Greetings!

Welcome to the July 28th edition of CanChild Today! In this issue, we feature a resource, new and ongoing research opportunities, and summaries of recent publications.

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Featured Resource!
Thumbnail of the Meet the Expert: Baby Constraint Induced Movement Therapy video
This CP-NET Meet the Expert webinar recording is available online! Watch Dr. Darcy Fehlings, Dr. Amber Makino, and Sophie Lam-Damji present and answer your questions on Baby Constraint Induced Movement Therapy.
Participate in Research!
Photo of child and therapist on black and white background. Text reads: Does your child use medical technology? Or have feeding problems? Complete the questionnaire!
Dr. Nora Fayed's research team developed an assessment tool (a questionnaire) to communicate to health care providers about how families of children with medical complexity are doing with feeding their child or managing their medical technology. To make this assessment work in a medical setting, the questionnaire needs to be made shorter and we need families of medically complex kids to fill it out. To fill in the assessment you can use your smartphone or computer:
To do the assessment by phone, zoom or skype families can contact Lucia Ruhland by email etcounts@queensu.ca, via the Facebook page “Everything that Counts”, or by telephone number 613-533-6000 ext. 79386.
Ongoing Study Recruitment
  • We are looking for Canadian youth (ages 16-24) with special healthcare needs (diagnosed with a disability or chronic physical/mental health condition) to participate in an online interview about healthcare transition from pediatric to adult services during COVID-19. Contact Barb Galuppi galuppi@mcmaster.ca to participate in this research study. Participants will receive a $50 gift card.
  • Are you a caregiver of a child who receives or has received speech-language pathology services from an Ontario school board? The COSTAS-C project is an ongoing research study regarding the most important and meaningful impacts that speech-language pathologists can have while supporting children in schools. This study will help us learn about what we need to track to ensure that these services are effective and high-quality. This study involves a research interview and then a rating and sorting task. Finally, there will be a chance to provide feedback on the results of the study. Contact Peter Cahill at cahillp@mcmaster.ca if you are interested.
  • Are you a caregiver of a child with cerebral palsy (CP)? We want to hear from you! CP-NET is recruiting parents and caregivers of children up to age 16 with any type of CP to take part in a research study. The study will help us learn what information you need on hip surveillance for your child. Currently, there is a gap in knowledge about hip surveillance and its importance for children with CP. Your participation would involve an interview or focus group to learn about your experiences and information needs. This will be used to develop educational materials on hip surveillance. Contact hopmansn@mcmaster.ca if you are interested.
  • Do you have a child or adolescent with Cerebral Palsy between 2 to 18 years old? Would you like to participate in a measurement study to test a new instrument called GROSS MOTOR FUNCTION FAMILY REPORT? If you are interested or have any questions, please email chagasp@mcmaster.ca.
Recent Publications by CanChild Members!
Factors influencing the success of telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic and preferences for post-pandemic services: An interview study with clinicians and parents.

This study explored the experiences of speech and language therapists (SLTs), assistants (SLTAs) and parents with telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors that influenced the success of telepractice were reported in three categories: the setting (i.e., where and how telepractice was being delivered); the nature of telepractice (i.e., the services that were provided via telepractice); and the individuals (i.e., who was involved in telepractice). These factors were reported to interact with each other. As the needs for each child and family are unique, parents and clinicians reported a preference for a hybrid and flexible service delivery model in the future.

Authors: Kwok, E.Y.L., Pozniak, K., Cunningham, B., Rosenbaum, P. (2022). International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 00, 1– 14. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12760
The impact of parent involvement on improving participation of children born preterm: The story in the baseline.
 
This study focused on improving the participation of three school-age children born preterm. The aim was to improve participation by changing children’s environments (home, school or community) using the PREP approach (Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation). Each parent set three participation goals, important to them and their child, with their occupational therapists (OTs). Four weeks after, the OT intervention started. Findings showed that once goals were set with parents, they all began to address (and improve on) their chosen goals with their child. Further progress in the children’s measured participation was evident. This study supports the use of targeted environmental approaches to promote the participation of children born preterm, and also draws attention to the power of parent involvement and family-centred goal setting.

Authors: Killeen, H., & Anaby, D. R. (2022). Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 28, 100942. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2022.100942
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