Efficacy of the CO-OP Approach With Brazilian Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Background. Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have difficulties performing daily activities which reflects negatively on participation, impacting their lives. Objectives. To examine the effects of the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance Approach (CO-OP Approach) protocol on occupational performance and satisfaction of Brazilian children who have DCD; to examine whether children were able to transfer strategies and skills learned during CO-OP to untrained goals. Methods. A pre-post group comparison design with eight boys aged 6-10 years old. Children participated in 12 CO-OP sessions with their parents twice a week, with an extra session added to the protocol for parents´ orientation. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and the Performance Quality Rating Scale were used as outcome measures.

Inclusion criteria

• poor motor performance measured by a motor performance test (cut off score below the 15th percentile).
• poor performance on academic and daily living activities measured by the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire answered by the parents.
• attending regular education with no evidence of marked school delay (over a year).
• cognitive development within the expected age range according to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III).

Exclusion criteria

• signs of neurological or neuromuscular disorder.
• presence of intellectual disability.