Sailboat Model and COPCC Online Workshop

This Course in a Nutshell

Understand. Integrate. Communicate.

This course introduces occupational therapists to two powerful, therapist-created tools — the Sailboat Model of Occupational Performance Components and the Checklist of Occupational Performance Components in Children (COPCC).

Learn how to assess a child’s development holistically, link findings to meaningful occupations, and communicate results clearly with parents and teachers — using visuals that make sense to everyone.

Simple. Practical. Transformative.

Course Overview

This comprehensive online training introduces occupational therapists to two uniquely South African tools that integrate theory, clinical reasoning, and practice in a meaningful, user-friendly way:

• The Sailboat Model of Occupational Performance Components, a visual conceptual model that illustrates the child’s sensory, motor, cognitive, emotional, and motivational development as parts of a sailboat — all influenced by the “water” and “weather” of personal and environmental factors.
• The Checklist of Occupational Performance Components in Children (COPCC), an informal, play-based assessment tool that helps therapists identify developmental strengths and challenges, and link them directly to occupational performance.

You’ll move from theory to practice as the presenters demonstrate how to use these tools together — from gathering assessment data to colour-coding the Sailboat Model for visual feedback and goal setting.

Each module is packed with practical examples, recorded demonstrations, and clear clinical reasoning steps, so you’ll feel confident applying them in your own practice.

After completing the course, you’ll engage in further reading and short multiple-choice questions to consolidate your learning and receive a certificate of completion.

By the end, you’ll have two powerful, integrated tools to support holistic, evidence-based occupational therapy practice.

Table Of Contents

This course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to the Sailboat Model and COPCC

Overview of the purpose and relationship between the two frameworks.

• The Sailboat Model of Occupational Performance Components

Theory, structure, and clinical reasoning foundations.

Understanding the “hull,” “sails,” and “context” metaphors.

• Practical Demonstration: Using the Sailboat Model in Practice

Colour coding, feedback to parents, and treatment planning.

Case example walkthrough.

• The Checklist of Occupational Performance Components in Children (COPCC)

Structure, administration, and scoring principles.

Understanding sections A–E and the COPCC Kit.

• Practical Demonstration: Using the COPCC in Assessment

Administering test items and recording results.

Tailoring assessments for each child’s needs.

• Plotting COPCC Results on the Sailboat Model

Integrating assessment outcomes for a holistic developmental profile.

Visual feedback and goal-setting with caregivers.

• Post-Course Learning Activities

Two guided articles and completion of 10 MCQs for additional CPD points.

What Will You Learn In this Course?

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand the theoretical foundations of both the Sailboat Model and the COPCC.
• Know how to administer and score the COPCC confidently using the COPCC Kit and digital forms.
• Learn how to interpret and link COPCC results to the Sailboat Model for clear visual representation of a child’s development.
• Gain skills to provide meaningful, parent-friendly feedback using the visual language of the Sailboat Model.
• Use both tools for treatment planning, goal setting, and progress monitoring across settings.
• Integrate these tools into a holistic, occupation-focused practice that honours each child’s unique context — their “boat,” “water,” and “weather.”