January, 2015

Happy 2015! CanChild has been hard at work developing exciting new resources. This issue of CanChild Today features a new section of our website devoted to information on Autism, the launch of a new book on Developmental Coordination Disorder, a new 'In Brief' and report, and several new publications!

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CanChild Announcements!

New Section on Autism!
We at CanChild are proud to announce the launch of our new section on Autism. It will provide updates on the latest autism research being conducted at CanChild, up-to-date evidence in the field of autism, and other resources that will be valuable to families, students, clinicians and researchers. This sectin will differ from other autism websites by communicating research most important and relevant to individuals with ASD across the lifespan and their families. Visit our new section today!

New Resources by CanChild!

New Book: Developmental Coordination Disorder and its Consequences
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects 1 in 20 children. Children with DCD have problems with motor coordination that ma

ke everyday tasks like active play, writing, and self-care difficult. Despite its prevalence, DCD is often misunderstood and frequently goes undiagnosed.
In Developmental Coordination Disorder and its Consequences, international experts on DCD present the latest evidence on the diagnosis, consequences, and neuropsychological underpinnings of the disorder. This is the most comprehensive volume to cover the physical health, mental health, and social consequences of DCD in children and to suggest strategic approaches for its management. It will be of interest to parents, teachers, and physicians interested in this disorder. Edited by: J Cairney

New 'In-Brief'
This new In Brief on the "Literacy Skills of Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)" will help health professionals, educators, and families better understand why children who have difficulty producing speech sounds accurately and consistently also may have trouble with learning to read and write. In the study, the authors compared 11 children with suspected CAS to 11 peers matched for age and sex on a number of early literacy skills. As expected, children with suspected CAS tended not to perform as well as their peers in many areas. The authors of this study hope their work will raise awareness about the potential risk for literacy problems in children with CAS. They encourage professionals to consider screening for early literacy difficulties in this population and to include this as a focus of intervention if appropriate. By focusing more on the early literacy skills of children with CAS, the authors suggest that later problems in learning to read and write might be prevented. Author: R Gaines.

Complex Care Needs Report
CanChild researchers were contracted by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) to conduct a study to: a) develop a better understanding of the profile of youth and young adults with complex care needs; and b) better understand the required interventions for youth and young adults with complex care needs to successfully transition to adult services that will continue to meet their needs. The first two phases of the project included scoping reviews, interviews and consensus meetings to first define 'complex care needs, and then to provide a profile of youth and young adults with complex care needs and current transition interventions. The final phase involved a one-day roundtable to create a prioritized list of recommendations for improving the transition to adult services for youth with complex care needs. To read this report, click here.

Recent Publications by CanChild Members

A Balanced Protocol for Return to School for Children and Youth Following Concussive Injury
Similarly to the Return to Activity protocol that was published in Clinical Pediatrics, the purpose of this knowledge translation study was to develop evidence-based materials to inform physicians about pediatric concussion specifically for returning to school. This new protocol is grounded in our current understanding of recovery and provides a foundation for making clinical decisions on a case-by-case basis for children and youth who have both rapid and prolonged symptoms post-concussion. Since school is the main occupation of childhood, returning to school for the social and learning environments is a top priority. These practical suggestions are meant to prevent the recurrence or aggravation of symptoms with the ability to individualize based on symptoms experienced by the child.
Authors: Dematteo C, Stayzk K, Giglia L, Mahoney W, Singh S, Hollenberg R, Harper J, Missiuna C, Law M, McCauley D, Randall S

Quality of life and self-determination: Youth with chronic health conditions make the connection
Objectives of this qualitative research were to examine: 1) what the terms 'quality of life' and 'self-determination' mean to youth with chronic conditions; 2) the factors these youth think are linked with these concepts; 3) the relationship they see between the two concepts; 4) the types of future goals youth have; and 5) how they view the connection between their self-determination and these goals. Fifteen youth aged 15 to 20 with either cerebral palsy, a central nervous system disorder, or autism spectrum disorder participated. Authors: McDougall J, Baldwin P, Evans J, Nichols M, Etherington N, Wright V. Open Access.

Trajectories of depressive symptoms during the transition to young adulthood: the role of chronic illness

Youth aged 10-11 years from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were followed until 24-25 years of age in an attempt to model trajectories of depressive symptoms during the transition to young adulthood. Trajectories increased from early to mid-adolescence, decreased to early young adulthood, then increased again to late young adulthood. Youth with chronic illness had significantly less favorable trajectories and higher proportions of clinically relevant depressive symptoms compared to youth without chronic illness. The health and school systems are uniquely positioned to support youth with chronic illness navigate this developmental period in an effort to prevent declines in mental health. This article was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Authors: Ferro MA, Gorter JW, Boyle MH

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