Child Occupational Self Assessment (COSA) Version 2.2, 2014
Authors: Jessica Kramer, Marjon ten Velden, Anna Kafkes, Semonti Basu, Jeanne Federico, and Gary Kielhofner
The Child Occupational Self-Assessment (COSA) is a client directed assessment tool and an outcome measure designed to capture children's and youth's perceptions regarding their own sense of occupational competence and the importance of everyday activities. Using the instrument in therapy provides a young client with an opportunity to identify and address their participation in important and meaningful occupations.
The COSA consists of a series of statements pertaining to everyday occupational participation, and includes tasks related to school, home, and in the community. Its self-rating design allows the client to document his/her understanding of occupational competence and values using familiar visual symbols and simple language.
The version 2.2 manual has been recently updated and includes evidence-based guidelines for administration and use. The 100 page manual includes new features such as: critical reflection exercises for administrators, strategies that may ensure the accessibility of the COSA for youth with a range of support needs, and guidance for theory-based interpretation of COSA responses. The manual also includes three administration formats that clinicians can select from to enable youth with a range of abilities to self-report:
- A youth rating form with symbols,
- A youth rating form without symbols, and
- A cart sort option.
The COSA does not produce a “score”. Rather, therapists use MOHO theory to interpret the COSA and then identify the most appropriate way to convey that interpretation to others. We suggest several potential approaches for reporting COSA results to parents and other professionals, including: creating an occupational profile of items with higher and lower competence and importance ratings; calculating the frequency of rating responses for groups of related items; or generating a percent of maximum possible score (Cohen et al., 1999).
Cohen, P., Cohen, J., Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1999). The problem of units and the circumstances for POMP. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 34(3), 315-346. doi:10.1207/S15327906MBR3403_2Note: This product includes access to the full PDF assessment manual, fillable PDF assessment forms, and online forms. After the assessment is purchased, the printable full assessment manual and fillable assessment forms are available by clicking the "My MOHO" tab (located in the tab bar at the top of the browser), clicking the "Create a New Evaluation" link (located in a textbox on the right side of the screen), selecting your assessment from the drop down menu and clicking start, and finally clicking the "Manual" or "Assessment Forms" link in the "Links and Resources" box. At this point, you may also click on the "Get Started" button to complete online forms.