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Preliminary data supports the effectiveness of Cognitive Orientation to (daily) Occupational Performance (CO-OP) for children with Asperger syndrome (AS). Children with AS often experience social and organizational difficulties spanning daily occupations. This case study explored the pattern of Global Strategies and Domain-Specific Strategies (DSS) use, the type of guidance, and dimensions of time on task used by two children with AS (aged 10 and 12 years) in addressing social and organizational goals during the CO-OP intervention. Coding of the videotaped CO-OP sessions suggested that both children (a) utilized all the Global strategies, particularly "understanding the context" and "plan"; (b) used six common DSS, namely transitional supports, affective supports, attending, task-specification, task modification, and supplementing task knowledge, with task-specification being most prominent; (c) required minimal guidance while "doing"; and (d) engaged in considerable time "talking about the task." The results provide initial insights into strategies that may enable children with AS to achieve social and organizational goals. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This study explores the use of occupational performance coaching (OPC) with three parent-child dyads using descriptive case study methodology. OPC is a parent-directed intervention in which parents are coached to improve their own or their children's performance in home and community contexts. In this study, parent and child performance was examined using a pre-post intervention design with the key outcome measures being the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and goal attainment scaling (GAS). Parent experiences of engaging with a therapist using OPC were explored through thematic analysis of interviews with parents after completing intervention. Themes relating to learning, changes at home, and the challenges and rewards of OPC emerged from interviews with parents. Results indicate that OPC may be a useful intervention for therapists seeking to achieve occupational performance outcomes with children and parents. Further research avenues are described. (Contains 2 tables.)

Over the past decade, cognitive approaches with children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have been investigated. Although studies have focused on intervention outcomes, few have documented the components of the approach that support the enhancement of children's performance. This study used systematic observation of videotaped intervention sessions to identify the frequency and type of strategies that four children with DCD used during a cognitive intervention (CO-OP). The strategies used by younger and older children were compared, with differences found in verbal-based strategy use. Cognitive strategy use appears to be more related to the individual child and intervention goal than to age. (Contains 4 tables and 7 figures.)

Aims:This study examined strategies mothers reported as effective in facilitating children's successful performance in activities they identified as goals during Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC).Methods:Twenty-nine mothers of children with occupational performance issues engaged in OPC. A random sample of 44 /157 (28%) coaching sessions were video-recorded from which the audio recording was analyzed using a general inductive approach to explore the nature of strategies reported as effective by mothers.Results: Two major themes emerged: (1) Context-focused; or (2) Child-focused. Context-focused strategies were characterized by mothers’ actions that made the performance context more conducive to children's success. The emphasis of mothers’ intention in Context-focused strategies was achievement of the task with minimal stress. Context-focused strategies included subthemes of Adjust Manner, Create Distance, Add Structure and Routine, and Teach. Child-focused strategies required higher levels of engagement with children in the application of strategies and were focused on children's skill development. Subthemes included Collaboration and Offer Choice.Conclusions:Mothers engaged in coaching identified strategies which they found supported children's performance, attesting to the existing capacity of mothers in identifying and evaluating effective ways of enhancing children's performance. Findings suggest the potential of coaching as a capacity-building, context-based intervention to improve children's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims:To investigate whether children with probable or definite differences in sensory processing (SP) had participation restrictions, and the relationship between Short Sensory Profile (SSP) scores and children's participation.Methods:The participants were parents of 64 children (mean age 8 years 1 month); 36 with potential impairments in regulating sensory input and filtering out unnecessary stimuli (29 boys, 7 girls) and 28 with typical SP abilities (25 boys, 3 girls). Parents’ completed the SSP and Participation in Childhood Occupations Questionnaire (PICO-Q). The SSP score was used to categorize children as potential SP impairment group and typical SP ability group.Results:Children categorized as having probable or definite differences in SP exhibited significantly lower participation levels and enjoyment than children categorized as having typical SP abilities. However, participation frequency between both groups was similar. Six out of the seven SP impairment types had small to moderate correlations with children's participation (r= 0.25−0.48,p< 0.05). Multiple regression analyses indicated that only three impairment types (Underresponsive/Seeks Sensation, Low Energy/Weak, and Visual/Auditory Sensitivity) were significant predictors of PICO-Q participation domains.Conclusions:The results suggest that children with potential SP impairments have restrictions in the degree of participation and enjoyment. Three SP types were related to specific participation domains, but they explained a small amount of variance or none in some participation domains. Other variables should be considered to identify determinants of children's participation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Comparisons were made of the paediatric content of professional entry-level occupational therapy university program curricula in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada using an ex post facto survey methodology. The findings indicated that in Australia/New Zealand, paediatrics made up 20% of the total curriculum, but only 13% in Canada. Canadian reference materials were utilized less often in Canadian universities than in Australia/New Zealand. Theories taught most often in Australia/New Zealand were: Sensory Integration, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Client-Centered Practice, Playfulness, and The Model of Human Occupation. In Canada, the most frequent theories were: Piaget's Stages of Cognitive/Intellectual Development, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Erikson' s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development and Sensory Integration. The most frequently taught paediatric assessment tools in both regions were the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Miller Assessment for Preschoolers. Paediatric intervention methods taught to students in all three countries focused on activities of daily living/self-care, motor skills, perceptual and visual motor integration, and infant and child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies the frequency and type of strategies that children with developmental coordination disorder used during a cognitive intervention using systematic observation of videotaped intervention sessions. Comparison between the strategies used by younger and older children; Relation of cognitive strategy use to the individual child and intervention goal.