Let’s Talk Social Language Goals (Without the Panic!)

Hey there, SLP friends! 👋🏼

Let’s be real for a second—how do you feel when a new client pops onto your caseload with social language goals?
😬 Cue the “Where do I even start?” panic.

I’ve been there. More than once. Especially when I was newer to the world of pragmatics and it felt like there were a million different strategies, theories, and checklists floating around… none of which seemed to make it any easier when you’re sitting down with an actual kiddo who needs you to guide them.

But here’s what I’ve learned (and what’s saved me tons of stress):
You don’t need to follow every trend or theory out there. You just need to focus on what matters most for that individual child. 💡

Step One: Rapport First, Goals Second

Before jumping into any formal assessment or therapy plan, I always start with connection. Kids aren’t going to open up about what they’re struggling with socially if they don’t feel safe or seen.

So get curious. Ask questions. Play games. Chat about their favorite video games, pets, or hobbies. The more they talk, the more you'll discover what’s important to them.

And that’s key—because social language therapy should never be one-size-fits-all. If a student’s biggest stressor is navigating the lunchroom, let’s focus there. If they freeze up during group work, that’s your anchor. The better we understand their daily social experiences, the more meaningful (and functional) our goals can be.

Step Two: Teach the Skill Before You Practice It

Here’s a little soapbox moment from me: We can't expect kids to “use” skills we’ve never actually taught them.

I used to dive straight into role-play or conversation practice, thinking, “Let’s work on topic maintenance!” But guess what? That didn’t work when the student had no idea what topic maintenance actually looked or sounded like.

Now, I always TEACH first. Define the skill. Break it down. Give examples. Watch a video. Practice identifying it in others before asking the child to try it themselves.

This is exactly why I created my Social Language Teach & Practice Units—because I needed a structured, easy-to-follow way to teach the concept first and then scaffold the practice. They help me go from “Let’s learn about personal space” to “Now let’s try it together in a real-world context.”

It’s like giving them the map before asking them to drive the route. 🗺️

Check out my Social Language resource below 👇🏼

Step Three: Have a Go-To Toolbox

If you’ve ever sat down to plan a social language session and found yourself Googling “conversation skills activities” at the last minute… same.

That’s why I made it easy on myself by creating (and constantly using!) my Digital Pragmatic Language Tool. Whether I need:

• A quick screener

• A goal breakdown

• Progress monitoring forms

• Picture-based conversation starters

• Or just ideas for what to target when my brain is fried…

…it’s all in there. It’s seriously my ultimate go-to when I’m working with social/pragmatic goals. No more reinventing the wheel or feeling stuck. Plus, the real-life pictures are so helpful for students who need more concrete examples.

So, TL;DR?

Social language therapy doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. You just need:

✔️ A solid connection with your student
✔️ A plan to explicitly teach skills before practicing
✔️ A toolkit that supports your sessions without adding more stress

You’re not alone in figuring it out—and you don’t have to be perfect at it to make a huge difference for your students.

So here’s to confident (and maybe even fun) social language sessions ahead! 🎉

💬 Ready to simplify your social language therapy?
Check out these two tools that will totally change your sessions:

👉 Social Language Teach & Practice Units
👉 Digital Pragmatic Language Tool

Let me know if you try them—I’d love to hear how they’re working for you! 💬💛

Happy speeching!

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