title: Enabling children with Developmental Coordination Disorder to self-regulate through the use of Dynamic Performance Analysis: evidence from the CO-OP approach.
abstract: Anecdotal evidence suggests that Dynamic Performance Analysis (DPA) is learned by children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) during Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) intervention. DPA is a tool used by therapists during the CO-OP approach to identify performance breakdowns and strategies for skill acquisition. This suggests that the self-regulation difficulties experienced by these children are amenable to intervention. The purpose of this proof of principle study was to determine: if school-aged children with DCD carry out DPAs, if DPA use was positively affected by intervention, and whether CO-OP had a larger effect on DPA use. Previously recorded videos of 13 children with DCD undergoing CO-OP, contemporary treatment or task-specific training were analyzed for evidence of DPA use. It was found that children in all three groups used simple DPAs before intervention; those receiving CO-OP intervention dramatically increased the number and quality of DPAs and could spontaneously apply it to the performance of another child. These findings indicate that, despite issues of self-regulation, children with DCD do self-monitor performance. More importantly, this ability can improve with CO-OP intervention as it guides the discovery of self-identified performance solutions, thereby enabling skill acquisition, generalization and transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. mhyland@hgmh.on.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Polatajko
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009864:Ontario; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014741:Video Recording