Functional Goal Writing for Early Childhood SLPs

90-minute self-study course 

Standardized test results are necessary for determining eligibility for therapy services, but they are not useful when it comes to writing therapy goals. This course will provide participants with a framework for developing functional, meaningful goals for young children with speech, language, and social learning challenges. Guidelines for using neurodiversity-informed practices and language when writing goals for autistic children will be an integral part of this training. 

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

1.      List the necessary components of a functional goal.

2.      Analyze the effectiveness of speech-language goals and revise them to be more functional.

3.      Describe the importance of using neurodiversity-informed practices when writing goals for neurodivergent children. 

Timed Agenda:

5 minutes:        Introduction

20 minutes:      Components of a functional goal

35 minutes:      S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Reframing S.M.A.R.T. Goals

15 minutes:      Analyzing and revising commonly used speech-language goals

15 minutes:      Writing neurodiversity-informed goals for autistic children


Meet the Speaker


Cari Ebert, MS, CCC-SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist in private practice in the Kansas City, Missouri area. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1993 and her master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1995. Cari is a therapist, consultant, author, product developer, and nationally recognized speaker who gets paid to do what she loves most—TALK! She specializes in autism, apraxia, and early intervention and believes that collaborating with parents, caregivers, and teachers is the most effective way to support early learning and development. She has an energetic personality, and this translates to a high-energy speaking style. Join Cari as she explores important issues for enhancing the development of young children—you’ll be glad you took the time!

​Disclosures:

Non-financial Disclosure: Cari has an autistic son and shares personal experiences in her trainings.

Financial Disclosure: Cari is author of the book, The Learning to Learn Program, which she will reference in this training. She receives royalties from all book and product sales on her website. She also benefits financially for presenting this course. 

This course is approved for Individual use only. For groups
interested in purchasing this course please contact [email protected]

Refund Policy

  • If a student orders and completes at least 15%, but no more than 30%, of the course and is dissatisfied with the material, then a refund will be considered on a case by case basis. The student will be required to state their specific issues with the course as it relates to their profession for a refund to be considered.
  • If a student completes more than 30% of a course, there will be no refund.
  • If a student fails to complete the course within the 120 day time period, there will be no refund.
  • If a student purchases a course but never starts it within the 120 day time period for any reason, there will be no refund.
  • If a student completes a course but fails to print their certificate of completion, there will be no refund. A certificate of completion will be issued to the student after verifying that the course was completed.