sheets?
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.
