Congratulations to PhD students Meaghan Reitzel and Vanessa Tomas on being one of six recipients to receive the CHILD-BRIGHT Graduate Student Fellowship in Patient-Oriented Research. This fellowship was designed to enhance the training experience of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are engaged in patient-oriented research relating to brain-based developmental disabilities in children.

Project: Enhancing Access and Engagement in Pediatric Telerehabilitation for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and their Families.

Project: Co-designing and Evaluating a Workplace Disability Disclosure Decision-Aid and Planning Tool for Autistic Youth and Young Adults to Enhance Self-Determination and Decision-Making Skills.

Read more and download the guide (it’s free!) at HollandBloorview.ca/RILSGuide

Better Nights, Better Days for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders is a free online sleep program based on behavioural principles that supports parents of children aged 4-12 years old with a neurodevelopmental disorder who experiences difficulties falling and staying asleep.

This program encourages positive behaviours that will help children achieve a better quality and quantity of sleep throughout the night. To see if the program is a good fit for you and your child visit our website: www.ndd.betternightsbetterdays.ca

On March 25th, CP-NET and the Health Hub in Transition hosted a Meet the Expert event on the transition from pediatric to adult-centred care for youth and young adults with special healthcare needs. Watch the recorded event to hear from three people with lived experience:

The Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting (PEGS) system enables young children (ages 5-9 years) to self-report their perceived competence in everyday activities and to set goals for intervention. Using a set of cards that show self-care, school and leisure activities, children identify the activities that are challenging for them and choose those that they are motivated to work on. Parallel questionnaires for caregivers and educators allow for multiple perspectives to be considered in collaborative goal setting.

Authors: Chagas, P. S. C., Rosenbaum, P., Wright, F. V., Pritchard, L., Wright, M., Toledo, A. M., Camargos, A. C. R., Longo, E., & Leite, H. R. Physiotherapy Canada, e20210006. doi: 10.3138/ptc-2021-0006

This study describes the first steps in the development of a new family-completed instrument. Our measure is based on the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). It allows families to report the gross motor activities of their children or adolescents with Cerebral Palsy at home or in the community. The measure was developed by a group of experts on childhood disability from Brazil and Canada through several meetings and group discussions. The new instrument has 30 items, descriptions, and pictures illustrating the items to ease families in the scoring at home. The team is now testing the GMFM-FR with families in Canada and Brazil.

Authors: Shanmugarajah, K., Rosenbaum, P., & Di Rezze, B. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 000841742210854. doi: 10.1177/00084174221085433

This study aimed to better understand the experiences of immigrant Sri Lankan Tamil parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Southern Ontario, Canada. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Results demonstrated parents’ perceived supports and barriers towards ASD intervention planning, and indicated that parents were generally satisfied by the level of cultural competence in current ASD systems. However, families may still experience significant immigrant-related barriers that are not fully addressed. Recommendations to improve cultural awareness among occupational therapists utilizing ASD interventions are suggested.