Exploring the Use of Cognitive Intervention for Children with Acquired Brain Injury

INTRODUCTION: Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience cognitive, motor, and psychosocial deficits that affect participation in everyday activities. Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is an individualized treatment that teaches cognitive strategies necessary to support successful performance. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the use of CO-OP with children with ABI. METHOD: Children with ABI, experiencing school and self-care difficulties, were identified from a previous study. Six children, aged 6-15 years, completed 10 weekly intervention sessions with occupational therapists. Children and parents rated the child's performance of challenging everyday tasks and their satisfaction with this performance. Task performance was also evaluated objectively through videotape analysis. RESULTS: Participants showed significant improvement in their ability to perform child-chosen tasks and maintained this performance 4 months later. However, they had difficulty applying the executive problem-solving strategy and discovering cognitive strategies on their own. Issues related to the use of CO-OP with this population are discussed.