Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by Doctors about COPCA®

• What are the aims of the COPCA® programme?
  1. To empower families to have the autonomy to stimulate their child by means of everyday activities and make decisions appropriate for their child to support his/her development.
  2. To support both the development of their child’s mobility and also the general development of their child so that the child can take part as fully as possible in daily life.
• Who provides the COPCA® programme?
  COPCA® is offered by physiotherapists or occupational therapists who have specialized in pediatrics and have completed an auxiliary COPCA® continuing education course.
• How does COPCA® differ from traditional infant therapies?
  COPCA® is aimed at the whole family, and whenever possible the therapy is carried out in the home of the family. The parents are integrated as active and equal partners in the therapy process. They carry out normal everyday activities in the home that stimulate the development of their child, while guided and supported by a therapist in the role of a COPCA® coach. The children are stimulated to motor behavior that is self-produced, explorative and varied through trial-and-error experiences that support motor learning.  
• Do health insurance companies pay for COPCA®?
  Yes, COPCA® is a physiotherapeutic or occupational intervention programme and, as long as you prescribing physiotherapy or occupational therapy, it will be paid for by Swiss health insurance companies.
• Why prescribe treatment to be carried out in the home?
  Health insurance companies rarely agree to pay for therapies conducted in the home. A prescription with additional home-based therapy and possibly a statement of justification supports the request for funding. We know today that motor learning results from a child’s active exploration of its real-world environment and that enriched surroundings are the optimal environment for early intervention. We also know that a significant percentage of infants who require early intervention have been through a stressful time and that stress at this early stage of life can have a negative effect on infants’ development. Home treatment reduces the stress of the child and the parents, and consequently contributes significantly to supporting the child and the well-being of the family.
• Why is COPCA® therapy long-lasting?
  Parents who have learned from the COPCA® therapy to support their child’s development autonomously by means of normal everyday activities, continue to apply these development principles after the end of the early intervention sessions, which results in the sustainable, positive COPCA® effect on the development of the child. 
• What is the role of the therapist in the COPCA® programme?
  Therapists are called coaches in the COPCA® programme. This, in turn, defines their role as they coach family members. Coaching comprises an exchange of information between the family members and the coach. In addition, coaching involves: observation of the interaction between family members and the child, sharing these observations, asking questions, listening, offering suggestions, reflecting on the situation and giving feedback. As development experts, the COPCA® coaches also perform regular development assessments of the child.
• Why is COPCA® aimed at the whole family and not primarily at the child?
  We know today that a child develops best in the setting of a supportive family in which it is supported and stimulated, and the needs of all family members are considered. It is therefore important that the COPCA® coach understands the needs, wishes and goals of the family members in order to help support the development of the child optimally. 
• What do parents value most about COPCA®?
  A study looked at the experiences of Swiss mothers whose children had received COPCA® therapy. It showed that mothers really appreciate the COPCA® programme.They were particularly enthusiastic about the therapy taking place in the home environment. They valued the support from the coach and the fact that they were involved as an active partner whose needs and goals were taken into account.