Pragmatic language goals for high school students

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A high school pragmatic language goal targets a communication skill the student wants and uses: repairing a misunderstanding, explaining their communication needs, or joining a discussion. Example: when a peer misreads her text, Dana will clarify what she meant in 4 of 5 situations. Skip goals for eye contact or acting neurotypical; measure shared understanding instead.

Pragmatic goals in high school should look like the communication a teenager needs for classes, jobs, friendships and their own IEP meeting. By 15 or 16, a student has opinions about what they want to work on, and a pragmatic goal the student does not agree with rarely carries over outside the speech room.

The 24 goals below are grouped into six areas: repair and clarification, self-advocacy, discussion, nonliteral language, adjusting for the audience, and work and community talk. Each goal shows the condition, a baseline, a criterion with a denominator and the measure, with a link to its template. Numbers are illustrations. The speech therapy IEP goals pillar covers every speech and language area.

Write pragmatic goals that do not require masking

Older social skills goals often asked students to make eye contact, keep their hands still or show "expected" facial expressions. Many autistic adults describe that kind of training as masking: hiding how they naturally communicate, at a real cost in energy and stress. Breakdowns in conversation run in both directions, an idea often called the double empathy problem. A mismatch between two communication styles is not one person's deficit.

So the goals here measure outcomes both partners care about: whether the message got across, whether a misunderstanding got fixed, and whether the student could ask for what they need. ASHA describes social communication as the use of language in social contexts, including adjusting to listeners and repairing breakdowns, and supports goals tied to the student's real settings.^[1] For autistic students in particular, ASHA's guidance stresses the student's own priorities and natural settings.^[2]

How to choose a high school pragmatic goal

Ask the student first. A 10-minute interview about where talk goes wrong (group projects, texting, work, teachers) often gives you better targets than a test. Then confirm with a teacher survey and one observation.

What the student or teacher reports	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
"People get mad at my texts and I don't know why"	Repairing written misunderstandings	Situations repaired out of total
Teachers misread the student as rude or uninterested	Explaining communication preferences	Opportunities where the student self-advocates
Group projects stall, ideas get skipped	Joining and building on discussion	Contributions per discussion
Takes sarcasm or idioms literally, then feels embarrassed	Nonliteral language and checking intent	Items correct; clarifying questions asked
Stories confuse listeners, details missing	Giving background for the listener	Rubric points on a recorded retell
Job interview or phone call is coming up	Work and community talk	Steps on a task checklist

Repair and clarification goals

Repair goals are the most useful pragmatic goals for most teens. They work in every setting, with every partner, and they put both people on the same page without asking the student to change who they are.

During class and group work, when a message from a teacher or peer is unclear, Dana will ask a specific clarifying question in 4 of 5 observed opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Measure: opportunities. Template.
Given 6 real or role-played text exchanges where a peer misread her message, Dana will send a reply that clears up what she meant in 5 of 6 exchanges across 2 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 6. Template.
After a miscommunication, Marcus will explain what each person likely meant and what got crossed, covering 3 of 3 rubric points in 4 of 5 debriefs. Baseline: 1 of 3 points. Template.
While explaining a game or a project to a peer, Marcus will check whether the listener is following at least once per explanation in 4 of 5 explanations across 3 sessions. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Dana will improve her social skills with peers." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the situation, the skill and the count of opportunities.

Goal 3 treats the miscommunication as a shared event. It asks the student to describe both sides, not to admit fault. Students usually find it easier to talk about after a calm day than in the moment.

Self-advocacy and communication preference goals

These goals let a student tell others how they communicate best: "I process better in writing," "I might not look at you, but I'm listening," or "Please tell me directly if something is wrong." The self-advocacy glossary entry covers the broader term.

With a new teacher or partner, Aiden will explain one or two of his communication preferences and what helps in 3 of 4 opportunities across a semester. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
At his annual IEP meeting, Aiden will share his communication strengths and one goal he wants, using notes or a device, covering 3 of 3 planned points. Baseline: did not speak at last meeting. Template.
When a partner's way of talking makes it hard to follow (too fast, too many questions at once), Sana will tell the partner what helps in 4 of 5 opportunities across 4 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When her idea is passed over in a group, Sana will restate it in 3 of 4 opportunities across 3 observed group sessions. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Aiden will advocate for himself." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It says what he will explain, to whom and how often.

Goal 2 links to transition planning. IDEA requires transition services in the IEP by age 16, and the student's own voice is central to that part of the plan.^[3] See transition IEP goals examples for goals that pair well.

Discussion and conversation goals

Class discussion is graded in many high school courses. These goals target the moves that make a contribution count.

During a small-group academic discussion, Jalen will build on a peer's comment by adding a related point or question 3 times per 20-minute discussion across 3 discussions. Baseline: 0 per discussion. Template.
During a structured class debate, Jalen will agree or disagree with a peer using a discussion stem plus a reason in 4 of 5 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When she disagrees with a peer, Olivia will state her view and keep the conversation going for at least 2 more turns in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5, leaves the conversation. Template.
When meeting a new peer in a club or class, Olivia will ask questions to find a shared interest within 3 turns in 3 of 4 conversations across a month. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Jalen will stay on topic and participate appropriately." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It counts a specific move in a set time.

The conversation skills topic and the turn-taking topic have more goals. A student who prefers info-dumping about a favorite topic is not doing anything wrong. Teach them how to check whether the listener wants more, so both people enjoy the talk.

Nonliteral language and intent goals

Sarcasm, idioms and indirect requests are everywhere in high school. A strong goal teaches the student to check intent, not to guess silently.

Given 10 short video or audio clips of everyday talk, Leah will say whether the speaker is being sarcastic and what they really mean for 8 of 10 clips across 2 probes. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
In conversation, when a speaker's words and tone seem to differ, Leah will ask what they meant ("Are you joking?") in 3 of 4 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
Given 10 idioms used in short conversations, Tomas will explain the meaning and give a fitting reply for 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
Given 10 short social scenarios, Tomas will explain what a speaker likely means beyond the words for 7 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Leah will understand sarcasm." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It sets the item type, the response and the denominator.

Goal 2 is the one that carries over. Checking intent works even when the student cannot read the tone, and most people answer the question gladly.

Audience and background goals

Given 5 scenarios with different listeners (teacher, friend, manager), Noah will reword the same request to fit each listener in 4 of 5 scenarios across 2 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When telling about an event, Noah will give the background a new listener needs (who, where, when) before the main event in 4 of 5 retells. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When emailing a teacher, Ava will include a greeting, a clear purpose and a closing in 4 of 5 emails across a grading period. Baseline: 1 of 5, no purpose stated. Template.
When making weekend plans with a peer by text, Ava will include the time, place and a confirmation in 3 of 4 exchanges. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Noah will use appropriate language for the situation." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the listeners, the task and the count.

Work and community communication goals

In a mock job interview with 6 questions, Kayla will answer each with a relevant example from her own experience for 5 of 6 questions across 2 interviews. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.
When making a phone call to schedule or ask a question, Kayla will give a greeting, state her purpose and close the call, completing 3 of 3 steps in 3 of 4 calls. Baseline: 1 of 3 steps. Template.
When a work-site supervisor gives him feedback, Ethan will acknowledge it and ask a question if unsure in 4 of 5 opportunities across a month. Baseline: 1 of 5, walks away. Template.
When meeting a new adult at a job site or in the community, Ethan will introduce himself and state his purpose in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Kayla will develop job readiness skills." Measurable: Goal 2 above. A 3-step checklist gives a clear number.

How to measure pragmatic goals

Opportunities in real settings fit repair, self-advocacy and discussion goals. Agree in advance what counts as an opportunity. Teachers and job coaches can tally on the opportunity data sheet.
Frequency in a set time fits discussion contributions. Use the frequency data sheet for a 20-minute block.
Rubrics fit debriefs, retells and interview answers. See rubric scoring.
Student self-rating adds the student's view. Compare it with your data each month.

Probe every 2 to 4 weeks, and graph the results with the student. Repeated measures show the trend before the report goes home.^[4]

Short-term objectives for pragmatic goals

Step from practice to real life: role-play with the SLP, then with a peer in the speech room, then in a class or work setting. For the text repair goal: by the first report, 5 of 6 role-played exchanges; by the second, 5 of 6 with real texts the student brings; by the third, the student reports repairs in real exchanges at weekly check-ins. The short-term objectives guide has the format.

Adapting by support level

Student profile	Adjust the goal	Example change
Uses AAC	Prestored repair and preference messages	Selects "I mean..." or "Tell me another way" in 4 of 5 chances
Strong language, social anxiety	Plan in advance; lower group size	Contribute once per group of 3
Diploma track, college bound	Discussion, email and accommodation requests	Email a professor with purpose and request
Life skills or work-based program	Community and job-site scripts	Ask a store employee for an item
Recently arrived multilingual student	Separate culture from disorder	Probe in the home language and culture first

For broader goals, see IEP goals for high school students with autism and social skills goal examples. Templates for this grade band are on the high school speech-language goals page and the pragmatic language goals page. The goal checker flags vague wording before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Should high school pragmatic goals include eye contact?

No. Eye contact is not needed to listen or understand, and many autistic students find it uncomfortable or distracting. Write goals for outcomes, such as repairing a misunderstanding or explaining communication preferences, that help both partners.

Who should choose a teenager's pragmatic goals?

The student, with the team. Interview the student about where communication goes wrong for them, and pick goals they want. A goal the student agrees with is far more likely to be used outside the speech room.

How do I measure pragmatic goals outside the speech room?

Agree with teachers or job coaches on what counts as an opportunity, and give them a simple tally sheet. Add short student self-ratings. Compare both monthly with your own probes in role-play.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Social Communication Disorder, ASHA
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASHA
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

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.