The effect of cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A pilot randomized controlled study

This single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) study was planned to examine the effect of the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) intervention on occupational performance and executive functions through daily routines children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a simple random method, the children were divided into two groups: n = 15 in the CO-OP group (4 girls, 11 boys) and n = 15 in the control group (3 girls, 12 boys). CO-OP intervention included 12 sessions (2 sessions per week, each lasting 1 hour, 6 weeks in total) focusing on teaching cognitive strategies to improve daily living activities. These sessions involved personalized goal setting, performance analysis, and the application of cognitive strategies to enhance executive function and occupational performance in children with ADHD. The data were collected by assessing the children with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Goal Attainment Scaling, and Executive Functions and Occupational Routines Scale at the beginning and end of the study. When comparing the pre- and post-evaluations of the CO-OP group, statistically significant improvements were noted in occupational performance and satisfaction (p < 0.001), occupational performance goals (p < 0.001), and executive functions through daily routines (p < 0.05). Test results for differences in posttest scores between the two groups showed that the CO-OP group had significantly better activity performance and satisfaction (p < 0.001), as well as gains in social routines for executive skills (p < 0.05), compared to the control group. The findings suggest that the CO-OP approach represents a promising and effective method for facilitating skill acquisition in various activities among children diagnosed with ADHD. Trial registration: This research was registered to clinical trials with the code NCT05125120.