February 2016  

 
Welcome to the February edition of CanChild Today! While winter is still in full swing for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, already we are anticipating the warmer days of spring and the growth it will bring. We are excited to start off the season with CanChild Family Engagement Day on April 2nd, and invite you to join us in planting seeds for future family-research partnerships!

In this edition, we are also pleased to share a new CP-NET webinar on the topic of genomics and cerebral palsy, as well as several new podcasts, opportunities, news items and recent publications from  CanChild  community members around the world. 

Please feel free to share  CanChild  resources and this newsletter with family, friends and colleagues. They can subscribe to the  CanChild Today  e-Newsletter for free by  registering here . Our past issues are archived on the  CanChild  website, and can be  accessed here.
 
"Opening doors to family-research partnerships today for a brighter tomorrow"

Saturday, April 2, 2016 | 10:00am - 3:30pm
Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre (Hamilton, ON)
  
CanChild is excited to partner with NeuroDevNet for  Family Engagement Day: Opening doors to family-research partnerships today for a brighter tomorrow!

This year's event will bring together families, researchers, clinicians and community members to learn about the latest research and engage in collaborative discussions about our individual and shared hopes for where today's research will take us. 

Bring the whole family! Our agenda includes topics of interest to youth, siblings and grandparents! On-site childcare is included with all family registrations. 

Resources & Opportunities!


CP-NET Webinar: Genetic Factors in Cerebral Palsy
Presented by Dr Richard Wintle

Recent headlines about the role of genetics in cerebral palsy may have you wondering how studies in genomics might affect your day-to-day life, clinical practice or research. 

CP-NET is excited to offer a new webinar presented by Dr Richard Wintle, co-author of the groundbreaking paper "Clinically relevant copy number variations detected in cerebral palsy"

Topics covered by the webinar include:
  • An overview of the human genome
  • How it can vary from person to person
  • What does this have to do with CP?
  • Where might this lead?
This webinar is now available online.  View now.  
 


Upcoming Quality FM Training Course
Toronto, ON | May 28-29, 2016

The  Quality FM is an observational instrument to be used in the evaluation of the quality of movement in children with cerebral palsy.

Certification training is required prior to use of the Quality FM. Contact the test developers, Virginia Wright -   [email protected] or Peter Rosenbaum -  [email protected] for information about training course options.  Include the name Quality FM in your message.  

The next Quality FM course is in Toronto on May 28 and 29,  2016, and you can register online at  https://www.regonline.com/challengeandqualityfm2016

In the News & Around the Web...

Youth concussion and depression: Carol DeMatteo on CBC Radio
Kids who have sustained concussions are much more likely to experience depression. CanChild scientist Carol DeMatteo discussed the link on CBC Radio "The Current" on February 18.  Listen now


Word about the Partnering for Change project is spreading!
CanChild Scientists Cheryl Missiuna, Wenonah Campbell and Nancy Pollock  were featured in an article in  The Hamilton Spectator  on February 22. Learn about the Partnering for Change project and how this innovative model supports kids with special needs at school.  Read now.  


CAPHC Presents: The F-words in Childhood Disability: A Call for ACTION - Bringing parents, clinicians and researchers together (webinar)

"The F-words in Childhood Disability: I swear this is how we should think!" was published 3 ½ years ago; since then we have been on a knowledge translation (KT) journey around the globe. Researchers, clinicians and families have found common ground in this holistic approach and are now working together to move these ideas into practice.  This webinar involved parent, clinician, and researcher representatives, sharing their unique perspectives on the F-words and strategies for implementing the F-words in practice.  View now.


DMCN Podcast Discussion with Bernard Dan & 
Peter Rosenbaum
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology  presents a podcast discussing a recent systematic review investigating how researchers defined 'participation' and the language used in participation intervention research, " 'Participation': a systematic review of language, definitions, and constructs used in intervention research with children with disabilities".  Listen now. 

Recent Publications by CanChild Members
Participation in leisure activities is important for the health of all youth; however, adolescents with physical disabilities experience significant barriers in participation, and little is known regarding effective intervention strategies to promote involvement. In this study, six adolescents participated in a 12 week intervention designed to eliminate environmental barriers and coach parents and youth on how to identify and apply strategies to improve participation. Larger studies are required, but findings support the effectiveness of environment-based interventions for promoting youth participation.  Authors: Anaby D, Law MMajnemer A, Feldman D . Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (Impact Factor: 0.92). 10/2015; DOI: 10.1177/0008417415608653

Children with cerebral palsy often receive physical and/or occupational therapy to improve their daily functioning. Many treatments and approaches are available; however, little evidence exists as to which intervention is the most effective for preschool-aged children. This randomized controlled trial assessed self-care and mobility capabilities of children who received three different therapy approaches: child-focused, context-focused and regular care approach, over a six-month period. It found that all three approaches resulted in significant but similar improvements, suggesting that all are equally efficient and professionals can select an approach based on the child's individual situation.  Authors: Kruijsen-Terpstra A, Verschuren O, Gorter JW, Vos R, Verheijden J, Jongmans M, Visser-Meily A.  BMC Public Health. 2015; 15: 1266. Published online 2015 Dec 21. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-2582-8

Adolescents with chronic health conditions often face adverse health outcomes as they transition from paediatric to adult care, suggesting that healthcare delivery is not meeting the needs of emerging adults. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of two interventions, the Youth KIT and an online transition mentor, to empower youth during transition into adult care. It finds that participants' perceptions about both interventions were modest, and that interventions that focus only on youth are ineffective in empowering youth.  It highlights the importance of supports that are carefully personalized, timed and integrated into healthcare systems.  Authors:  Gorter JW Stewart D,   Cohen E Hlyva O Morrison A Galuppi B Nguyen T Amaria K Punthakee Z,  TRACE Study group BMJ Open. 2015; 5(5): e007553.  Published online 2015 May 6.  doi:  10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007553


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