AOTA

Functional Cognition Series#1: Putting the Function Back in Functional Cognition - This course defines what is meant by functional cognition and introduces the next three courses in the functional cognition series. In addition, the course provides evidence for the types of interventions that occupational therapists can effectively use with people who have various levels of cognitive impairment. Screening will be highlighted as an efficient method of determining if clients are experiencing cognitive deficits that are impacting occupational engagement and that require further evaluation and analysis.

Functional Cognition Series #2: The Neurofunctional Approach - The Neurofunctional approach is a client centered and evidence based type of skill and habit training. The approach was created in the 1980's by Dr. Giles and Jo Clark-Wilson when there was little available for the rehabilitation of individuals with traumatic brain injury. This course highlights the specific process for applying the neurofunctional approach and discusses the behaviors that can be developed within the client through its use. Interventions are intended to be relevant and work toward the real life goals of the individuals who are participating in the training. But as the course points out,  it is important to understand the limitations to learning that are imposed by the brain injury or cognitive impairment on the client. The NFA assumes that the client in unable to independently generate the strategies required to develop a particular area of skill, so will work with the practitioner to  co-develop of a set of strategies to overcome a set of problems. 

Functional Cognition Series #3: The Multicontext Apporach - Based on the dynamic interactional model, the multicontext approach is a strategy based intervention that uses a metacognitive framework first described as an alternative to traditional remedial or deficit specific approaches to improving performance post brain injury.  This course will introduce and discuss three elements of strategy training intervention: 1) the use of a self-monitoring skills during tasks to recognize performance errors; 2) the use of guided questioning, to support self-discovery strategies and problem solving to compensate for cognitive performance errors; and 3) the use of effective strategies to improve performance with social cognitive activities. As you will learn, all of these interventions are promoting the use of a global or task specific strategies, or a combination of the two to help people improve their occupational performance with cognitively demanding activities.

Functional Cognition Series #4: The Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) Approach - This course introduces the CO-OP approach to functional cognitive assessment and treatment.  CO-OP is a client center performance-based, problem-solving approach that enables skill acquisition through a process of strategy using guided discovery.  Use of the CO-OP approach is guided by four objectives that are described in detail.  The first objective is skill acquisition-- clients are assisted in making improvements in the skills in which they want to improve. The second, referred to as cognitive strategy use, is met when clients become proficient in using cognitive strategies to reach their desired goals. The third objective is generalization where not only do clients become proficient in strategies for a particular skill, but they also improve abilities in other activities that go beyond that skill. This approach has been found to be more effective in ensuring global improvements in function than approaches targeting one skill without a strategy in place. Transfer of learning, the fourth objective, is also reviewed in this course and relates to generalizability where not only can strategies gained be used with additional tasks, but they can be used in different contexts as well.  This is important to consider when working with a client in a medical facility and hoping to see carryover of cognitive abilities to the home environment.