Speech therapy goals for selective mutism

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Selective mutism goals measure small, planned steps toward speaking, not speech on demand. Build a brave-talking ladder with the student, the school psychologist and any outside therapist, then write goals for the next rungs. Example: in a game with the SLP, Mia will say single words aloud in 8 of 10 turns, up from whispering in 2 of 10.

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder. A child speaks freely in some places, usually at home, and consistently cannot speak in others, usually at school. The child is not being stubborn or shy. The silence is a fear response, and pressure to talk makes it stronger.

That shapes every goal below. The 24 goals follow a graded exposure ladder: communicating without voice, coping and rating brave steps, first sounds and words with one trusted adult, adding new people, adding new school settings, and community talk for older students. Each goal shows a condition, a baseline, a criterion with a denominator and the measure, with a template link. Numbers are illustrations. The speech therapy IEP goals pillar covers other speech and language areas.

Plan selective mutism goals with mental health staff

ASHA describes selective mutism as an anxiety-based disorder and lists SLPs as part of a team approach to assessment and treatment.^[1] An SLP should not run selective mutism treatment alone. Plan the ladder with the school psychologist or counselor, and with the family's outside therapist if there is one. School psychologists bring training in anxiety, behavior and mental health services in schools.^[2] Counseling and psychological services can be written into the IEP as related services.^[3]

Check the student's speech and language too. Some children with selective mutism also have a language disorder or speech sound errors, and those affect how hard speaking feels.^[4] A recording made at home, shared by the family, lets you assess speech and language without asking the child to perform.

Agree on these rules as a team and write them into the IEP supports:

No pressure, bribes or "I'll wait until you say it." Never make bathroom, lunch or recess depend on speaking.
Ask questions the child can answer nonverbally until they are ready for voice. Then use choice questions before open ones.
Praise brave steps briefly and calmly, not with a crowd's attention.
Move to a new rung only after the current one feels easy, measured by data and the child's own rating.

How to choose a selective mutism goal

Build the ladder first. List the people, places and activities from easiest to hardest for this child, with the child's input. Then pick the rung where the child succeeds some of the time but not yet reliably.

Where the child is now	Next rung and sub-skill	Measurement method
Frozen, no gestures at school	Nonverbal participation	Opportunities with a gesture, card or writing
Nods and points, never voices	Coping and rating brave steps	Self-rating and steps completed
Talks only at home	Sounds, then words with one trusted adult at school	Turns with voice out of total
Talks to the SLP alone	Adding a new person (sliding in)	Turns with voice when the new person is present
Talks in the speech room	New settings: classroom, cafeteria, office	Opportunities with voice in each setting
Talks at school, not in the community	Community and phone talk	Steps completed on a task checklist

Communicating without voice first

These goals give the child a way to take part now, which lowers anxiety and keeps them learning. They are a real step, not a fallback.

During class lessons, Mia will answer yes or no questions from the teacher with a nod, a head shake or a yes and no card in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 2 of 10, freezes. Measure: opportunities. Template.
When she needs help in class, Mia will use the class help signal or card in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
During class discussions, Liam will share answers by writing, typing or pointing in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
When he needs the bathroom, water or the nurse, Liam will tell an adult with a card or gesture in 5 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 2 of 5, waits until upset. Template.

Weak: "Mia will speak in class." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names a step the child can reach now and counts it.

Coping and rating brave steps

These goals belong partly to the mental health provider. Write them as shared goals, with the counselor or psychologist named as a provider.

Before and after each brave-talking step, Ava will rate her worry on a 1 to 5 scale and record it in 9 of 10 sessions across a grading period. Baseline: does not rate. Template.
When she feels worried before a speaking step, Ava will use a planned coping strategy (breathing, a calm object) without a prompt in 4 of 5 opportunities across 4 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
With the SLP and counselor, Noah will choose his next ladder step and report how it went at weekly check-ins in 4 of 5 weeks. Baseline: adults choose all steps. Template.
When a speaking task feels too hard, Noah will tell the teacher with a card or note and choose an easier rung in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 5, shuts down. Template.

Weak: "Ava will reduce her anxiety." Measurable: Goal 1 above. The rating gives a number and the child a voice in the plan.

The anxiety coping topic and IEP goals for anxiety have more coping goals.

First sounds and words with one trusted adult

Start in a quiet room with one adult the child trusts, often the SLP or a parent at school. Many teams begin with sounds, then words in a game, then short answers.

During a game in a quiet room with the SLP, Mia will make animal sounds, letter sounds or silly sounds aloud in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 10, mouths only. Template.
During a picture naming game with the SLP, Mia will say single words aloud (whisper or voice) in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: whispers in 2 of 10. Template.
When the SLP asks a choice question ("Is it a cat or a dog?"), Liam will answer aloud in 8 of 10 questions across 3 sessions. Baseline: points in all 10. Template.
When the SLP asks open questions during a game, Liam will answer aloud in a sentence in 7 of 10 questions across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10, one word. Template.

Weak: "Liam will answer the SLP's questions verbally." Measurable: Goal 3 above. It names the easier question type and the setting.

If the child talks at school to a parent but not to staff, start with the parent in the room and the SLP joining gradually. That is the sliding-in approach in the next section.

Adding new people

Stimulus fading, or sliding in, brings a new person into a setting where the child already talks. The new person enters slowly: outside the door, then inside and busy, then nearer, then joining the game.

While talking with the SLP during a game, Ava will keep speaking aloud when her teacher enters and sits across the room in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: stops speaking. Template.
During a game with the SLP and her teacher, Ava will say a word or answer aloud to the teacher in 6 of 10 turns across 4 sessions. Baseline: 0 of 10. Template.
During a partner activity with one chosen peer, Noah will share his answer aloud and repeat back the peer's answer in 4 of 5 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
With a small group of 2 or 3 familiar peers, Noah will share a prepared short talk aloud in 3 of 4 opportunities across a grading period. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Noah will talk to his peers." Measurable: Goal 3 above. It names the peer, the task and the count.

Adding new school settings

Move the child's talking into new rooms, one at a time: the classroom with few people, then a normal class period, then the cafeteria or office.

In the classroom during a quiet time with 1 to 2 adults present, Mia will answer the teacher aloud in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 10 in the classroom. Template.
During small-group class instruction, Mia will ask the teacher to repeat or explain in 3 of 4 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
During group work, Liam will ask a peer for help or information aloud in 3 of 4 opportunities across 4 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 4, writes notes. Template.
After practice in small groups, Liam will give a short prepared talk to the whole class in 1 of 1 planned presentations by the end of the IEP year. Baseline: no presentations. Template.

Weak: "Liam will participate verbally in all classes." Measurable: Goal 3 above. It names one setting and a manageable count.

Allow alternatives for graded speaking tasks while the ladder is in progress, such as a recorded video presentation. List them as accommodations, and plan when each one fades.

Community and older student goals

During a planned community outing, Ava will ask a store employee where an item is in 3 of 4 outings. Baseline: 0 of 4, parent asks. Template.
With a practiced script, Ava will make a short phone call to ask a question or schedule something, completing 3 of 3 steps in 3 of 4 calls. Baseline: 0 of 3 steps. Template.
When joining a new club or class, Noah will introduce himself to one new peer aloud in 3 of 4 opportunities across a semester. Baseline: 0 of 4. Template.
With a new teacher at the start of a term, Noah will explain what helps him communicate, aloud or in writing, in 1 of 1 planned meetings per term. Baseline: parent explains. Template.

Weak: "Ava will be more independent in the community." Measurable: Goal 2 above. A 3-step script gives a clear number.

How to measure selective mutism goals

Ladder steps: record the highest rung reached each session and whether it was easy, okay or hard for the child. Graph the rung over time.
Opportunities: for class and setting goals, define what counts and use the opportunity data sheet.
Child self-ratings: a 1 to 5 worry rating before and after each step. Falling ratings on the same rung tell you when to move up.
Who and where: note the people and the room for every data point. A step with the SLP alone is not the same as a step in the classroom.

Probe at every session, because ladder work moves in small steps. Look at the trend across weeks rather than single sessions.^[5]

Short-term objectives for selective mutism goals

Each objective is a rung. For the new-person goal: by the first report, keep speaking with the teacher outside the open door; by the second, with the teacher in the room and busy; by the third, answer the teacher directly during a game. Write objectives the team expects the child to reach, and move faster or slower based on data and the child's ratings. The short-term objectives guide explains the format.

Adapting by age

Age	Adjust the plan	Example change
Preschool	Play-based sounds and words; parent slides in	Animal sounds in a farm game
K to 2	Games, puppets, partner talk	Answer a choice question during a board game
Grades 3 to 5	Student helps design the ladder	Rate worry and pick the next step
Middle school	Private practice, peer choice, recorded options	Record a presentation before giving it live
High school	Self-advocacy and community talk	Explain supports to a new teacher

Eligibility varies. Students may qualify under emotional disturbance, other health impairment or speech or language impairment, or have a 504 plan, depending on the evaluation and state rules. For coping and regulation goals, see emotional regulation goal examples. Templates live on the speech language goals page, and the goal checker checks a draft for missing parts.

Frequently asked questions

Should an SLP treat selective mutism?

An SLP is often part of the team, especially for building speech through graded steps and checking language skills. Treatment should be planned with a school psychologist, counselor or outside therapist, because selective mutism is an anxiety disorder.

Is it okay to reward a child for talking?

Calm, brief praise for a brave step is fine, and some plans use small planned rewards. Avoid pressure, waiting the child out, or making basic needs depend on speech. Those raise anxiety and can set the plan back.

What should a first selective mutism goal look like?

It should target the next small step on the child's ladder, which is often nonverbal participation in class or sounds with one trusted adult. Count turns or opportunities at that step, not words spoken to the whole class.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Selective Mutism (Practice Portal), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
What Is a School Psychologist?, National Association of School Psychologists
34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Spoken Language Disorders, ASHA
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.