Better Nights, Better Days (BNBD) is a program intended to address sleep issues across a range of neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, FASD, cerebral palsy and ADHD. Since last year, it has been collaborating with Kids Brain Health Network to offer monthly webinars to interested trainees, scientists and clinicians. This academic year, Better Nights, Better Days [...]
The Canadian Paediatric Society has recently released three position statements for the assessment of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, the Director of the Autism Research Centre based at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, is one of the lead investigators on a KBHN-funded study of infants at increased risk of ASD. His [...]
Dr. Shelly Weiss, Neurologist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, was recently elected to the Governing Council of the World Sleep Society. Weiss has been involved in evaluation of children with sleep disorders for more than 20 years. As one of the researchers [...]
September 9, 2019 Receiving a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnosis isn’t easy. First, it requires confirmation of prenatal exposure to alcohol. If—and only if—this is confirmed, a lengthy referral process ensues, followed by a diagnostic assessment which usually doesn’t take place until a child is school-aged, and often even later. But research has shown [...]
September 6, 2019 Community leisure activities are an important source of physical activity and healthy development for youth. For children with disabilities, however, it can be challenging to find local activities that are accessible and inclusive to their needs. Developed at McGill University and funded in part by Kids Brain Health, the Jooay App is [...]
The challenges associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities can be complex, and families often access a wide range of specialized clinical, educational, and community-based interventions to help their children. But the reality is money is limited and competition to fund these interventions and services can be stiff. Being able to prove the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions [...]
An Online Behavioural Treatment for Pediatric Sleep Issues in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Up to 90% of Canadian children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) experience insomnia symptoms including trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or waking too early. Insomnia can lead to increased challenges with psychosocial functioning, and can contribute to increased symptom presentation in children with [...]
Dr. Collet has been a KBHN researcher since 2015. We reached out to ask him some questions about his work to support children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Can you describe your educational path and what inspired you to get into the work you do now? After I specialized in pediatrics in Lyon, France [...]
Dr. Brian has been a KBHN researcher since 2015. We reached out to ask her some questions about her work to support children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Can you describe your educational path and what inspired you to get into the work you do now? I have wanted to be a psychologist since [...]
A decade ago, Chief Scientific Officer of Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) Dr. James Reynolds remembers considering how groundbreaking it would be to have a Canadian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) database - one that could capture the many unanswered questions surrounding the disability. Dr. Sterling Clarren—former Scientific Director of the Canada Fetal Alcohol [...]