The McMaster Handwriting Assessment Protocol (MHAP) provides a structured framework to assess the handwriting of school-aged children in Kindergarten to Grade 6. The MHAP is a practical tool to identify the areas in which a child is having difficulty with handwriting and help occupational therapists determine whether and where to intervene.

In 1996, researchers at CanChild developed a model of family-centred service and a tool (called Measure of Processes of Care or MPOC) to measure parents’ experiences with the delivery of health services. This tool was widely adopted for use in research and to evaluate services across Canada and internationally. However, since then, much has changed in healthcare.

In this study, we want to learn what today’s parents want, need, and expect from healthcare services. With this information, we will develop a new tool (MPOC 2.0) that healthcare organizations will be able to use to determine how well they meet the needs of the families they serve. We will also develop information for service providers about what families need and how professionals can best meet those needs.

Join us for an online conversation with other parents/caregivers and researchers to hear about your experiences and your ideas about how healthcare services can be improved.

Please contact Kinga Pozniak at pozniakk@mcmaster.ca.

The latest versions of Facts, Concepts, and Strategies (FCS) Sheets No. 1 to 18 are now available for download from our website.

The FCS Sheets are for parents, families, service providers, and organizations interested in learning more about Family-Centred Service. Each part of the series provides information on becoming family-centred, building on parent and family strengths, working together, and more!

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Online via Zoom or Facebook Live

Approaches to social media networking in research rarely consider the nuanced and meaningful nature of human connection. This can make for a daunting task when considering how to connect with people with lived experience. Join us for an informal conversation about best practices and approaches to engaging stakeholders in research studies using social media.

The term ‘family engagement’ in children’s education is not well understood. This impacts educators and school-based therapists who often struggle to engage with families in the school setting. This study examines existing literature to clarify how families engage in children’s education, and what this means for school-based therapists. Based on the findings, a definition is proposed to clarify the concept of family engagement. Overall, the findings contribute to a better understanding of what family engagement means, and what needs to be considered when partnering with families in the school setting. Authors: Kennedy JN, Terreberry S, Moll S, Missiuna C, Yost J, Tomas V, Campbell W. Rev Educ. 2021 Aug 27:9, e3268. doi: 10.1002/rev3.3268

There is a need to evaluate children’s participation across diverse cultural environments to improve practices around culturally responsive rehabilitation. In this paper, the researchers outline a process for culturally adapting participation measures for children and youth with disabilities. We suggest using elements from the Applied Cultural Equivalence Framework, Beaton and colleagues’ six-step process, and additional strategies (e.g., cognitive interviews). The researchers showcase how this can be done using examples of culturally adapting the Participation and Environment Measures for use in India and Singapore. Key learnings and strategies are discussed to help guide future cultural adaptations of pediatric participation measures. Authors: Tomas V, Srinivasan R, Kulkarni V, Teplicky R, Anaby D, Khetani M. Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Aug 19:1-13. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1960645.

This study gathered the perspectives of stakeholders to develop a logic model for a new primary care telerehabilitation (or the delivery of rehabilitation services online). The participants consist of clinicians, pediatric healthcare managers, technology information consultants, and parents. Data from focus groups and interviews showed that stakeholders supported the delivery of telerehabilitation services for children with mild motor difficulties. They voiced out recommendations on service relevance, parents and community capacity building, and platform security and support. The findings demonstrated the value of partnering with stakeholders and developing a program logic model that can guide the co-design process of telerehabilitation. Authors: Hurtubise K, Pratte G, Hamel C, Clapperton I, Camden C. Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Sep 2:1-10. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1972173.