Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP; the CO-OP Approach) is a performance-based treatment approach for children and adults who experience difficulties performing the skills they want to, need to or are expected to perform. CO-OP is a specifically tailored, active client-centered approach that engages the individual at the meta-cognitive level to solve performance problems. Focused on enabling success, the CO-OP Approach employs collaborative goal setting, dynamic performance analysis, cognitive strategy use, guided discovery, and enabling principles.  These elements, all considered essential to the Approach, are situated within a structured intervention format, and with parent/significant other involvement as appropriate.

Purpose

The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach was developed to provide therapists with an evidence-based approach to enabling performance success in an effective and efficient way.  CO-OP is not only supported by a broad research base but is also embedded in an evidence framework.  Originally designed for children with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, that is children with motor-based performance problems,   it has demonstrated efficacy in helping children and adults with a variety of diagnoses acquire skills and experience success in performing everyday activities that are important to them.

The goal of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach is to enable individuals with performance difficulties, be they physical, cognitive, or other,  to succeed in performing the everyday tasks and activities that are important to them. CO-OP uses a process of guided discovery to enable the identification of the specific strategies that will support performance success. In CO-OP individuals learn how to talk themselves through performance problems.