Cognitive motor therapy: description and clinical analysis of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Introduction: It is estimated that 6% of school-age children have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), characterized by motor difficulties that restrict participation at home, in the community and at school. The Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance Approach (CO-OP) is effective in improving the functional performance of these children, but there is little clinical data on variations in the response to the intervention. Objective: To identify and describe the most relevant characteristics of children with DCD that influence their response to CO-OP. Method: Case study conducted with four children with DCD who underwent CO-OP: the two who had the highest gain and the two who had the lowest gain with the intervention. The data obtained in this study were categorized and synthesized to compose a clinical description of the participants’ characteristics. Results: Parents of children with better performance showed better parenting style. Unstructured observation of the researchers during the collections showed that the families of the children with greater progress attended the collections more often and were more engaged. Greater family support seems to provide children with more confidence, as well as increase motivation to achieve goals in therapy. Conclusion: The support offered by parents is a relevant factor for the good performance of children with DCD in the intervention using the CO-OP. The clinical description of children with DCD assists in the reasoning during professional practice because it identifies characteristics that can influence progress in the intervention.