Why IEP goals should not require eye contact

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Many teams now avoid IEP goals that require eye contact, because looking at faces can be uncomfortable or distracting for autistic students and does not prove they are listening. Write a goal for the real skill instead: responding to a speaker, showing attention in the student's own way, or joint attention. Example: when called by name, Eli will turn toward or answer the speaker within 5 seconds.

If you searched for an eye contact IEP goal, you are probably trying to solve a real problem. A teacher feels the student is not listening. A report says "poor eye contact." A checklist has a box for it. Those concerns are worth addressing. The question is whether eye contact is the right thing to measure.

For many students, especially autistic students, it is not. This page explains why, follows one fictional student through a goal rewrite, and gives measurable alternatives. For behavior goals in general, see the behavior IEP goals examples. For the broader approach to behavior, start with the FBA and BIP guide.

Why eye contact goals are widely discouraged

Eye contact is not the same as attention. A student can look at your face and hear nothing, or look at the floor and catch every word. What teachers usually want is for the student to notice, understand and respond. Those can be measured directly.

It can be uncomfortable or overwhelming. Many autistic people describe eye contact as intense, distracting or even painful. Some say they can either look at a face or follow what is being said, but not both. A goal that requires looking may make listening harder.

It is a cultural norm, not a universal one. In some families and cultures, looking an adult in the eye is rude. A goal built on one culture's habit can clash with a student's home.

It can teach masking. Students who are drilled to look at faces may learn to hide their discomfort to please adults. Many autistic adults describe masking as exhausting. Goals should build skills the student can use, not performances that cost them.

It is hard to measure well. What counts as eye contact? For how long? With whom? Two adults rarely score it the same way, which makes the data weak.

A scenario: rewriting Eli's goal

Eli is a fictional 7-year-old autistic 1st grader. His draft IEP, written in April, had this goal: "Eli will make eye contact with adults for 3 seconds when spoken to in 80% of opportunities."

May 2. The SLP took baseline. Eli looked at the speaker's face in 2 of 20 opportunities (10%). But he answered or followed the direction in 12 of 20 (60%), often while looking at his hands. When he did look at the speaker, he answered less often, in only 1 of the 2.

May 6. At the IEP meeting, his parent said Eli tells her that looking at faces "makes the words go away." The team agreed the real concerns were that Eli sometimes did not respond to his name and rarely shared interest in things with others.

May 6, same meeting. The team replaced the goal with two others:

"When an adult calls his name from up to 10 feet away, Eli will respond by turning his head or body toward the speaker, saying 'what?' or raising his hand, within 5 seconds, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 weeks."
"During shared play with an adult, Eli will show an object or point to something of interest to share it (not to request) at least 3 times in a 10-minute session, in 4 of 5 sessions."

November 12. Eli responded to his name in 9 of 10 opportunities on 3 straight probes, using a mix of turning, saying "what?" and raising his hand. He shared interest 2 to 4 times per session. Teachers reported he "seems more connected," even though he still rarely looks at faces. These numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks.

Alternatives to eye contact goals

What the concern really is	Skill to target instead	Example measure
"He doesn't seem to be listening"	Responding to the speaker (answers, follows the direction)	Opportunities: responses within 5 seconds
"She ignores her name"	Responding to name in the student's own way	Opportunities: turns, answers or signals
"He doesn't share things with me"	Joint attention (showing, pointing, shifting attention between a person and an object)	Frequency per 10-minute session
"She looks away in conversation"	Showing attention in her own way (nodding, comments, on-topic replies)	Count of on-topic replies
"He talks to the wall, not to the listener"	Orienting body or voice toward the listener	Opportunities
"She doesn't notice others' reactions"	Noticing and reading cues (voice, words, body)	Scenario probes or opportunities

Joint attention is often what teams mean when they talk about "connection." It can be shown through pointing, showing, gaze shifting or words, and it is a strong target for young autistic children.

Rules and options at a glance

Question	Answer	State or district variation
Does any law require eye contact goals?	No	None
What must a goal be based on?	The student's present levels and needs^[3]	Goal formats differ by state form
Can a team still write an eye contact goal?	Yes, the team decides	Some districts and professional groups discourage it
Can a parent ask to remove one?	Yes, at an IEP meeting or through the amendment process	Amendment steps vary by state
Can eye contact be one of several ways to show attention?	Yes, if the student chooses it	None

Measurable goals you can adapt

Responding to a speaker. When an adult gives a one-step direction during class, Noah will begin the direction within 10 seconds, in 8 of 10 opportunities.
Answering a question. When asked a question about a story read aloud, Ava will answer with a word, sign or AAC symbol in 4 of 5 questions.
Showing listening in her own way. During a 5-minute conversation, Rosa will show she is listening by nodding, using a short comment ("oh," "cool") or asking a question, at least 3 times, in 4 of 5 conversations.
Joint attention. During play, Eli will point to or show an object to an adult to share interest at least 3 times in 10 minutes, in 4 of 5 sessions.
Orienting to a group. During circle, Max will face the speaker's direction or the visual being discussed for at least 80% of 30-second checks over a 10-minute lesson.

For more wording, see the social awareness goals, the pragmatic language goals and the behavior IEP goals. The guide on behavior goals without compliance language uses the same approach for other goals.

For parents: what to say at the meeting

If your child's IEP has an eye contact goal, you can ask: "What is this goal trying to help with? Could we measure that directly instead?" You can share what your child tells you about eye contact, and ask whether looking at faces helps or hurts their listening. The team must consider your input, and you can ask for the goal to be changed.

ASHA's practice portal on autism describes social communication differences, including differences in nonverbal communication such as eye gaze, as part of autism.^[1] Its social communication portal describes intervention goals that focus on functional communication in real settings.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

Is it wrong to have an eye contact goal in an IEP?

It is not illegal, but many teams now avoid it. Eye contact does not prove a student is listening, and it can be uncomfortable or distracting for autistic students. A goal for responding, joint attention or showing attention in the student's own way usually measures the real concern better.

What can replace an eye contact goal?

Responding to name or to a speaker, following directions, joint attention such as pointing or showing, on-topic replies in conversation, or showing listening by nodding or commenting. Pick the one that matches the real concern behind the original goal.

My child's teacher says my child is not listening because they don't look at her. What can I do?

Share what your child says about eye contact and ask the team to measure listening directly, such as answering questions or following directions. Many students listen better when they are not required to look at faces.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASHA
Social Communication Disorder, ASHA
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.