The PRPP System of Task Analysis is an occupational therapy assessment and intervention system that was developed by Associate Professor Chris Chapparo and Dr Judy Ranka. It is a tool used to assess and target the information processing skills required for occupational performance.
The PRPP system is suitable for use with anyone who has a concern with occupational performance regardless of their underlying diagnoses or difficulties. It can be used in any context or setting for example, at home, school, in a clinic or in the community.
PRPP ASSESSMENT
PRPP Assessment tool is person centered, standardised, criterion-referenced, occupation-embedded and strengths orientated. It differs from other cognitive and information processing assessments as it focuses on the use of cognition to complete specific tasks which are important to the individual person. The assessment is undertaken in two stages:
- Stage 1 – Task Analysis
- Stage 2 – Information Processing Strategies
PRPP INTERVENTION
The PRPP intervention model is used to design intervention aimed at improving mastery of a task to achieve maximal occupational performance as well as using principles of systematic instruction to prompt perceive, recall, plan and perform strategy application behaviours required for task mastery. This allows therapists to support an individual repertoire of cognitive strategies as well as their application of cognitive strategies to complete specific tasks.
THE 4 INFORMATION PROCESSING QUADRANTS – WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
The PRPP System is based on an information processing view of cognition. This means that cognitive processes required for everyday life can be categorized in four dimensions – Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform.
Perceive
The Perceive Quadrant of the PRPP System focuses on the effectiveness of sensory gathering operations required for task performance. The function of this stage of information processing is to generate cognitive strategies that help us to:
- Decide what sensory information to attend to
- Decide on the sensory characteristics of objects, surfaces and body parts
- Decide on what sensory information is or is not central to the task
Hence in the Perceive Quadrant, we ask – is the person attending to and gathering all the sensory information required for task performance?
Recall
The Recall Quadrant of the PRPP System focuses on the ability to apply knowledge to meet the demands of everyday life. The function of this stage of information processing is to keep an individual informed and knowledgeable about oneself, the actions and activities of others and the context in with performance may occur.
Hence in the recall quadrant, we ask the question – is the person able to recall knowledge about facts, schemes and procedures and apply relevant knowledge required for task performance?
Plan
The Plan Quadrant of the PRPP System focuses on an individual’s capacity to think. The function of this stage of information processing is to enable a person to cope with novel, difficult or complex situations by constructing plans based on hypothesis, solving problems or doing more than one thing at a time.
Hence, in the plan quadrant, we ask the question – is a person able to generate ideas of what to think about, get ready to act, decide how to achieve the goal in the most efficient way and evaluate ideas, strategies and performance relative to the goal to determine whether it will be successful, is succeeding or reflect whether it was successful?
Perform
The Perform Quadrant of the PRPP System focuses on the initiation and monitoring of active participation in motor, verbal, written, gestural or social behaviours required by a task. The function of this stage of information processing is to generate a complex network of executive commands for specific sets of behaviours to match the plan and initiate overt responses.
Hence, in the perform quadrant, we ask the question – is a person able to initiate starting and stopping of responses, continue and persist as the task requires, monitor their own response and time their responses to fit the plan in the context of the task?
If you would like to know more or to have a therapist undertake the PRPP System of Task Analysis with your child, please feel free to contact us on hello@occupationaltherapy.com.au or phone 02 9913 3823.
REFERENCES
Chapparo, C., & Ranka, J. (2023, March). The Perceive, Recall, Plan & Perform System Assessment. Professional Development course presented for Zei Mei Events, Melbourne, Australia
Chapparo, C., & Ranka, J. (2023). The Perceive, Recall, Plan & Perform System Assessment course manual. (Available through courses from Occupational Performance Network, jranka@occupationalperformance.com)
