The effects of neurodevelopmental disorders tend to last for a person's entire lifetime. Consult McMaster Health Forum’s complete set of products (evidence brief, stakeholder dialogue summary, and video interviews) for stakeholder insights on creating a pan-Canadian learning health system for neurodevelopmental disorders.

The health forum dialogue was funded by the Azrieli Foundation in partnership with McMaster University. CanChild Director Dr. Jan Willem Gorter is one of the Steering Committee members.

The READYorNot™ BBD Trial is looking for Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia youth aged 15 to 17 with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, FASD or Spina Bifida to help them study the MyREADY TransitionTM BBD App. The App was co-designed with patients and families to help youth prepare for the transition from pediatric to adult health care. Visit the project website to read the recruitment ad or watch the recruitment videos spearheaded by the project’s Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Now recruiting Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia youth in participating clinics and on social media. We will be recruiting youth in Quebec soon. For more information, email Barb Galuppi (galuppi@mcmaster.ca).

Are you registered for CP-NET's free webinar, Hip Surveillance for Children with CP: Why do we do it? It’s happening on Monday, March 29th from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EDT.

As a reminder, this webinar features a presentation from pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Unni Narayanan and a Q&A session with developmental pediatrician Dr. Darcy Fehlings.

Register now to participate in this informative discussion and come prepared with questions. We look forward to seeing you!

Child Health, Exercise and Rest (CHEaR) Lab: chearlab@uwo.ca.

In this realist review, researchers systematically located and qualitatively analyzed 52 peer-reviewed papers to determine: What are the outcomes of successful tiered approaches to rehabilitation services for children and youth in education settings, in what circumstances do these services best occur, and how and why? They identified several contextual characteristics that created optimal environments for delivering tiered services. Positive outcomes for students, families, professionals, and systems occurred via three key mechanisms: (a) collaborative relationships, (b) authentic service delivery, and (c) reciprocal capacity building. This study is the first step in developing a theory of tiered rehabilitation services in education settings. Authors: VanderKaay S, Dix L, Rivard L, Missiuna C, Ng S, Pollock N, Sahagian Whalen S, Eisen I, Kyte C, Phoenix, M, Bennett S, Specht J, Kennedy J, McCauley D, Campbell W. Intl J Disabil Dev Educ. doi: 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1895975.

The Measure of Early Vision Use (MEVU) is the first assessment tool to describe 'how vision is used' in children with cerebral palsy. It is a brief and user-friendly tool proposed to complement existing practices such as clinical evaluations of vision. While MEVU provided a method to quantify basic visual abilities, it is important to note that parents in this study also provided comments to explain their child's score, reflecting that a child’s individuality should remain part of the assessment process. This study is the first step in an ongoing process of validation and psychometric testing. Authors: Deramore Denver B, Froude E, Rosenbaum P, Imms C. Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Mar 2:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1890243.

The aim of this article was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of a multimodal assessment battery (balance, cognition, and upper and lower body strength) versus individual clinical measures at discriminating concussed youth athletes or non-injured controls when asymptomatic. The multimodal approach was statistically superior compared with an individual measures approach for balance and upper and lower body strength, but not for cognition. These results provide a foundation for understanding which domains of post-symptomatic assessment (cognition, balance, and strength) may be sensitive and specific to lasting deficits in youth athletes. Authors: Toong T, Wilson KE, Hunt AW, Scratch S, DeMatteo C, Reed N. J Sport Rehabil. 2021 Feb 4:1-10. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2020-0279.