Dear CanChild,

Welcome to the April 15th edition of CanChild Today! In this issue, we highlight CanChild accomplishments, featured CanChild products, opportunities to participate in research studies, and summaries of new publications by our CanChild members!

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The McMaster Handwriting Assessment Protocol, 3rd Edition (MHAP), provides a structured framework for assessing the handwriting of school-aged children in kindergarten to Grade 6. This protocol was designed to identify the specific areas in which a child is having difficulty with handwriting and to help occupational therapists determine whether and where to intervene.

The MHAP 3rd Edition manual includes:

• Detailed descriptions, materials and procedures for the assessment protocol
• Assessment forms
• Syntheses of evidence regarding handwriting – updated to 2018
• References
• Typical writing samples and speed norms collected in 2018
• Assessment samples with analysis to guide clinical decision-making

The MHAP 2nd Edition is available in French, Serbian, and Dutch.

The MHAP is a very practical tool for occupational therapists working with school-aged children who have difficulties with handwriting, an important occupation that contributes to school success.

Please note that the MHAP is a protocol for assessment, not a norm-referenced test.

For additional information about this product and other CanChild products, visit the CanChild Shop!

COVID Time Capsule - Participate in a Research Study!

Researchers at CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research are inviting Canadian parents of children between 8-21 who have a disability or extra healthcare needs to participate in a survey. We want to hear about your family’s experiences during COVID and your ideas about what services and supports families like yours need moving forward. We designed this survey based on stories that other youth and parents shared with us. We would like to hear from you! Parents will get a gift card as a thank you for their time.

For more information, check the study website or email Anna Swain at minchena@mcmaster.ca.

Accessibility of childcare services for children with disabilities in Canada

We want to speak with parents of kids with disabilities to learn about their experiences of finding and using childcare and how to make early learning inclusive and accessible. We would like to talk to you if your child is under age 5 and attends childcare or if your child has used childcare in the last 3 years.

For more information, please contact the study team:

Michelle Phoenix, PhD: phoenimp@mcmaster.ca

Wenonah Campbell, PhD: campbelw@mcmaster.ca

Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC 2.0)

Researchers at CanChild have developed a new questionnaire to measure parents’ experiences with healthcare services for their children with disabilities. Now, we would like to have parents test it out!

Complete a set of questions to tell us about your experiences with healthcare services. You will receive a $20 e-gift card upon completion!

Interested in participating? Want more information?

Please email the study team at mpoc2@mcmaster.ca

This study has been reviewed by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board under project #15702.

Evaluating the impact of movement tracking feedback on engagement with home exercise programmes of children with cerebral palsy using a new therapy app: a protocol for a mixed-methods single-case experimental design with alternating treatments

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are prescribed home exercise programmes (HEPs) to increase the frequency of movement practice, yet adherence to HEPs can be low. This paper outlines the protocol for a single-case experimental design (SCED) with alternating treatments, using a new home therapy exercise application, Bootle Boot Camp (BBCamp), offered with and without movement tracking feedback. This study will explore the impact of feedback on engagement, movement quality, lower limb function and family experiences to help understand how technology-supported HEPs should be translated and the added value, if any, of movement tracking technology.

In this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study using a SCED, 16 children with CP (aged 6-12 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-II) will set lower limb goals and be prescribed an individualised HEP by their physiotherapist to complete using BBCamp on their home television equipped with a three-dimensional camera-computer system. Children will complete four weekly exercise sessions over 6 weeks and be randomised to 1 of 16 alternating treatment schedules where BBCamp will provide or withhold feedback during the first 4 weeks. The version of BBCamp that results in the most therapeutic benefit will be continued for 2 final weeks. Goals will be re-evaluated and families interviewed. The primary outcome is adherence as a measure of behavioural engagement. Secondary outcomes are affective and cognitive engagement, exercise fidelity, lower limb function, goal achievement and participant experiences. SCED data will be analysed using visual and statistical methods. Quantitative and qualitative data will be integrated using joint displays.

Authors: Marina Petrevska, F. Virginia Wright, Ajmal Khan, Sarah Munce, Darcy Fehlings, and Elaine Biddiss

Environment-based approaches to improve participation of young people with physical disabilities during COVID-19

This study examined the effects of the Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) intervention on participation (performance of and satisfaction with youth-chosen leisure activities) and motor, cognitive, and affective body-function outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-one young people aged 16 to 25 with physical disabilities engaged in an 8-week self-chosen activity (e.g., badminton, piano, photography). Each participant had multiple observations on participation and body function outcomes throughout the study, with varying baseline periods. Results indicate that the PREP intervention led to clinically significant improvements in activity performance and satisfaction of youth, with large effects. The intervention was effective for all youth, but those without mental health problems showed greater changes. In addition, ten youth improved in at least one body function (not targeted by the intervention), especially motor-related outcomes (e.g., reaching, strength, trunk control). Findings show that environment-based interventions improve participation even during adverse times, and that benefits may extend beyond participation to outcomes at the body-function level. For more information visit the ASPIRE lab website and read the full manuscript and/or have a listen to the DMCN podcast.

Authors: Dana R. Anaby, Lisa Avery, Robert J. Palisano, Mindy F. Levin, Pranamika Khayargoli, Yu-Hsin Hsieh, Jan Willem Gorter, Rachel Teplicky, and BEYOND Consultant Team

Is the Y-PEM useful for me? Perspectives of youth with visual impairment

This paper explores how youth with visual impairments perceive the usefulness of the Y-PEM (Youth and Young-Adult Participation and Environment Measure) in capturing their participation and how information generated contributes to their understanding of participation experiences. A qualitative descriptive design was employed among 11 youth with visual impairments aged 17-24 involving two remote sessions one week apart. First, the Y-PEM and QQ-10 questionnaire were administered to evaluate Y-PEM's utility (value and burden), analyzed descriptively. Then, youth reflected on their Y-PEM results via an individual semi-structured Stimulated Recall Interview (SRI), analyzed thematically. Three themes emerged: 1) insights on participation, that consequently allowed for a 2) reflection on personal attributes, and 3) stimulated approaches to participation. The Y-PEM was perceived by youth as valuable with relatively low burden; findings suggest it is useful in capturing and promoting reflection of youth’s participation patterns and environmental supports/barriers. 

Authors: Mallory Ryan, Saeideh Shahin, Michal Waisman-Nitzan, and Dana Anaby