Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists December 2015 | Page 6

Cognitive Orientation to Daily Performance
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:
1. skill acquisition in child-chosen tasks
2. development of cognitive strategies
3. generalization and transfer of learned skills
and strategies.
The 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. This
pdf is a great place to start to explore this approach further – Polatajko & Mandich (2010). Cognitive Orientation to
daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP). Retreived from the web on 11/18/15 from
http://www.dyspraksi.no/uploads/7/0/4/9/7049202/co-op-info-jolien.pdf.
Here is a helpful list of peer reviewed, evidence based articles on CO-OP
http://ot.utoronto.ca/coop/research/publications/articles.html
References:
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). Retreived from the web on 11/18/15 from http://www.dyspraksi.no/uploads/7/0/4/9/7049202/co-op-infojolien.pdf.
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

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