Cognitive Orientation for Daily Occupational Performance Approach for Children with Asperger's Syndrome

Abstract

Cognitive Orientation for daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is a client-centred, cognitive approach to acquisition of occupational skills. Children are taught a global problem solving framework and are guided to discover Domain Specific Strategies to enable mastery of their child chosen skills. A major focus of CO-OP is on the generalization and transfer of learned strategies and skills to everyday life. Two case studies are reported that provide preliminary evidence of the effects of CO-OP on the everyday lives of two siblings (aged 9 years and 11 years) with Asperger's Syndrome. The data were drawn from the detailed diary kept by the children's mother from the start of intervention and for two months after intervention ceased. Thematic analysis of the diary entries revealed multiple detailed accounts of the children's spontaneous use of the global problem solving framework to assist with acquisition of new motor skills, to overcome organizational and social-emotional difficulties, as well as numerous examples of generalization and transfer of skills. This case report provides preliminary support for CO-OP as an intervention for children with Asperger's Syndrome that supports both skill acquisition and generalization and transfer of skills and strategies.