Self-advocacy goals for deaf and hard of hearing students

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

DHH self-advocacy goals teach a deaf or hard of hearing student to notice when they are missing information, fix the breakdown, manage their own hearing technology and explain their access needs to others. Goals move from reporting a dead device in preschool to requesting accommodations independently by high school. Each one should name the situation, the action and a count of observed opportunities.

Self-advocacy for a deaf or hard of hearing student means getting access without waiting for an adult to notice the problem. The student recognizes a missed message, uses a repair, keeps their devices working and tells new people what they need. Teachers of the deaf usually own these goals, with the SLP and the classroom teacher collecting data in the settings where breakdowns happen.

When the IEP team plans for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing, it must consider the student's language and communication needs and opportunities for direct communication with peers and staff.^[1] Self-advocacy is how the student keeps those opportunities open when the plan meets a real classroom. The low-incidence disabilities pillar explains how these access skills fit with the rest of the IEP.

The skill sequence

Self-advocacy builds in layers. A student who cannot yet tell when a device is off is not ready to request CART for a college class. Use this sequence to pick the next goal.

Stage	Typical grades	What the student does	Goal template
Device awareness	PK to K	Tells an adult when a hearing aid or processor is not working	Tell an adult a device is off
Repair requests	K to 3	Asks for a repeat or for the word to be shown when something was missed	Ask for a repeat
Environment management	2 to 5	Picks a seat that helps, reminds teachers about the microphone	Choose a seat that helps listening
Device independence	3 to 8	Does a daily self-check and troubleshoots with a checklist	Daily self-check of devices
Explaining needs	5 to 12	Explains own hearing, devices and accommodations to a new teacher	Explain own hearing to a teacher
Requesting access	7 to 12	Requests missing captions, transcripts or interpreters	Request missing captions
Adult access	10 to 12+	Requests accommodations through a college or employer process	Request CART captioning

Grades are typical ranges, not cut-offs. A student with a late diagnosis or a new cochlear implant may start at the top of the table in middle school.

One student's year

This scenario is fictional. Aiden is a 6th grader with a moderate-to-severe bilateral hearing loss. He wears hearing aids and uses a remote microphone in class. He communicates in spoken English.

September 9: baseline. His teacher of the deaf plants 10 breakdowns over 2 weeks: a direction given while facing the board, a word dropped from an instruction, a classmate's answer spoken quietly. Aiden uses a repair on 2 of 10. On the other 8, he nods or copies a neighbor. He reminds teachers to turn on the remote microphone in 3 of 10 observed class starts.

September 23: goals written. The team adds two goals and one support:

When information is missed in a class discussion, Aiden will use a specific repair, such as asking for the key word or checking the board, on 8 of 10 planted breakdowns across 2 consecutive weeks.
At the start of each core class, Aiden will hand the remote microphone to the teacher or prompt them to turn it on, in 9 of 10 observed periods.
Support: a repair card on his desk listing 4 phrases ("Can you say the last word?", "Can you write that?", "Who said that?", "I missed the direction").

November 15: first progress report. Repairs: 5 of 10. Microphone: 7 of 10. Aiden reports that he skips the reminder in science because the teacher "gets annoyed." The teacher of the deaf meets with the science teacher and they agree on a silent signal: Aiden places the microphone on the teacher's desk.

February 7: second report. Repairs: 7 of 10. Microphone: 10 of 10 for 3 straight weeks. The team adds a new goal for the spring: explaining his hearing loss and 2 accommodations to a substitute, scored with a 4-point rubric.

May 20: annual review. Repairs: 8 of 10 for 2 weeks; goal met. Substitute rubric: 3 of 4 on 2 of 3 occasions. For 7th grade, the team moves him to the next stage: a daily device self-check and requesting captions for class videos.

The data source matters. Breakdowns in real conversation are hard to count because the adult often does not know one happened. Planting them on a schedule gives you a fixed number of opportunities each week.

Goal wording that works

These goals use different situations and criteria. Adapt the numbers to your student's baseline.

Device awareness (PK): "When a hearing device stops working during the school day, the student will sign or say 'broken' or hand the device to an adult within 2 minutes, on 4 of 5 planted device failures."
Repair (grade 2): "When a direction is missed, the student will ask for a repeat or point to the visual schedule, on 7 of 10 planted breakdowns in small-group instruction."
Seating (grade 4): "On entering a new room, the student will choose a seat facing the speaker and away from noise sources, in 4 of 5 observed transitions."
Troubleshooting (grade 6): "Using a picture checklist, the student will check the battery, tubing and program of their hearing aids each morning and report results to the teacher of the deaf, on 18 of 20 school days."
Explaining needs (grade 8): "When meeting a new teacher, the student will explain their hearing loss, devices and 2 accommodations, scoring 3 or 4 on a 4-point rubric on 3 of 4 occasions."
Requesting access (grade 10): "When a class video has no captions, the student will request captions or a transcript from the teacher before or within one day of the lesson, on 4 of 5 opportunities."
Adult access (grade 12): "The student will contact a college disability services office, describe their access needs and request an accommodation meeting, completing 5 of 5 steps on a task checklist."

Full wording with baselines and objectives is on the self-advocacy goals page and the IEP goals for hearing loss hub. The hearing technology goals cover device skills in depth.

Options and where states differ

Topic	What federal rules say	Where states and districts differ
Communication needs	The team must consider language, communication mode and direct communication with peers and staff^[1]	Some states require a written communication plan for every DHH student
Hearing aid checks	The school must make sure hearing aids worn in school work properly^[2]	Who does the check, and how often, is set locally
Transition self-advocacy	Postsecondary goals and transition services start by the IEP in effect at age 16^[3]	Many states start at 14; some publish DHH transition checklists
Who teaches self-advocacy	Not specified	Teacher of the deaf, SLP or both, depending on caseloads
Data method	Not specified	Some states provide DHH self-advocacy rating scales

If your state requires a communication plan, put the self-advocacy goals beside it. The communication plan template shows where they connect.

Measuring self-advocacy

Planted breakdowns: Schedule 5 to 10 a week across settings. Record the student's response as repair, no repair, or wrong repair.
Opportunity counts: For routines like the microphone reminder, count opportunities (class starts) and responses.
Rubrics: For explaining needs, score clarity, accuracy, completeness and tone on a 4-point scale. The rubric scoring page shows how to build one.

The opportunity trial data sheet works well for repairs and reminders. ASHA's overview of childhood hearing loss is a good reference for families who want background on why breakdowns happen even with good devices.^[4]

Where to go next

The deaf and hard of hearing accommodations guide lists the supports a student will learn to request. The IEP goals for deaf students cover language and literacy goals. For self-advocacy beyond hearing, see teaching self-advocacy skills.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should DHH students start self-advocacy goals?

Preschool is not too early. A 3- or 4-year-old can learn to tell an adult when a device is not working. Goals then build each year toward repairing breakdowns, managing devices and explaining needs to new people.

Who writes self-advocacy goals for a deaf student?

Usually the teacher of the deaf, often with the SLP. The classroom teacher and para help collect data, because most breakdowns happen during regular instruction.

How do you measure self-advocacy if breakdowns are invisible?

Plant them. The teacher of the deaf schedules a set number of missed words, quiet comments or turned-away directions each week and records what the student does. That gives a fixed number of opportunities to report.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.113: Routine checking of hearing aids and external components of surgically implanted medical devices, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Hearing Loss in Children, ASHA

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.