What Augmentative Communication Goals Are (and Why They Matter)
Augmentative communication goals guide how students and clients learn to use AAC—from simple picture boards to sophisticated speech generating devices—for real-life communication across all environments. These goals are the roadmap connecting technology, language development, and meaningful participation in daily life.
This article is written for school-based and clinical speech-language pathologists, last updated in December 2025, and focused on evidence-based, functional goals that actually work. Whether you’re writing your first AAC goal or refining your approach after years of practice, you’ll find actionable guidance here.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) encompasses any method, strategy, or tool that supplements or replaces natural speech for individuals with complex communication needs. Goals in this domain cover three interconnected skill sets: language competence (vocabulary, syntax, pragmatics), operational competence (navigating the AAC system), and strategic competence (knowing when and how to use different communication modes).
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear framework using the DO–CONDITION–CRITERION structure, dozens of sample goals organized by skill area, and links to free assessment tools that streamline goal development. Let’s build goals that move beyond device buttons and toward genuine communication.
Key Takeaways
- Augmentative communication goals are essential for guiding AAC users toward meaningful, functional communication across all settings, emphasizing independence and varied communicative functions beyond basic requests.
- Writing effective AAC goals requires using the DO–CONDITION–CRITERION framework to create clear, measurable, and individualized objectives that reflect the unique needs and strengths of each student.
- Ongoing assessment and collaboration with the entire IEP team, including embedding AAC supports and communication partner training, ensure goals remain relevant and promote consistent progress toward communicative autonomy.
Augmentative Communication Goals in Speech Therapy
Augmentative communication goals are written by speech-language pathologists for students and adults who use AAC as a primary or supplemental mode of communication. These goals form the foundation of intervention planning, guiding everything from vocabulary selection to partner training to measuring progress over time.
Effective AAC goals support communication across multiple settings and with diverse communication partners:
- Classroom: Participating in morning meeting, answering questions during instruction, collaborating on group projects
- Home: Requesting preferred snacks, telling parents about the school day, protesting unwanted activities
- Community: Ordering at a restaurant, greeting neighbors, interacting with medical providers
- Workplace: Asking for clarification, responding to supervisor questions, chatting with coworkers during breaks
A critical point that separates strong goals from weak ones: augmentative communication goals address far more than basic requests. They encompass commenting on experiences, asking questions to gain information, protesting or refusing, maintaining social closeness with friends and family, and sharing personal stories and opinions.
Consider a middle-school student using a high tech AAC tablet with robust vocabulary. Her goals shouldn’t stop at “request lunch items.” They should include participating in class discussions, texting friends after school, and explaining her weekend plans to her grandmother—all using AAC.
Goals must align with IEPs, clinical care plans, or adult rehabilitation documentation and should always be individualized to the person, not driven by whatever device happens to be available. The AAC system is a tool in service of communication, not the end goal itself.
Types of Augmentative Communication Goals
AAC goals can be organized along several dimensions that help teams identify priorities and track growth systematically. Understanding these categories ensures you’re addressing the full range of communicative functions rather than focusing narrowly on one skill.
By communication function:
- Requesting preferred items, activities, and assistance
- Rejecting or protesting non-preferred situations
- Commenting and sharing information
- Asking and answering questions
- Initiating and maintaining social interactions
- Expressing emotions and opinions
By language complexity:
- Single words and simple symbols
- Two-word combinations (agent + action, action + object)
- Phrase-level communication with carrier phrases
- Complete sentences with grammatical markers
- Extended discourse (narratives, explanations, conversations)
By competency domain:
- Linguistic: vocabulary, syntax, morphology
- Operational: navigating pages, activating symbols, device maintenance
- Social: turn-taking, topic maintenance, reading partner cues
- Strategic: recognizing breakdowns, repairing communication, selecting appropriate modality
Goals should reflect multimodal communication—the reality that most kids and adults don’t rely on one mode alone. An effective communicator might use verbal speech for familiar listeners, gestures for quick requests, a low tech core board during messy activities, and a speech generating device for complex messages. Your goals should honor and build this flexibility.
Two quick case vignettes:
Emma, age 6, emergent communicator: Emma has cerebral palsy and currently communicates through eye gaze, vocalizations, and body movements. She’s just beginning to explore a simple eye-gaze AAC system. Her goals focus on cause-and-effect activation, responding to choices, and using 2-3 core words during motivating routines.
Marcus, age 16, verbally limited but literate: Marcus has autism with limited verbal speech but strong reading skills. He uses a text-based AAC app on his phone. His goals target self advocacy in the community, managing communication breakdowns with new partners, and participating in class discussions.
Same general framework—completely different goal content based on individual profiles.
Assessment and Tools for Setting AAC & Augmentative Communication Goals
High-quality goals start with structured assessment. Jumping straight to goal writing without understanding current abilities, barriers, and contexts leads to goals that miss the mark or set unrealistic expectations.
A comprehensive AAC assessment includes:
- Interviews with the individual (when possible), family members, teachers, and other team members
- Observations across multiple routines—not just structured therapy but also unstructured times like lunch, recess, and transitions
- Formal and informal tools that document current communication, motor access, sensory needs, and cognitive-linguistic skills
Key assessment tools to know:
- Communication Matrix (communicationmatrix.org): A free online assessment maintained since 2004 and regularly updated. It profiles communication skills across seven levels, from pre-intentional behavior through symbolic communication. Particularly valuable for emergent communicators.
- Tobii Dynavox DAGG-2 (Dynamic AAC Goals Grid-2): Helps identify specific device-related goals organized by competency area. Useful for translating assessment findings into goal language.
- PRC-Saltillo evaluation programs: Offer trial periods with various speech generating devices to determine access method, vocabulary organization, and appropriate technology level before purchase.
- School-based language assessments: Standardized tests like the CELF-5 or PLS-5 inform vocabulary and syntax targets, even when administered with AAC accommodations.
Assessment should document:
- Current independence level (fully independent, gestural prompt, verbal cues, physical assistance)
- Preferred modalities and what’s working now
- Participation in daily activities (morning meeting, cafeteria, job training, community outings)
- Communication partner responsiveness and training needs
Translate these findings into a clear “present levels” statement. For an IEP, this might read: “Marcus currently uses a text-based AAC app to communicate basic needs with familiar adults. He initiates communication approximately 3 times per class period, primarily to request materials. He does not yet use AAC to participate in class discussions or to repair communication breakdowns with unfamiliar partners.”
That present levels statement directly informs what comes next: meaningful goals that build on strengths and address priority needs.
How to Write Augmentative Communication Goals (DO–CONDITION–CRITERION)
The DO–CONDITION–CRITERION framework provides a reliable structure for writing AAC goals that are clear, measurable, and functional. Once you internalize this structure, goal writing becomes faster and more consistent.
DO: The observable communication behavior
This is what the student will actually do—something you can see and count. Avoid vague language like “improve communication” or “use AAC appropriately.” Instead, specify the action:
- Selects a 2-word message to request a preferred activity
- Navigates to the “feelings” page and activates an emotion word
- Combines core words to comment on a classroom activity
- Uses a pre-stored phrase to introduce the AAC system to a new partner
CONDITION: Context, materials, and supports
This describes when, where, with what, and with whom the behavior occurs. Conditions help ensure the goal is functional and generalizable:
- During small-group science activities
- Given a visual schedule and expectant pause
- Using a 60-icon core vocabulary page on a speech generating device
- With familiar and unfamiliar communication partners across school settings
- After consistent modeling by the classroom team
CRITERION: How success is measured
This specifies the level of performance that indicates mastery. Criteria can address frequency, accuracy, independence, or consistency:
- In 4 out of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions
- On 80 accuracy across weekly classroom observations
- Independently (without verbal cues or gestural prompts) on 3 of 4 observed opportunities
- Increasing from 2 to 8 spontaneous initiations per school day over one quarter
Complete goal examples:
School-aged student: “During structured classroom activities, given access to her 84-location core vocabulary page and consistent modeling from classroom staff, Mia will independently combine 2-3 core words to comment on or request activities in 4 out of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive data collection sessions.”
Adult in outpatient rehab: “During weekly speech therapy sessions and practiced community outings, using his text-based AAC app, Mr. Johnson will independently initiate a repair strategy (repeat, rephrase, or spell) when a communication partner indicates confusion, in 80% of observed breakdown situations over 6 consecutive sessions.”
Augmentative Communication Goals Across Learner Profiles
Goal writing must reflect where a communicator falls on the AAC continuum. An emergent communicator exploring cause-and-effect has fundamentally different needs than a literate teenager using text-based AAC to advocate in medical appointments.
Three broad learner profiles shape how you write goals:
- Early/emergent communicators: Building foundational skills like intentional communication, cause-and-effect, and simple symbolic understanding
- Students with autism and complex needs: Often requiring focus on independent initiation, reduced prompt dependence, and expanding beyond requesting
- Verbal but unintelligible communicators: Using AAC strategically to clarify and augment existing speech
Individual strengths guide system selection and goal focus. A student’s ability with strong visual-spatial skills might thrive with symbol-based AAC, while a student with emerging literacy could benefit from text-based options that grow with their reading skills. Age, cognitive profile, and co-occurring conditions (cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, apraxia of speech) all influence prompt levels, vocabulary selection, and pacing within goals.
Goals for Early and Emergent Communicators
- During cause-and-effect play activities (e.g., wind-up toys, bubble machine), [Student] will activate a single-message switch to request continuation in 3 out of 5 opportunities per session, given consistent modeling and a 5-second expectant pause.
- During shared reading with consistent aided language input from staff, [Student] will visually attend to the communication board when core words are modeled in 80% of opportunities across 4 consecutive sessions.
- Using a low tech core board mounted at the snack table, [Student] will select 1-2 core words (e.g., “more,” “want,” “eat”) during snack time in 3 out of 5 opportunities with moderate prompts, fading to gestural prompts over 6 weeks.
- During sensory play routines with AAC modeling, [Student] will demonstrate intentional communication (selecting a symbol, eye-gazing toward a choice, reaching toward a target) in response to a partner’s pause in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
- [Student] will participate in joint attention activities (looking between object and partner, vocalizing, or activating AAC) during motivating routines in 80% of structured opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks.
For emergent communicators, frequency of opportunities often matters more than strict accuracy criteria. Goals should emphasize high rates of meaningful practice with responsive partners rather than demanding 80% accuracy too early. Building independence happens through thousands of successful communicative exchanges, not through drilling to criterion.
Goals for Students with Autism Using AAC
- During preferred activities (video games, drawing, LEGO), [Student] will use AAC to comment on his activity or interests (not just request) in at least 3 opportunities per session across 4 consecutive sessions, reducing from moderate prompts to independent use.
- When presented with unexpected schedule changes, [Student] will use AAC to protest or request information (“Why?” “When?”) instead of engaging in challenging behavior, in 3 out of 4 observed situations over one grading period, given visual schedule and sensory supports as needed.
- During structured peer activities, [Student] will answer questions about a shared activity using AAC in 4 out of 5 opportunities, with verbal cues fading to natural conversation cues over 8 weeks.
- [Student] will independently initiate a request or comment using AAC at least 5 times per school day (documented via classroom data collection) without requiring gestural or verbal prompts from staff.
- Using AAC, [Student] will make a simple plan with a peer (“Let’s play…” “First we…then we…”) during cooperative activities in 2 out of 3 opportunities across 4 consecutive observations.
- During unstructured times (recess, free time), [Student] will use AAC to gain attention from peers before initiating interaction (e.g., saying peer’s name, tapping and using greeting) in 80% of social initiation attempts over 6 weeks.
Goals for Verbal Communicators Using AAC for Support
- When a listener indicates difficulty understanding verbal speech, [Student] will recognize the breakdown and use AAC (text-to-speech or key word selection) to clarify in 80% of observed situations across therapy and classroom settings.
- During class discussions and oral assessments, [Student] will use a text-to-speech keyboard on her tablet to deliver extended responses (3+ sentences) in 4 out of 5 opportunities, choosing AAC when speech intelligibility is insufficient.
- [Student] will self-monitor and select between verbal speech and AAC based on listener familiarity, message length, and environmental noise, making appropriate modality choices in 80% of observed situations.
- Using AAC apps for texting and video calls, [Student] will participate in remote conversations with family and friends, sending at least 5 meaningful messages per week as documented by caregiver report.
- In community settings (stores, restaurants, medical appointments), [Student] will use AAC to communicate essential information (name, needs, questions) when verbal speech is not understood, in 3 out of 4 opportunities over one semester.
Writing Augmentative Communication Goals in IEPs and Treatment Plans
Augmentative communication goals don’t exist in isolation—they connect to the larger structure of IEPs, 504 plans, or clinical treatment documentation. Understanding this relationship helps you write goals that fit seamlessly into required formats and communicate clearly to the entire team.
The IEP structure:
- Present Levels (PLAAFP): Describes current AAC use, communication functions, independence level, and barriers. This sets the stage for goal areas.
- Annual Goals: Broad targets for the year, written in measurable terms using DO–CONDITION–CRITERION.
- Short-Term Objectives/Benchmarks: Smaller steps toward annual goals, often required for students with significant disabilities. These might represent quarterly progress markers.
- Progress Reporting: How and when you’ll report on goal progress (e.g., quarterly, at each grading period).
Tips for incorporating AAC into IEP goals:
- Include generalization language in the CONDITION: “across classroom, cafeteria, and playground” or “with familiar and unfamiliar partners”
- Specify partner types when relevant: “with peers and adults”
- Build in team supports: “given consistent modeling by classroom staff” or “with visual support available”
- Consider growth-based measurement for early communicators: “increasing from 3 to 10 spontaneous initiations per day” rather than strict percentage criteria
Embedding supports into goals:
Goals should reflect the supports needed for success, incorporated into the CONDITION:
- Aided language input / AAC modeling from partners
- Wait time / expectant pause
- Visual supports and schedules
- Sensory supports for regulation
- Communication partner training as a parallel goal
When the IEP team includes AAC support in goals, it becomes a shared responsibility—not just “the SLP’s thing.” This builds buy-in and increases the likelihood that incorporating AAC happens consistently across the school day.
Write goals in language families understand. Avoid jargon like “augmentative output modality” when “uses her communication device” works better. Parents are IEP team members too, and goals should be clear to everyone at the IEP meeting.
Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Augmentative Communication Goals
Writing goals is only the beginning. Meaningful goals require ongoing data collection, analysis, and adjustment as the student’s ability changes.
Methods for tracking progress:
- Session data sheets: Track specific opportunities and responses during therapy sessions
- Classroom observation logs: Document AAC use during natural contexts like instruction, lunch, and transitions
- Caregiver reports: Gather information about home and community AAC use through simple checklists or communication logs
- Video samples: Record communication samples across months to capture qualitative growth that numbers might miss
What to measure:
Don’t limit yourself to accuracy percentages. Consider tracking:
- Frequency of spontaneous initiations (how often does the student communicate without prompting?)
- Variety of communicative functions (requesting only, or also commenting, asking, protesting?)
- Independence level (full prompts → gestural prompts → independent)
- Message length and complexity over time
- Generalization across settings and partners
When to adjust goals:
Establish specific review points—every 9 weeks, at each grading period, or at quarterly IEP progress reporting. Consider adjustments when:
- Student meets criterion consistently (time to increase complexity)
- Student plateaus despite intervention (examine barriers, adjust conditions)
- New priorities emerge (functional needs change)
- AAC system changes (new vocabulary, new access method)
Example of mid-year goal revision:
Original goal (September): “Using a 45-location core vocabulary display, [Student] will independently request preferred activities using single words in 4 out of 5 opportunities.”
Student progress by December: Consistently meeting criterion with single words, beginning to combine words spontaneously.
Revised goal (January): “Using a 60-location core vocabulary display, [Student] will independently combine 2+ core words to request or comment during classroom activities in 4 out of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions.”
The goal grows with the student. That’s the point.
Further Resources for Augmentative Communication Goal Writing
Building your AAC goal writing skills is an ongoing process. These helpful resources support continued learning and provide practical tools for daily practice.
Online goal banks and templates:
- PrAACtical AAC (praacticalaac.org): Extensive free resources including goal examples, therapy ideas, and implementation guides. Updated regularly with contributions from AAC specialists worldwide.
- Teachers Pay Teachers AAC goal banks: Searchable collections of AAC goal examples created by practicing SLPs. Filter by age, skill area, and tech level.
- District and state SLP resource libraries: Many states maintain shared goal banks through their speech-language-hearing associations.
Assessment tools:
- Communication Matrix (communicationmatrix.org): Free online profile for pre-symbolic through early symbolic communicators
- AAC Profile by ASHA: Framework for documenting AAC skills and needs
- Participation Model resources: Tools for assessing participation barriers and opportunity barriers
Professional development:
- ASHA Learning Pass webinars on AAC (2021–2024 recordings available)
- PRC-Saltillo and Tobii Dynavox training portals: Free courses on specific AAC systems and vocabulary approaches
- AAC in the Cloud: Annual online conference with recorded sessions
Staying current:
- Join state-level speech-language associations and AAC-focused online communities to share and refine goal ideas
- Check AAC journals and practice portals at least once per school year for updates on intervention effectiveness
- Follow AAC users and advocates who share lived experience perspectives on what goals actually matter
Bookmark sites that update regularly and offer printable goal-writing templates. The best resources are those you’ll actually use—find what fits your workflow and build from there.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What are augmentative communication goals?
Augmentative communication goals are specific, measurable objectives designed to help individuals using AAC systems develop effective communication skills. These goals focus on improving language competence, operational skills with the AAC device, and strategic communication abilities in real-life contexts.
Q2: Who writes AAC goals?
AAC goals are typically written by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), often in collaboration with the entire IEP team, including educators, caregivers, and the AAC user themselves. Writing AAC goals is an incredibly important part of speech therapy and requires understanding the student's unique needs.
Q3: How do I write effective AAC goals?
Effective AAC goals follow the DO–CONDITION–CRITERION framework: specifying what the student will do (DO), under what circumstances (CONDITION), and how performance will be measured (CRITERION). Goals should be individualized, functional, and promote independent communication.
Q4: What types of skills do AAC goals target?
AAC goals address a range of skills, including requesting and rejecting, sentence construction, social communication, operational use of AAC devices, and strategic skills like repairing communication breakdowns.
Q5: How do I track progress on AAC goals?
Progress can be tracked through regular data collection methods such as session data sheets, classroom observations, caregiver reports, and video samples. Tracking should focus on meaningful, observable communication behaviors over time, not just accuracy percentages.
Q6: Can AAC goals be used for all ages and abilities?
Yes, AAC goals are adaptable for learners from early emergent communicators to literate adults using complex speech generating devices. Goals should be tailored to the individual's communication profile and developmental level.
Q7: What is the role of communication partners in AAC goal achievement?
Communication partners play a critical role by providing consistent modeling, aided language input, and support across natural contexts. Training and collaboration with partners are essential for embedding AAC use throughout the student's day.
Q8: How do AAC goals fit into IEPs?
AAC goals are integrated within the student's IEP as annual goals and short-term objectives. They align with the present levels of performance and include conditions and criteria that ensure meaningful learning opportunities and progress monitoring.
Q9: What resources can help with writing AAC goals?
There are many resources available, including goal banks, assessment tools like the Communication Matrix and Tobii Dynavox DAGG-2, and professional development courses from organizations such as ASHA and AAC manufacturers.
Q10: How can AAC goals promote communicative autonomy?
By focusing on functional communication, core vocabulary, and strategic use of AAC systems, goals empower users to communicate independently, advocate for themselves, and engage meaningfully in social, academic, and community settings.
Original content from the Upbility writing team. Reproducing this article, in whole or in part, without credit to the publisher is prohibited.
References
- Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children and Adults with Complex Communication Needs (4th ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
- Binger, C., & Light, J. (2006). The effect of aided AAC modeling on the expression of multisymbol messages by preschoolers who use AAC. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49(2), 332-345.
- Brady, N., Bruce, S., Goldman, A., & Warren, S. F. (2016). Communication interventions for individuals with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disabilities: State of the science and future research directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 32(3), 173-186.
- Beukelman, D., Fager, S., Ball, L., & Dietz, A. (2007). AAC for adults with acquired neurological conditions: A review. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 23(3), 230-242.
- Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2012). The changing face of augmentative and alternative communication: Past, present, and future challenges. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 28(4), 197-204.
- Communication Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://communicationmatrix.org/
