Congratulations to CanChild Scientist Dr. Chantal Camden and the TIPS research team for receiving an $800K grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The funding will support their study that aims to evaluate the impact of a training program for therapists who provide online healthcare services to children with disabilities and their families.

Principal Investigator: Camden, Chantal

Co-investigators: Battista, Marie-Claude; Beaudoin, Audrée Jeanne; Churchill, Jennifer; Colquhoun, Heather; Gaboury, Isabelle; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Hurtubise, Karen; Kraus de Camargo, Olaf; Levac, Danielle; Lovo, Stacey; Miller, Kimberly; Morin, Mélanie; Nault, Martine; Phoenix, Michelle; Robeson, Paula; Roch, Geneviève; Rosenbaum, Peter; Ruegg, Andrea; Schuster, Tibor; Tousignant, Michel; Wiart, Lesley; Zwicker, Jill.

The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66 & GMFM-88) User’s Manual 3rd Edition is now available in PDF and print!

Authors: Dianne J Russell, Marilyn Wright,

Peter L Rosenbaum, and Lisa M Avery.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework highlights the shift in how we think about functioning and disability using the different factors that can build a child’s functional profile. However, no study has yet indicated the number of clinical measures grounded in the ICF that could be used for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). This study identified ICF-based clinical measures used in care settings that are described in research. This review can be a helpful resource for clinicians, researchers, and families that wish to (1) use measures that are grounded in the ICF framework and (2) learn more about function-focused care.

Authors: Shanmugarajah K, Rosenbaum P, Zubairi M, & Di Rezze B. Front. Rehabilit. Sci. 2: 709978. 2021 Jul 29. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2021.709978

Capturing the longitudinal progress of Knowledge Translation (KT) activities and their impact is an important step in research and practice. KT is part of CanChild’s mission and is a key strategic driver for its members. This paper provides a status update on a KT-focused strategic plan conducted between 2013 and 2018 to integrate KT across the organization. We found that CanChild members perceived KT as an important activity, but additional work is needed to increase engagement and satisfaction of engagement regarding KT activities. Future directions for KT are discussed and recommendations and considerations are provided. Authors: Authors: Micsinszki S, Teplicky R, McCauley D, Gorter JW, Phoenix M. Scholarly and Research Communication, 12(1), 19 pp. 2021 Jul 31. doi: 10.22230/src.2021v12n1a387

iCAN is a Canadian platform that collects information across neurodevelopmental disabilities. The aim is to use the data to facilitate knowledge mobilization and inform decisions on policies and resource allocation. To ensure that the iCan questionnaires are relevant, parents of kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities shared their perspectives through focus groups. They indicated questions about health that are important to include. The parents also suggested using non-medical language and adding incentives for platform participation. Lastly, they spoke about the impact of caregiving on themselves and the isolation experienced by children. Engaging with stakeholders such as parents is fundamental to developing a platform that will inform research that is relevant to their needs. Authors: Gonzalez M, Saxena S, Chowdhury F, Dyck Holzinger S, Martens R, Oskoui M, Shikako-Thomas K. Child Care Health Dev. 2021 Aug 9. doi: 10.1111/cch.12906.