Speech goals often include specific work on intelligibility, with emphasis on sounds in isolation, words, and sentences. Such work may include oral-motor exercises for strengthening lip and tongue control. Speech therapists can also help with cluttering, the tendency to repeat syllables, words, and phrases. Auditory processing goals should focus on the specific areas of weakness, whether in attention, perception, memory, or conceptualization. SLPs may work with teachers to help them slow their rate of speech and emphasize words clearly with children who have slow processing.
Visual cues can be very helpful to focus attention and aid memory.
Higher level conceptual goals can be designed around cause and effect, prediction, and problem solving, using stories, academic subjects, and real-life situations. Parents can contribute to the goal development in speech and language by thinking through and listing speech and language needs at home. They may have specific topics for vocabulary units that they believe will be useful for their child. They may also have valuable information about conversational abilities at home. Goal setting should be a joint project of the professional staff and parents.