Projects – Cycle II

Challenge In Canada, there have been poor outcomes for children with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), with educational achievement and employment outcomes being the lowest of all existing disability groups. This outcome is a result of the unmet needs by services for children with a neurodevelopmental disorder and their families. Describing these needs for children with [...]

Challenge Taking part in leisure activities is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, for children with disabilities, it is often challenging to participate in active physical and other leisure activities such as organized sports, summer camps and art classes. These challenges can lead to feelings of isolation and exclusion. Of course, finding ways to [...]

Challenge It can be challenging for children with disabilities to participate in leisure activities such as summer camps and art classes. Parents often struggle to find programs that are close to where they live, accessible, suitable for their needs and abilities, and in line with their interests. Project Summary The Jooay App (jooay.com) was officially [...]

Challenge More than 80,000 Canadians are living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Yet, families often feel isolated and are unsure how to find services or where to access the most up-to-date CP-related information. Project Summary The Cerebral Palsy Canada Network (CPCanNet) was created to connect families to information through CP Associations across Canada, by acting as [...]

Challenge There has historically been a lack of population-based information on how cerebral palsy presents in children, including possible risk factors, antecedent causes, functional severity,  and co-morbidities of the condition. To better understand the condition, the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Registry was created in Cycle I. Project Summary The Registry is a confidential, nation-wide collection of [...]

Challenge While cerebral palsy (CP) researchers continue to make meaningful scientific discoveries, there have been barriers to communicating those findings to other scientists, clinicians, families and the public. Project Summary The Cerebral Palsy Demonstration Project has been helping to address this issue with the Knowledge Translation and Exchange (KT) Strategy. The KT team has worked [...]

Challenge Deficits in the ability to attend and self-regulate are hallmarks of many neurodisabilities, and significantly impact many children's capacities to learn and succeed. Very few practical, affordable, and accessible interventions exist to treat these difficulties in children. Project Summary Attention and Executive Functions (EF) are vital for every aspect of life, including school/work success, [...]

ChallengeCompared to non-Indigenous Canadians, Indigenous children in Canada have an increased risk of developmental delays and poor mental health. This inequity is due to intergenerational trauma, marginalization and a lack of culturally informed interventions.Project SummaryKids Brain Health Network researchers have found that a screening and intervention program called Hand in Hand can improve the developmental [...]

Challenge Up to 90% of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) experience sleep problems, particularly insomnia, which refers to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up in the morning. This number is in stark contrast to the 25% of typically developing children who have trouble sleeping. Poor sleep can lead to significant consequences for children’s [...]

Challenge Raising children with neurodisabilities is often isolating and stressful for families, stretching time, finances and everyone’s resilience. At the same time, the health and education systems both face challenges in meeting all the needs of children and their caregivers. Project Summary In addition to promoting physical literacy, community-based physical activity programs provide children with [...]