Social Cues IEP Goals: 15 Examples for Faces, Body Language and Tone

Social cues IEP goals target a student’s ability to notice and correctly read nonverbal signals (facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and personal space, plus situational cues) and to change what they do in response.

Which social cues to teach first

Teach first the cue causing a real problem now: the one behind the lunch-table conflict or the job-site complaint. Identifying social cues starts with four types, and each goal should name one. Examples of social cues:

• Facial expressions: a frown, raised eyebrows, a forced smile.
• Body language: arms crossed, a body turned away, a slumped posture.
• Voice pitch and tone: a flat “great” that means the opposite.
• Personal space: stepping back, leaning away. Distance and touch have their own guide: personal space IEP goals.

Situational cues cause many hallway problems: a closed door, a teacher talking quietly with another student, a group that goes silent. All of these sit inside social communication, the broader area an SLP evaluates. Cue reading is different from perspective-taking (working out what someone else thinks or knows), which needs its own goal. No cue has one fixed meaning, and culture shapes how people use gaze, so score the cues the team defines.

Why this guide has no eye-contact goals. In a qualitative study of first-hand accounts posted online by teens and adults with self-declared autism, contributors described eye contact as uncomfortable, even invasive, and many said they could not listen while holding it; some used nods or facial expressions to show attention instead (Trevisan et al., 2017).

ASHA lists “maintaining the appearance of eye contact” as a form of masking and says SLP services should not force autistic people to mask (ASHA Practice Portal). The purpose behind an eye-contact goal is showing the speaker you heard them, so write that, with signals the student chooses. An older student may choose to practice eye contact for interviews; staff never prompt it in class.

Find out which cues the student misses

Take two baselines before writing the goal: one from a probe and one from the real setting. Comparing them indicates whether the skill holds up outside the probe.

Probe. Build a pool of 30 or more short photo or video clips for the suspected cue type, keeping only clips two adults agree on. Draw 10 each time so the probe doesn’t become a memory test, give no feedback and score each correct or incorrect. Clips of familiar peers (with written permission from the filmed students’ parents) are closer to real life than stock photos; staff-acted clips work when that isn’t possible. Check the latest hearing screening before reading a low tone-of-voice score as a cue problem.

Real setting. Over 3 days, the adult who is actually there (often a paraprofessional or job coach) keeps a missed-cue tally in 2 settings during a fixed window, such as the first 15 minutes of lunch. A cue counts as noticed if [Student]’s behavior changes within 2 conversational turns or 10 seconds; once you choose a goal, score with its behavior. One row is enough to start (illustrative data):

The five parts of a social cues goal. Every goal below carries all five:

1. Baseline: a number from the probe or the tally, in parentheses at the end.
2. Condition: the materials or setting (“given 10 video clips”).
3. Observable behavior: what you would see (“names the emotion”).
4. Criterion with a consistency window: “8 of 10 clips on 3 consecutive weekly probes”.
5. Measurement method: probe score sheet, observation checklist or SLP data sheet.

Social cues IEP goals for faces, body language and tone of voice

Each goal targets one cue type, so the data can show which one moved. Match the cue to the age: pictures and simple faces in Grades K–5, sarcasm and group cues in Grades 6–8, a supervisor’s or customer’s tone in Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs. Start each goal with “By [IEP end date].”

Scoring rules for every real-setting goal:

• Opportunities are pooled across the named settings (at least 1 in each), at least 5 a week. Planned ones set up by a trained peer or adult count, but mark them on the tally, and a week counts toward mastery only with at least 2 natural ones. A week short of either is marked “too few” and doesn’t count either way.
• “4 of 5 … across 3 consecutive weeks” means at least 80% in each of those weeks, and only unprompted responses score.
• Safety comes first: being hurt, sick or scared means interrupting right away, and it is never scored.

Goals 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9 are probe goals; pair each with a real-setting part, as the second rewrite below does.

Reading facial expressions

1. [Grades K–5] Given 10 photos of familiar classmates or adults showing happy, sad, mad or scared, [Student] will name or point to the matching feeling picture (speech, card or device) in 8 of 10 photos on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by a teacher-scored probe sheet (baseline: 3 of 10; calls most faces “happy”).
2. [Grades 6–8] Given 10 short video clips of peers each showing one emotion (happy, frustrated, bored, confused or surprised), [Student] will name the emotion and point to one facial feature that signals it in 8 of 10 clips on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by a teacher- or SLP-scored probe sheet (baseline: 4 of 10 correct; labels most clips “happy” or “mad”).
3. [Grades K–5] During centers, when a peer at [Student]’s center shows an upset face (crying, frowning), [Student] will respond with one taught option (asks “Are you okay?”, offers help or tells an adult) within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a teacher checklist (baseline: 1 of 5).
4. [Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs] During at least 2 school-store or job-site shifts a week, when a customer (including a staff “customer”) shows a listed confusion cue (scrunched brow, picking up and putting back the same item), [Student] will offer help within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a job-coach checklist (baseline: 1 of 5).

Reading body language

5. [Grades K–5] Given 10 freeze-frame photos of children at play, [Student] will sort each as “wants to join” or “wants to be left alone” and name or point to one body clue (facing toward, turned away, arms crossed), scoring an item only when both parts are right, in 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by an SLP data sheet (baseline: 0 of 10 with both parts).
6. [Grades 6–8] During one observed 10-minute partner-work segment in each of two classes, when the partner signals a turn (reaches for the materials, leans in, starts to speak), [Student] will yield the turn (stops talking, slides the materials over or says “go ahead”) within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by each teacher’s checklist (baseline: 1 of 5 in each class).
7. [Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs] At a work-based learning site, each time [Student] has a non-urgent question while the supervisor shows a busy cue (on the phone, typing, one finger raised), [Student] will wait until the supervisor is free or leave a note in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a job-coach checklist (baseline: waits in 1 of 5).

Hearing tone of voice, including sarcasm

8. [Grades K–5] Given 10 recordings of the same words said in a happy, mad, sad or scared voice, [Student] will point to the matching feeling picture in 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by an SLP data sheet (baseline: 3 of 10).
9. [Grades 6–8] Given 10 audio clips, each introduced with one line of context (“Your friend just missed the shot”), of everyday phrases said sincerely or sarcastically, [Student] will say whether the speaker means it and name one voice clue (a stretched word, a flat tone), scoring an item only when both parts are right, in 8 of 10 clips on 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by an SLP data sheet (baseline: 0 of 10 with both parts; calls every clip sincere).
10. [Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs] During at least 2 job-site or school-store shifts a week, when a customer (including a staff “customer”) shows impatience (sighs, taps, gives clipped answers), [Student] will acknowledge the wait (“Sorry for the wait”) or get the supervisor before the customer speaks again in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a job-coach checklist (baseline: 1 of 5).

Reading the situation or the group

11. [Grades K–5] When the adult [Student] needs is talking quietly with someone else, [Student] will wait or place the “help” card on the desk instead of interrupting in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks in the classroom and the resource room, as measured by each adult’s checklist (baseline: waits or uses the card in 1 of 5). Staff answer the card within 2 minutes.
12. [Grades 6–8] When joining a lunch table or class group already under way, [Student] will wait without talking for at least 2 speaker turns, then make a first comment or question on the group’s topic in 4 of 5 joins across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a paraprofessional (lunch) and teacher (class) checklist (baseline: joins on topic in 1 of 5).
13. [Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs] During lunch or small-group work, when a peer gives a “conversation is ending” cue (looks away, turns their body, gives one-word answers or says “okay…”), [Student] will end the conversation or change the topic within 2 conversational turns in 4 of 5 observed opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks in two settings, as measured by a staff observation checklist (baseline: responds to the cue in 1 of 5 opportunities; continues the same topic for 5 or more turns).

Acting on the cue

14. [Grades 6–8] During lunch and advisory, when a peer or adult makes a remark that could be a joke or serious (including planned ones), [Student] will respond in line with what the speaker meant or ask a clarifying question (“Are you joking?”) before acting on it in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a teacher or paraprofessional checklist (baseline: 0 of 5; takes joking remarks literally).
15. [Grades 9–12 and 18–22 programs] During at least 2 job-site shifts a week, when a coworker, supervisor or customer reacts badly right after [Student]’s comment (a frown, a step back, a flat “okay”), including planned role-plays, [Student] will check in or repair within 2 conversational turns (“Did that come out wrong?”, a rephrase or a new topic) in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a job-coach checklist (baseline: 0 of 5).

Rewriting a social cues goal you can’t measure

Weak (from the earlier version of this post): “By (date), the student will initiate and maintain eye contact for a minimum of 15 seconds during conversations in at least 9 out of 10 daily interactions.”

Why it fails:

• It measures a form, not the purpose behind it.
• It can cause real distress for some autistic students.
• It has no baseline, and “daily interactions” has no defined count.

Strong: During teacher-led discussion and small-group work in two classes, when an adult or peer speaks directly to [Student], [Student] will show they heard, using a signal chosen with the team (a nod, “okay”, a thumbs-up) or a reply or action related to what was said, within 5 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by a co-teacher or paraprofessional checklist during one 15-minute observation per class per week (baseline: 1 of 5). Pair it with a supplementary aid: “Staff do not require or prompt eye contact.”

Weak: “The student will understand social cues.”

Why it fails:

• “Understand” can’t be observed.
• It names no cue type, setting, criterion or baseline.

Strong: Given 10 recorded phrases said sincerely or sarcastically, [Student] will identify what the speaker means in 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive weekly probes; and during lunch and advisory, when a peer makes a sarcastic remark (including planned ones), [Student] will respond to what the speaker meant (answers the real message, jokes back or asks “Are you serious?”) in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by an SLP probe sheet and a paraprofessional tally (baseline: probe 3 of 10; real setting 1 of 5). Both parts must be met and are reported separately; sarcasm used to tease [Student] is reported to staff, not scored.

Before you finalize any goal, check three things:

• Which cue?
• Where?
• What would you see the student do differently?

Teaching cue reading with video, freeze-frames and live coaching

Video modeling, social narratives and peer-based instruction are among the 28 evidence-based practices that the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice identified in research with children, youth and young adults with autism (Steinbrenner et al., 2020). Pair each method with the kind of goal it serves:

• Video modeling → probe goals (1, 2, 8, 9) and conversation goals (13). A short recorded demonstration of the skill, shown before practice. One adaptation is to pause the clip before the reaction and ask what the person feels and what will happen next. Use clips of real peers where permission allows.
• Freeze-frame photo sorts → body language goals (5, 6). A practitioner adaptation: pause on one frame and sort it, join or leave alone, busy or free.
• Social narratives → situational goals (11, 12). A short written story describes the setting, the cue and what to do next.
• A private prompt card in the real setting → real-setting goals. A card shown quietly at the table replaces a spoken prompt in front of peers. Fade it from showing the card, to touching the table, to nothing.
• Peer-mediated practice → group and joking goals (12, 14). Trained peers give the cue on purpose and wait for the response.

Teach in a calm, low-stakes moment; prompt it live in the real setting. If a misread cue sets off an escalation, pair this with a self-regulation goal.

Who owns a social cues goal: the SLP, the teacher or both

Write one shared goal. IDEA doesn’t forbid parallel goals, but a teacher goal and an SLP goal for the same skill, each with its own data, give the team two answers at the annual review. Split the work instead:

• The SLP (or the teacher, with SLP consult) runs the weekly probe and teaches the cue types. Speech-language pathology is a related service (34 CFR §300.34); under some states’ standards it counts as special education itself (§300.39(a)(2)(i)).
• The paraprofessional, job coach or teacher who is present keeps the real-setting tally. The IEP’s services and supports for school personnel (§300.320(a)(4)) can cover training that person on the cue definitions, the card and the tally, with frequency, location and duration stated under §300.320(a)(7).
• The case manager writes one progress statement from both streams, against the criterion as written (“probe 8 of 10 for 2 of 3 weeks; lunch 3 of 5”), on the schedule the IEP sets. The IEP must describe how progress will be measured and when reports are provided (§300.320(a)(3); statute: 20 U.S.C. §1414(d)). Keep the dated, initialed sheets with each report.

Federally, short-term objectives are required only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards; check your state’s rules. For goals across all five SEL competencies, see social emotional IEP goals.

Checking whether cue reading carries over

Probe scores for recognizing social cues can climb to 9 of 10 while the hallway problem continues. In a meta-analysis of randomized trials with autistic participants, facial emotion training (mostly computer-based) improved emotion recognition, but the few studies that checked broader social skills found no general improvement (Zhang et al., 2021). Two data streams catch that gap.

Write both baselines into the goal when it has both parts; for a one-part goal, put the other in the present levels.

Track two streams:

1. A weekly 10-item probe for the target cue type, scored out of 10.
2. The real-setting tally, taken in 2 settings, 2 days a week, as noticed-and-acted-on out of opportunities.

A filled week for goal 13 looks like this:

Print a blank copy (one page, no sign-up): Download the frequency and latency data sheet (PDF, one page)

Graph both on one chart as weekly percentages, with a goal line from the baseline to the criterion at the IEP end date. If the probe rises while the real-setting line stays flat, add in-the-moment coaching with the private card and use clips of real peers.

Judge:

• Graph weekly, look at the graph every 2–3 weeks and report at each IEP progress report.
• Change the teaching before the goal. Adapted from NCII’s rule for academic data: once you have at least 6 weekly points, if the four most recent all fall below the goal line, consider adapting the intervention (NCII decision rules; data-based individualization).
• When the probe first reaches criterion, teach with a new adult or in a new setting before considering a higher criterion. If the whole goal is met early, report it and amend the IEP.

For families, give one plain sentence from the graph: “[Student] spotted the ‘I’m done talking’ signs in 6 of 10 practice clips this week, but caught them in real conversations 2 times out of 6, both in small group and none at lunch.” Then a home version: name the tone or the face out loud at dinner, using the same words as school.

An Ori Learning lesson on reading social cues

In “Social Cues and Emotional Space,” Unit 1, Lesson 4 of Ori Learning’s Building Social Awareness course for grades 9–12, students learn that “There are four types of social cues: facial expressions, body language, voice pitch and tone, and personal space.” They study what common expressions look like; confusion, for example, is “Nose and forehead scrunched up, one eyebrow raised, and pursed lips.” Then they work a hallway scenario: a teacher is talking with another student, her face tense, eyebrows raised, leaning in. Should they stop to ask about homework? A tone example follows: “sure let me check my calendar,” said sarcastically. It closes with a partner role-play: students pick a scenario where a friend’s, coworker’s or family member’s cues say something is wrong, write what they would say (“What do you need?”), practice it and trade feedback.

Building Social Awareness is its own course. For grades 6–12, Ori Learning’s SEL curriculum for grades 6–12 also has a social awareness unit at every grade, with lessons on empathy and understanding how other people feel, such as Grade 9’s “Empathy” and Grade 10’s “Sympathy Vs. Empathy.”

Related Resources

• how to write effective IEP goals
• social skills IEP goals
• perspective-taking IEP goals
• peer interaction goals

Sources

1. Trevisan, D. A., Roberts, N., Lin, C., & Birmingham, E. (2017). How do adults and teens with self-declared Autism Spectrum Disorder experience eye contact? A qualitative analysis of first-hand accounts. PLOS ONE, 12(11), e0188446. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188446
2. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Autism and autism spectrum disorder [Practice Portal]. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/autism/
3. Zhang, Q., Wu, R., Zhu, S., Le, J., Chen, Y., Lan, C., Yao, S., Zhao, W., & Kendrick, K. M. (2021). Facial emotion training as an intervention in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Autism Research, 14(10), 2169–2182. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2565
4. Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy-Özkan, S., & Savage, M. N. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team. https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf
5. National Center on Intensive Intervention. (2024). Decision rules for analyzing academic progress monitoring data. https://intensiveintervention.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/apm-decision-rules.pdf; and What is data-based individualization? https://intensiveintervention.org/data-based-individualization
6. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations, 34 CFR §300.320 (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320), §300.34 (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.34) and §300.39 (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.39); statute, 20 U.S.C. §1414(d) (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1414/d).