IEP progress report comments for speech therapy

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A strong speech therapy progress report comment gives the current score in the goal's own measure, compares it with the baseline, names the conditions and says what happens next. Example: Leo produced /r/ correctly in 22 of 30 sentences on November 14, up from 12 of 30 in September. He is on track; next we move to conversation.

Progress report comments are where families find out whether speech therapy is working. A comment like "Leo is working hard and making progress" tells them nothing they can check. A comment with the current number, the starting number and the next step tells them exactly where things stand.

The 16 comments below cover articulation, language, social communication, fluency, AAC, and the two hard cases: slow progress and goals met. Each strong comment is paired with a weak version and a note on what makes it work. Names and numbers are illustrations. For progress report comments across every subject, see IEP progress report comments examples. For the goals behind these comments, see the speech therapy IEP goals pillar.

What every speech progress comment needs

The IEP must describe how progress toward each goal will be measured and when periodic reports will be given to parents.^[1] A comment that matches the goal's measure meets that purpose. Build each comment from five parts:

Part	What to write	Example
Current data	The latest score in the goal's measure, with a date	22 of 30 sentences on November 14
Baseline	The starting score in the same measure	Up from 12 of 30 in September
Conditions	Task, setting and support level	In sentences, with no model
Trend	On track, ahead or behind the goal line	On track to meet the goal by March
Next step	What changes or continues	Moving to conversation practice

Keep each comment to 2 to 4 sentences. Use the student's name, plain words and no unexplained abbreviations. ASHA's guidance on school documentation stresses records that are accurate, timely and tied to goals, and a progress comment is a record families keep.^[2]

Articulation comments

1. Making progress, word to sentence level

Weak: "Leo is working hard on his /r/ sound and making good progress."
Strong: "Leo produced /r/ correctly in 22 of 30 sentences on November 14, up from 12 of 30 in September. He no longer needs a model before each sentence. He is on track to meet his goal, and we will begin practicing /r/ in short conversations."
Why it works: current score, baseline and support level in one comment, plus a concrete next step.

2. Strong in therapy, not yet in class

Weak: "Mia does great in speech but forgets in class."
Strong: "Mia produced /s/ correctly in 27 of 30 sentences in the speech room on January 20. In a 5-minute classroom sample, she used correct /s/ in 60% of words with the sound. We are adding a private reminder signal with her teacher to help her use the sound in class."
Why it works: it separates two settings with separate data and names the plan to close the gap.

3. Intelligibility goal

Weak: "Omar is easier to understand."
Strong: "In a recorded 50-word sample on March 3, an unfamiliar listener understood 68% of Omar's words, up from 45% in October. His final consonants are now present in most words. He is ahead of the expected rate for this goal."
Why it works: the measure is what listeners understand, which matches what families notice.

Language comments

4. Grammar form in obligatory contexts

Weak: "Ava is using better grammar."
Strong: "During story retells, Ava used past tense -ed correctly in 14 of 20 places it was needed on December 5, up from 6 of 20 in September. She is on track. Next, we will check her use of past tense in class writing with her teacher."
Why it works: it explains "obligatory contexts" in plain words and links therapy to the classroom.

5. Vocabulary goal

Weak: "Theo is learning new vocabulary words."
Strong: "On the end-of-unit check on November 18, Theo defined 7 of 10 science words with both a category and a key feature, up from 2 of 10 on the first unit. He also used 3 unit words during class discussion. We will continue with the next unit's word list."
Why it works: it says what "knowing" a word means and shows use outside therapy.

6. Following directions

Weak: "Jonah follows directions better."
Strong: "Jonah followed 8 of 10 spoken directions with before, after or except on February 10, up from 3 of 10 in October. He met this goal on 3 consecutive sessions. We will now practice these directions during whole-class instructions."
Why it works: it states that mastery criteria were met and what happens next.

7. Narrative retell

Weak: "Isla is telling better stories."
Strong: "On January 15, Isla's story retell scored 4 of 5 on our story rubric (character, setting, problem, events, ending), up from 2 of 5 in September. She now includes the problem in most retells. Next, she will add how the problem was solved."
Why it works: the rubric parts are listed so a parent can see what is still missing.

8. Repair and clarification

Weak: "Dana is improving her social skills."
Strong: "Dana asked a clarifying question in 4 of 5 observed class situations when a message was unclear (December 2 to 13), up from 1 of 5 in September. She tells us this helps in group projects. She is on track to meet her goal."
Why it works: it names the skill, counts real situations and includes the student's view.

9. Self-advocacy goal

Weak: "Aiden is learning to advocate for himself."
Strong: "Aiden explained his communication preferences to 2 of 3 new teachers this semester, using a card he wrote. Before, he had not done this with any teacher. We are planning how he will share his strengths at his IEP meeting in April."
Why it works: the count is small but honest, and it shows growth without inflating it.

Fluency comments

10. Using a strategy

Weak: "Sam's stuttering is getting better."
Strong: "During class presentations and small-group talk, Sam used an easy-start strategy when he felt a block coming in 6 of 10 observed times (January), up from 1 of 10. He reports feeling more comfortable speaking in class. His goal targets strategy use and confidence, not stuttering frequency."
Why it works: it reports on the goal as written and explains why stuttering counts are not the measure.

11. Fewer school avoidances

Weak: "Kayla is talking more in class."
Strong: "Kayla raised her hand to answer in 3 of 5 observed lessons in February, up from 0 of 5 in October. Her own rating of speaking comfort rose from 2 to 4 on a 5-point scale. We will keep practicing in her science class next."
Why it works: it pairs observation data with a student self-rating, which fits fluency goals.

AAC comments

12. Requesting with a device

Weak: "Eli is using his device more."
Strong: "Eli used his device to request an item or activity in 8 of 10 snack and play opportunities in November, up from 2 of 10 in September. He is now finding words on 2 pages. Next, we are modeling two-word messages such as 'more bubbles.'"
Why it works: opportunities are defined, and the next step builds on the device skill.

13. Commenting and new combinations

Weak: "Nora is communicating with her device."
Strong: "Nora made 5 comments on her device during a 20-minute center time on March 8, such as 'funny' and 'look,' up from 0 in October. Staff are modeling on her device throughout the day. She is ahead of her goal line."
Why it works: it counts a communication function, not just button presses, and names the support behind the growth.

When progress is slow

14. Below the goal line

Weak: "Marcus is making slow progress."
Strong: "Marcus produced /l/ correctly in 10 of 30 sentences on December 9, up from 8 of 30 in September. This is below the rate needed to meet his goal by May. We have changed to shorter, more frequent practice and added home practice cards, and will review the data again in 6 weeks."
Why it works: it is honest about the gap and says exactly what changed and when the team will look again.

15. Absences affecting progress

Weak: "Priya has missed a lot of sessions."
Strong: "Priya attended 11 of 18 scheduled sessions this quarter because of absences. On the sessions she attended, she answered why questions with a reason in 5 of 10 on her last probe, up from 2 of 10. We will share practice activities for home and review progress at the next report."
Why it works: it reports attendance as a fact, without blame, alongside the goal data.

When a goal is met

16. Goal met, what next

Weak: "Ruby met her goal!"
Strong: "Ruby met her goal on February 3: she used he, she and they correctly in 18 of 20 places in a picture task, on 3 consecutive sessions. In a classroom sample she used them correctly in 15 of 20. The team will meet to discuss a new goal for using pronouns in story writing."
Why it works: it gives the mastery evidence, checks the classroom, and says the team will decide the next step.

How to keep comments consistent

Collect data in the same measure as the goal, so every comment can quote it. Reports are only as good as the data behind them; see speech therapy data collection.
Graph each goal and draw the goal line, so "on track" means something. Repeated measures over time are what make the trend visible.^[3]
Use your district's progress codes in the same way every report. See IEP progress report codes.
Draft comments from the data sheets and measurement guides you already use, then read each one aloud as if you were the parent.

For writing the whole report, see how to write an IEP progress report. For the parent's side, share how to read a progress report. IEP Atlas Pro builds these graphs and drafts report text from your data, if you want the numbers pulled for you.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a speech therapy progress report comment be?

Two to four sentences per goal. Include the current score, the baseline, the conditions and the next step. Longer comments are fine for a goal with a change in plan, but every sentence should add a fact.

Should I write that a student is not making progress?

Yes, if the data show it. State the current score and baseline, say the student is below the expected rate, and explain what you changed and when you will review it. Families need that information to take part in decisions.

Can I use the same comment for every student in a group?

No. Each comment should quote that student's own data on their own goal. Group sessions can share activities, but scores, trends and next steps differ by student.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Documentation in Schools, 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.