How COVE targets were developed: “From SMART target to COVE targets”

 

In 2011, I was offered the role of an independent therapist in a primary school serving as the  District Specialist Provision, with many classes for primary aged children with an EHC plan identifying their profound, severe and complex learning needs. I have been employed since then by the school to help support the specialist staff in developing all the children’s communication skills.

A huge challenge faced working one day a week was trying to work out how to support the 100 + children in a way that would be the most effective.

I have always had difficulties with merging the need to apply the principles of setting “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) targets with setting targets that “might work” and should be tried!

The example I can give for this is when working with deaf people, SLTs frequently set auditory training targets hoping to develop speech sound discrimination so that this may alter their own speech production and /or their perception of speech. BUT and there is a big but; we don’t always know even with the very best auditory training taking place the optimal numbers of times a day/ week, that the individual might be able to achieve this target.

Nevertheless, the target is still valid as if it is  achieved, the results for that individual are far reaching!

Once I started my work at the school, I realised I had to change my ideas about target setting with the groups of children I found I was working with. It might not have been possible to make them achieve their targets through lots of repetitions, but it would be essential to at least offer the child enough opportunities in which to develop their skills. The focus needed to be on the staff around the individual ensuring that the child was offered enough opportunities throughout the day for any particular target toe be worked on. These opportunities had to be consistently embedded throughout the day and in a range of settings. 

An example for this is when I began working at the school, some children were offered the opportunity to develop skills in using PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) during snack time and snack time alone. As we know from the PECS training, a child needs to have at least 30 opportunities throughout the day for the skill to be fully acquired. It is clear that using PECS at snack time alone will not help the children learn to use the symbols appropriately.

In other words, the staff need to facilitate there being  many many opportunities throughout the day where the opportunities throughout the day to use and practice the specifc skill that is wanted to be achieved.

COVE developed as a result of looking at the MOVE approach- Mobility Opportunities Via Education/Experience being used in the school already.

The similarities in the approaches were clear, and hence COVE: Communication Opportunities for children via Education/Experience was developed.

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COVE aims to look at promoting and developing the communication opportunities presented for children within the educational environment and ultimately to improving the individuals’ communication skills whilst developing the supporting environment. 

The COVE approach can be used with all children and young people with any degree of communication difficulty.

COVE is an approach that turns the SMART child centred targets into adult focussed strategies to be incorporated into the day allowing the child a range of opportunities that may assist in their communication development.

COVE is about looking at the environment and seeing how the adults can adapt and develop the number and type of communication opportunities that can be presented to the child.

COVE has helped staff working with children to feel empowered in knowing what they themselves can do on a daily basis to help and develop each child’s specific communication skills.

 

When setting a COVE target ...

….....look at the area that would help extend or develop the child’s communication skill the most. Speech and Language Therapists are key in helping staff to set these targets. Often as Speech and Language Therapists we will assess a child's communication skills and we then may outline a number of different targets for a child to achieve. Teachers may need support in selecting the most important target to try and incorporate throughout the day.

........think about what opportunities there are that could be incorporated and embedded within the school day.

COVE TARGETS explained

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