Expressive Language Goals, Rebooted: The ICF Approach

If your expressive language goals sound great in the therapy room but go fuzzy in the classroom, there might be a reason: most traditional goals describe impairments, not participation. There is a modern solution for this. The research-backed fix is to write goals through the WHO’s ICF lens so that what students practice maps directly to what they need to do in class. The ICF is the World Health Organization’s international standard for describing functioning and disability, formally endorsed by all 191 WHO member states. While it isn’t brand-new, many school teams are just now applying it to goal writing.

ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) -aligned expressive language goals are SMART statements that tie observable language behaviors to classroom participation (activities/participation). Using the WHO’s ICF framework, not merely impairment labels, ensures that goals are directly aligned to classroom needs.

Below we explain what the ICF is (and why ASHA recognizes it for SLP practice), then show how to convert any goal into an ICF + SMART version that aligns with curriculum tasks. You’ll get age-banded examples, pitfalls to avoid, and progress tips—plus a link to the Speech Therapy Goal Bank bank for copy-ready targets.

ICF 101: What It Is—and Why It Changes Goal Writing

• What is it? The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is the WHO’s common language for describing health, centered on activities (what a person does), participation (in real life contexts), body functions/structures, and environmental factors. It’s used worldwide as the international standard for describing and measuring functioning and disability.
• Who backs it? The ICF was endorsed by all 191 WHO member states (WHA 54.21) and sits alongside ICD in the WHO Family of International Classifications. In our field, ASHA identifies the ICF as a useful framework for prevention, assessment, treatment, and documentation—reinforcing participation-focused, curriculum-relevant services in schools.
• Why most SLPs are hearing about it “now.” Although established globally since 2001, many school-based teams are newly applying the ICF to goal writing. This has been driven by a need for inclusive practice and standards-based IEPs that prioritize access, engagement, and progress in grade-level curriculum (Read more: ASHA Pubs).
• The payoff (your differentiator). ICF-aligned goals:
  • map directly to curriculum tasks (e.g., summarizing texts, explaining math reasoning, contributing in science labs),
  • improve team clarity (teachers see the classroom “why”), and
  • strengthen documentation for compliance and payers by linking goals to educational benefit and participation.

The SMART + ICF Template (write a goal in 60 seconds)

Given {CONDITION/materials & supports}, STUDENT will {DO/observable expressive skill} with {CRITERION/accuracy or independence} to support {PARTICIPATION/classroom task}, {CONSISTENCY/TIMEFRAME}.

• DO: retell a 3-event story; produce regular past tense; combine clauses; ask for clarification; deliver a 60-sec summary.
• CONDITION: picture sequence, graphic organizer, sentence stem, word bank, AAC model.
• CRITERION: 80% across 3 probes; 4/5 opportunities; within 1 minute.
• PARTICIPATION (ICF): during ELA small group; to explain math reasoning; to contribute in science labs.

This mirrors widely used goal-writing formulas (DO/CONDITION/CRITERION) while making participation explicit via the ICF lens.

Expressive Language Goal Bank Examples (PreK • Elementary • MS/HS)

The easiest way to see how the ICF enhances expressive language IEP goals is to see them spelled out fully. If you are like me, you goals probably looked pretty good and contained maybe 70-80% of what you see below. And for those of you working in a clinic, this is a huge bonus because expressive language goals for speech therapy rarely get denied by insurance when written this way.

1) Semantics Expressive Language IEP Goals (vocabulary & relationships)

• PreK–K: Given thematic pictures and modeled language, STUDENT will label 20 classroom objects and state one attribute at 80% accuracy to participate in circle-time naming and center directions, across 3 sessions.
• Elementary: Given a category mat and a word bank from the current science unit, STUDENT will name 5 items/category and state one function each at 80% to contribute examples during science discussions, across 3 probes.
• MS/HS: Given weekly content passages, STUDENT will define and use 10 academic words in spoken summaries with 4/5 accuracy to meet vocabulary demands in ELA/social studies, for 3 consecutive weeks.

2) Morphology Expressive Language IEP Goals (grammatical markers)

• PreK–K: Given play routines and visual models, STUDENT will use -ing and plural -s in spontaneous 2–3 word utterances in 4/5 opportunities to make needs known during centers, across 3 sessions.
• Elementary: Given picture prompts and a sentence stem, STUDENT will produce regular past tense in sentences at 80% to recount events in personal narratives, across 3 probes.
• MS/HS: Given a speaking task, STUDENT will correctly use comparatives/superlatives in 4/5 opportunities to compare historical events in social studies, for 3 consecutive sessions.

3) Syntax Expressive Language IEP Goals (sentence formulation)

• PreK–K: Given noun/verb pictures, STUDENT will formulate 4–5 word SVO sentences at 80% to answer “What is happening?” during shared reading, across 3 sessions.
• Elementary: Given scrambled word cards and a visual organizer, STUDENT will formulate 6–8 word sentences in 3/4 opportunities to write complete responses in ELA centers, across 3 probes.
• MS/HS: Given two simple sentences, STUDENT will combine into one complex sentence using because/after/which at 80% to improve clarity in lab reports and discussions, across 3 probes.

4) Pragmatics Expressive Language IEP Goals (social communication)

• PreK–K: Given play-based routines and AAC/spoken options, STUDENT will request, protest, comment, and gain attention in 4/5 opportunities to engage peers during free play and choice time, across 3 sessions.
• Elementary: During structured peer tasks, STUDENT will initiate and maintain 3–4 on-topic turns in 4/5 opportunities to work productively in small-group projects, across 3 weeks.
• MS/HS: Given group assignments, STUDENT will ask for clarification and negotiate roles in 3/4 opportunities to meet collaborative work expectations, for 3 consecutive weeks.

5) Narrative Language Expressive Language IEP Goals (story & expository)

• PreK–K: Given a 3-picture sequence and temporal word visuals, STUDENT will retell beginning–middle–end at 80% to share personal stories during morning meeting, across 3 probes.
• Elementary: Given a graphic organizer, STUDENT will retell stories including character, setting, problem, 3+ events, resolution in 4/5 opportunities to meet ELA retell standards, across 3 sessions.
• MS/HS: Given a content text, STUDENT will produce a concise spoken summary (main idea + 2 details + conclusion) in 4/5 opportunities to present takeaways in class, across 3 probes.

ASHA encourages contextualized, academically relevant targets—use classroom tasks as your participation anchor. ASHA

How Do Standard Expressive Language Goals Differ?

You probably have your favorite expressive language goals that might just need some sprucing up. Here are the problems we see most commonly with reports we are reviewing or goals we are revisiting during a reevaluation.

• Vague verbs (“improve expressive language”) → Swap for observable DOs (retell, define, combine, request, summarize).
• No condition/context → Specify materials/supports and the participation task.
• Mega-goals across domains → Split syntax vs. pragmatics vs. narratives so progress is trackable.
• Criteria not tied to baseline → Calibrate and add consistency (e.g., 3 consecutive probes).
  Guides in our field consistently recommend measurable SMART wording and curriculum links.

How many expressive goals should an IEP include?
As a whole, one to three high-impact expressive goals per service area is typical; keep receptive vs. expressive separate so each is measurable.

Do I have to cite the ICF in the IEP?
There is no requirement to name it, but using the ICF lens helps you write goals that match real school tasks and naturally involve the team.

What if the student uses AAC?
Use the same template; specify device/page set and modeling as the CONDITION, and keep the participation clause tied to class routines.

Your Next Step

Ready to grab plug-and-play goals that are divided by area of need and available in Spanish and English? Head on over to our goal bank and copy what you need.

Resources:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “Spoken Language Disorders.” ASHA Practice Portal. Accessed 15 Sept. 2025. ASHA
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “The ICF: An Overview and Applications in SLP.” Accessed 15 Sept. 2025. ASHA
• World Health Organization. “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).” Accessed 15 Sept. 2025. World Health Organization
• Diehm, Emily, et al. “Writing Measurable and Academically Relevant IEP Goals for Children with Language Disorders.” Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2017. ASHA
• Communication Community. “How to Write Expressive Language Goals [with goal bank].” 24 Apr. 2021. Communication Community