October 2015    

Greetings!

Welcome to the October edition of CanChild Today, and a fresh look for CanChild! We hope you enjoy our updated design, which has been crafted to compliment our new website and reflect the innovative spirit that has defined over 25 years of excellence in childhood disability research.

In this edition, we are pleased to invite you to register for our upcoming webinar, "How Does Clinical Research Work?, which will be of particular interest to parents and families. Additionally, we are thrilled to share a new video released in celebration of World CP Day, as well as a website dedicated to disseminating information about the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health).  

Please feel free to share CanChild resources and this newsletter with family, friends and colleagues. They can subscribe to the CanChild Today e-Newsletter for free by registering here. Our past issues are archived on the CanChild website, and can be accessed here
 
Events!

Webinar: How Does Clinical Research Work?
Presented by Peter Rosenbaum
November 5, 2015 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

CanChild, in partnership with NeuroDevNet, is pleased to offer a one-hour webinar that aims to provide attendees with the essential understanding required to identify a credible research study, read a study with a critical eye, and assess research for personal relevance. 

This webinar will be presented with a parent and family audience in mind. Please feel free to share this opportunity with clients and friends!

Space is limited and webinars fill up quickly. Register now!

News & Announcements!

Creating Possibilities for Cerebral Palsy
New video created for CP-NET in celebration of World CP Day



We are proud to announce the release of "Creating Possibilities for Cerebral Palsy", a video produced for CP-NET (Childhood Cerebral Palsy Discovery Network) in celebration of World CP Day (October 7).

This video is the result of a truly collaborative effort between CP-NET, CanChild and individuals with CP and their families. 

"Creating Possibilities for Cerebral Palsy" was made possible with funding from the Ontario Brain Institute, with a partner contribution by the Scotiabank Chair in Child Health Research held by Jan Willem Gorter.

New website: ICF Education

CanChild researcher Olaf Kraus de Camargo is pleased to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to disseminating educational material about the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health). Olaf is part of the editorial team.


Survey: Complex Care Kids Ontario 
Online survey on complex care coordination in Ontario - What's important to you?

Are you a caregiver or health care provider for a child with complex medical needs? CanChild researcher Nora Fayed, on behalf of her team and in partnership with Complex Care Kids Ontario, invites you to respond to a survey about children with complex health conditions. The goal of the survey is to learn what families think are priorities for more formal evaluation across sites. 

Survey closes Wednesday November 4, 2015.


Recent Publications by CanChild Members

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) face challenges in learning a new motor task. What is not known is whether children with DCD learn motor skills more effectively when their attention is focused externally (focusing on how the movement impacts the environment) or internally (focusing on one's body movements) during conscious and unconscious motor learning. This study examined how focus of attention influences motor skill learning in children with DCD in comparison with typically developing children. Results suggested that while an external focus of attention appeared to have a positive effect on motor learning in typically developing children, no apparent difference was observed in children with DCD. Authors Jarus T, Ghanouni P, Abel RL, Fomenoff SL, Lundberg J, Davidson S, Caswell S, Bickerton L, Zwicker JG.; Res Dev Disabil. 2015 Feb;37:119-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.11.009. Epub 2014 Dec 5.


This study examined the quality of life (QoL) of children with epilepsy as compared to both typically developing children and children with cerebral palsy (CP). The study used both self-reported (reported by the child) and proxy-reported (reported by the parent) QoL data. While no clinically important differences in QoL were indicated by child-reported data, differences in several domains, including physical well-being, social support, autonomy, mood and emotions, and bullying, were found in parent-reported information. Families may find comfort in these results, which suggest that children with epilepsy do not perceive a lower QoL in comparison to their peers without epilepsy. Authors: Mezgebe M, Akhtar-Danesh GG, Streiner D, Fayed N, Rosenbaum P, Ronen G .; Epilepsy Behav. 2015 Oct 12;52(Pt A):239-243. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.09.009. [Epub ahead of print]


While the majority of children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience chronic pain, the condition often goes unrecognized, leading to consequences in their physical, social and mental well-being. The objective of this study was to systematically review and critique current pediatric pain assessment tools used to treat various conditions, and make recommendations for clinical use for children with CP. Tools were identified through a comprehensive search of multiple health databases, and assessed by an interprofessional working group.  While not all tools are validated for use with children with CP, and no single tool will have results with all children, the study identified 7 tools as valid and reliable for children with disabilities. Authors: Kingsnorth S, Orava T, Provvidenza C, Adler, Ami N, Gresley-Jones T, Mankad D, Slonim N, Fay L, Joachimides N, Hoffman A, Hung R, Fehlings D.; Pediatrics. 2015 Oct;136(4):e947-60. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-0273.

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