Sample Goals and Objectives
Involving Augmentative Communication
(adapted from S. Miguel and T. Sutherland, Dade County Public Schools)
REQUESTING RECURRENCE
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will request “more”
of an activity/object purposefully with (voice output, sign,
verbalization) ___ times in a row.
 ____ will smile to repetitive activity with an adult (clapping,
rocking, bouncing).
 ____ will show awareness that an activity has stopped by
(vocalizing to, looking at, touching) partner.
 ____ will touch adult (or other body motion) to request
continuation of an activity.
 ____ will randomly activate voice output and stops when
activity is resumed.
 ____ will show awareness by (smiling, participating, body
language) that activity has begun again after activating
voice output.
PURPOSEFUL CHOICE MAKING (SIMPLE)
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will indicate a
choice between 2 objects offered and use/play with it for ___
seconds/minutes in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will explore toys in classroom at random.
 ____ will go to several favorite toys in classroom.
 ____ will indicate choice of 2 objects and play momentarily
with chosen object.
PURPOSEFUL CHOICE MAKING (DEVELOPING
OBJECT/SYMBOL DISCRIMINATION)
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will choose a
preferred activity from 3 pictures (2 preferred, 1 neutral) with
80% accuracy in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will choose one of two preferred objects.
 ____ will choose one of two preferred objects paired with
pictures.
 ____ will choose one of three objects (2 preferred, 1
neutral) paired with pictures.
 ____ will choose one of two pictures representing
preferred activities.
PURPOSEFUL CHOICE MAKING (DEVELOPING SYMBOL
DISCRIMINATION)
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will choose a
preferred activity from 3 pictures (2 preferred, 1 neutral) with
80% accuracy in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will remove a picture/photo from choice board with
physical assistance.
 ____ will remove 1 picture/photo from 2 at random.
 ____ will remove 1 picture/photo from 2 (1 preferred, 1
neutral).
 ____ will remove 1 picture/photo from 3 at random.
USING EYE GAZE TO REQUEST OBJECT AND ACTIONS
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will choose a
preferred object/action from 4 symbols offered with 80%
accuracy using eye gaze in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will choose one object/action from 2 preferred
symbols with eye gaze.
 ____ will choose one object/action from 2 symbols (1
preferred/1 neutral).
 ____ will choose one object/action from 3 symbols (2
preferred/1 neutral).
PARTICIPATING IN ORAL LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will join in the
repeated line of songs/stories with 80% accuracy using voice
output in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will attend to book/teacher’s voice with verbal
redirection.
 ____ will look at pictures of books.
 ____ will activate voice output at random.
 ____ will activate voice output with physical cue (not hand
over hand)
 ____ will activate voice output when device is presented at
correct time in story/song.
 ____ will activate voice output with nonverbal cues (waiting
with expectation).
COMMUNICATING A MESSAGE (DEVELOPING SYMBOL
DISCRIMINATION)
By ____, in a ____ classroom setting, student will communicate
an activity specific message from 4 choices using (pictures, voice
output, sign, verbalization) independently with 80% accuracy in
4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will choose a toy/activity from 2 preferred choices.
 ____ will request a specific toy/material that is necessary
for the activity from a field of 3.
 ____ will direct the action of an adult by requesting an
action from a field of 3.
 ____ will comment about an activity from a field of 4.
PAIRING TWO MESSAGES TO INCREASE COMPLEXITY OF
COMMUNICATION
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will independently
pair two messages from a field of (4,8) using a multi-message
voice output device/picture communication board with 80%
accuracy in order to direct the actions of a peer or adult during a
play activity in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will use (2,4) out of(4,8) messages in isolation
independently.
 ____ will use (4,8) out of (4,8) messages independently.
 ____ will use two symbols/messages in combination
following a model.
GENERALIZING USE OF VOICE OUTPUT DEVICE OR PICTURE
COMMUNICATION BOARD ACROSS ACTIVITIES OR
PORTIONS OF THE DAILY ROUTINE
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will independently
turn-take for at least 5 exchanges with an adult during at least 4
different activities using multi-message voice output/picture
communication board in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will turn-take for 2-3 exchanges during one preferred
activity.
 ____ will turn-take for 5 exchanges during the same
preferred activity.
 ____ will turn-take for 5 exchanges during two different
activities.
 ____ will turn-take for 5 exchanges during three different
activities.
MAKING A REQUEST FOR AN ITEM USING PECS
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will make request
using at least 4 words during snack time by selecting a preferred
item, placing it on sentence strip, and spontaneously handing PECS
sentence strip (“I want cookies please.) to adult in 4/5
opportunities.
 ____ will hand a single picture to adult to make a request
with physical prompts.
 ____ will hand a single picture to adult to make a request
independently.
 ____ will make a choice between two preferred items and
hand picture to adult.
 ____ will make a choice between two preferred items and
place the picture in the empty space on the sentence strip
(“I want ___ please.”) with verbal and gestural prompts.
INITIATING COMMUNICATION AT THE SENTENCE LEVEL
USING A COMMUNICATION BOOK/VOICE OUTPUT
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will locate
vocabulary to combine 5-6 word phrases/sentences and initiate
communication with adult/peer using pictures or voice output in
4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will use 20 new vocabulary words in various 3-4 word
phrases following initial model.
 ____ will use 20 new vocabulary words and initiate
communication independently.
 ____ will use various 4-5 word phrases with correct word
order.
USING PICTURE SYMBOLS/COMMUNICATION BOARD TO
EXPRESS A VARIETY OF COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS
By ___, in a ____ classroom setting, student will use pictures in a
field of 5 in order to express a variety of communicative intents
including requesting objects, requesting actions, gaining the
attention of peers, and commenting about things in the
environment in 4/5 opportunities.
 ____ will make requests for objects and actions in a field of
2-3 pictures with verbal and physical prompts.
 ____ will make requests for objects and actions in a field of
2-3 pictures independently.
 ____ will gain the attention of a peer by pointing to a
picture in a field of 3-4 with visual and verbal prompts.
 ____ will gain the attention of a peer by pointing to a
picture in a field of 3-4 independently.
 ____ will comment about events in the environment to peers
and adults by pointing to pictures in a field of 3-5 with
verbal prompts.