Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance Approach
Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance or CO-OP is defined by Polatajko and Mandich as a “a client-centred, performance based, problem solving approach that enables skill acquisition through a process of strategy use and guided discovery”. CO-OP is an evidence based approach that has been successful for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and autism spectrum disorder (Rodger & Brandenburg, 2008).
According to Missiuna et al. the main objectives of CO-OP are:
- skill acquisition in child-chosen tasks
- development of cognitive strategies
- generalization and transfer of learned skills and strategies.
There steps to the CO-OP approach include client chosen goals, dynamic performance analysis, cognitive strategy use, guided discovery, enabling principles, parent/significant other involvement and intervention format.
Generally, the CO-OP approach is GOAL – PLAN – DO – CHECK.
Step 1: The child along with the parents determine a goal or task that needs to be accomplished. The therapist performs evaluations and assessments to determine if the goal is feasible.
Step 2: Create a plan together to reach the goal. To begin, the therapist performs a task analysis of the child performing the skill. The child can explore different strategies such as body position, attention to the current task, modifications, self talk, self monitoring, etc.
Step 3: Carry out the plan with the child using the planned strategies to accomplish the task.
Step 4: Check the plan. How well did it all work? What was successful? What can I change? What needs improvement? This can be done through self-interrogation, self-monitoring, self-observation and self-evaluation.
There are many resources to learn more about this cognitive based approach to achieving new motor skills. The official CO-OP Approach website: http://www.ot.utoronto.ca/coop/
For more informal information check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/coopapproach/
Here is a helpful list of peer reviewed, evidence based articles on CO-OP
Reference:
Missiuna, C., Mandich, A., Polatajko, H. & Malloy-Miller, T. (2001). Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP): Part I — Theoretical foundations. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 20, 69–81.
Polatajko, H. & Mandich, A. (2004). Enabling occupation in children: The cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) approach. Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications.
Polatajko & Mandich (2010). Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance
(CO-OP).
Rodger, S. & Brandenburg, J. (2008). Cognitive Orientation to (daily) Occupational Performance (CO-OP) with children with Asperger’s syndrome who have motor-based occupational performance goals. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1630.2008.00739.x
My Goal Tracker:
This is an electronic book of data collection forms for students to track their own progress. The student can track his/her goals over time, by monitoring the skills over the course of a day, week, month or quarter. This allows the student to get a visual picture of improvement, decline or maintenance of different skills.
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