IEP goals for telephone skills

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A phone skills IEP goal names the call type, the steps that count and how many calls must go well. For example: when calling to schedule an appointment, Jordan will complete 6 of 6 steps on a call task analysis (greet, name, purpose, answer questions, confirm the time, close) on 3 of 4 calls across 2 weeks.

These 20 goals cover the phone tasks students meet as teens and young adults: answering a call, taking a message, making a call with a purpose, leaving a voicemail, handling a phone menu, calling in sick and texting. Each goal has a condition, a baseline, a criterion and a template link. Numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks.

Phone calls are hard for a reason. The listener cannot see you, there is no time to plan, and the other person sets the pace. A student who chats easily face to face may still hang up on a receptionist. Treat phone use as its own skill and teach it in steps.

For other speech-language areas, start from the speech therapy IEP goals pillar. Face-to-face conversation goals are on the pragmatic language goals for high school students page.

How to choose the right phone skills goal

What you see now	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Lets the phone ring, or says "hello" and goes silent	Answering and taking a message	Task analysis steps, out of 5
Avoids calling offices, asks a parent to do it	Making a call with a purpose	Task analysis steps, out of 6
Gives out personal details to unknown callers	Phone safety	Opportunities in role play, out of 5
Hangs up at the recorded menu	Phone menus and voicemail	Steps completed, out of 4
Has a job or work placement	Work calls (calling in sick)	Calls completed by the rule
Prefers text, uses AAC, or is Deaf or hard of hearing	Texting, relay or captioned calls	Messages with all parts, out of 4

Pick the call the student will actually need in the next year. For a 16-year-old with a work placement, calling in sick beats a generic "phone etiquette" goal.

Answering the phone and taking a message

When the home phone rings during a role play with an unknown caller, Ava will answer politely, say an adult is busy (not that she is alone) and offer to take a message, in 4 of 5 role plays. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When a familiar adult calls with a message, Luis will repeat the message back and tell it to the right person within 10 minutes, in 4 of 5 calls. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
When taking a phone message, Grace will write the caller's name, number, the message and the time, scoring 4 of 4 parts on 3 of 4 messages. Baseline: 1 of 4 parts. Template.
After listening to a voicemail of 30 to 45 seconds, Malik will write down the caller, the reason and 1 action to take, scoring 3 of 3 details on 4 of 5 voicemails. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.

Weak: "Ava will use good phone manners." Measurable: The first goal in this section. It names the call, the safe response and a count.

Making a call with a purpose

The core skill is a short call with 4 parts: greeting, who is calling, why, and a closing. Teach the parts with a script card, then fade it.

When making a practice phone call to a familiar adult, Ethan will include a greeting, his name, the purpose and a closing, scoring 4 of 4 parts on 4 of 5 calls. Baseline: 1 of 4 parts. Template.
When she needs a ride or has a change of plans, Mia will call or text a family member and state where she is and what she needs, in 4 of 5 opportunities across a month. Baseline: waited for an adult to notice. Template.
When calling an office to schedule an appointment, Jordan will complete 6 of 6 steps on a call task analysis on 3 of 4 calls across 2 weeks. Baseline: 2 of 6 steps. Template.
When he cannot make an appointment, Sam will call the day before, give his name and the appointment time and ask for a new time, in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: did not call. Template.

Weak: "Ethan will make phone calls independently." Measurable: The first goal in this section. It lists the 4 parts that count and sets the number of calls.

Phone safety goals

When asked by a trusted adult, Zoe will state her full name, phone number and address, with 3 of 3 items correct on 4 of 5 probes. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.
In a practice emergency scenario, Noah will call emergency services on a training phone and state his name, location and problem, in 4 of 5 scenarios. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When a role-play caller or text asks for money, a password or personal details, Ella will hang up or not reply and tell an adult, in 5 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Always practice emergency calls on a training phone or a disconnected handset, never a live line. The emergency IEP goals and personal information IEP goals pages cover these skills outside the phone.

Weak: "Zoe will know her phone number." Measurable: The first goal in this section. It counts 3 items and sets 4 of 5 probes.

Phone menus, voicemail and refills

When calling a number with a recorded menu, Chris will listen to the options and press the right key to reach a person or service, in 4 of 5 calls. Baseline: hung up at the menu in 4 of 5. Template.
When he will be late or absent from work, Diego will leave a voicemail or text that follows the workplace rule (name, reason, expected time), scoring 3 of 3 parts on 4 of 5 practice calls. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.
When a medication is running low, Tara will request a refill by phone or app, giving her name, birth date and the medication name, in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: a parent made every request. Template.

Weak: "Chris will use phone menus." Measurable: The first goal in this section. Success is defined as reaching the right option.

Work calls

When sick, Kayla will call or message her supervisor before her shift and state that she is sick and when she expects to return, in 4 of 5 practice scenarios and 2 of 2 real absences. Baseline: did not contact the supervisor. Template.
When running late or sick for a work placement, Ben will call the site by the stated deadline, in 4 of 5 opportunities across the semester. Baseline: called after the shift started. Template.

These tie directly to keeping a job. The keeping a job IEP goals page has the rest of that set.

Weak: "Kayla will be responsible about attendance." Measurable: The first goal in this section. It names who to contact, by when, and what to say.

Texting, relay and captioned calls

A text is a phone skill. For many teens it is the main one. Students who use AAC, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing, may use relay services or captioned calls instead of voice.

When writing a text or email to a teacher, Omar will include a greeting, the purpose, the needed detail and a closing, scoring 4 of 4 parts on 4 of 5 messages. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Using the AAC app on his phone, Leo will send a text that a familiar partner can act on, in 4 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
When she needs to call a business, Nia will place the call through relay or a captioned phone service and complete the purpose of the call, in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: relied on a parent. Template.
When making weekend plans by message, Jade will agree on a time and place with a peer in no more than 6 messages, in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: plans were left open. Template.

Weak: "Omar will text appropriately." Measurable: The first goal in this section. Four parts are scored per message.

Phone skills for teens: where to start

For teens, start with the call they will make soonest. A 14-year-old may need to call a parent after practice. A 17-year-old may need to call a doctor, a manager and a bank. Ask the student and family which calls happen at home now, and which ones a parent still makes for the student. That list is the goal.

Phone goals usually fit the transition plan. When the IEP includes postsecondary goals for employment or independent living, phone calls are a natural skill under them.^[1] Build practice into real tasks: calling the school office about a lost item, calling a store about hours, leaving a voicemail for a teacher.

Anxiety is common. A script card, a practice call to a familiar adult and a call with the SLP sitting nearby are fair steps. Fade one support at a time.

How to measure phone skills goals

Most phone goals are best measured with a task analysis: list the steps of the call and score each one. A 6-step appointment call might read greet, give name, state purpose, answer questions, confirm date and time, close. The task analysis data sheet has a row per step.

Call type	Steps to score	Example criterion
Answering a home call	Greet, ask who is calling, safe reply, take message, close	5 of 5 steps on 4 of 5 calls
Scheduling an appointment	Greet, name, purpose, answer questions, confirm, close	6 of 6 steps on 3 of 4 calls
Calling in sick	Name, reason, return time, by the deadline	4 of 4 on 4 of 5 practice calls
Text to a teacher	Greeting, purpose, detail, closing	4 of 4 parts on 4 of 5 texts

For safety goals, count opportunities: how many unsafe requests the student turned down out of how many were presented. Use role plays with a script so each probe is the same difficulty.

Score from real calls whenever you can. A student who passes every role play but still hands the phone to a parent has not met the goal yet.

Adapting by age and support level

Student	Focus	Example change
Upper elementary	Personal information, calling a parent, emergency practice	Picture script card, training phone
Middle school	Answering safely, taking messages, texting a teacher	Role plays with unknown callers
High school	Appointments, menus, voicemail, work calls	Real calls to real offices
Transition 18 to 21	Refills, relay calls, supervisor calls	Real tasks in the community
AAC or Deaf or hard of hearing	Texting, relay, captioned calls	Name the access method in the condition

Full wording for conversation goals is on the pragmatic language goals page and the conversation skills goal hub. Run the draft through the goal checker before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

How do you practice phone calls in speech therapy?

Start with a script card and a call to a familiar adult on two phones in different rooms. Move to calls to real offices with a clear purpose, such as asking store hours. Score each step of the call and fade the script as the student meets the criterion.

Is texting a phone skill for an IEP goal?

Yes. For many teens and adults, texting is the main way they use a phone. A texting goal can score the same parts as a call: greeting, purpose, needed detail and closing.

Who should own phone skills goals on the IEP team?

The SLP often owns the language of the call, while the case manager or transition teacher owns the real-world practice. One goal with shared data is cleaner than two goals that overlap.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

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