Childhood development
Resources for families with special needs
Angelina Shirley was beaming as she watched her three-year-old daughter Sadie drive a toy car for the very first time. Toy cars children can drive around in are a lot of fun for the little ones. And as Gil Tucker shows us, for some
… READ MORECamilla Borregaard Voigt & Rasmus Hjorth Peterson. Specialists in adaptive physical activity programming – particularly for people with Cerebral Palsy – with the Elsass Institute in Denmark. Camilla and Rasmus will be sharing
… READ MOREEarly diagnosis appears key for physiotherapy interventions for cerebral palsy, so researchers have developed an app for parents to video their child for remote screening. Baby Lexi Polonidis is taking part in the Baby Moves and VICS
… READ MOREHealth Canada has approved Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of leg spasticity in children and teens ages 2 and older, including those with cerebral palsy. Six months ago, 13-year-old Georges Vermast rode her bike for the
… READ MOREWhen Lisa Crigger advertises for staff on Kijiji, she’s mainly looking for people who can follow direction. Crigger has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair; she needs assistance with bathing, housekeeping, and child care. Briana
… READ MOREMost early anomalies in a child’s gait will work themselves out, says Dr. Peter Nieman. Childhood development can be a time of both excitement and stress. On the one hand, it is exciting for parents to document their baby’s
… READ MORESpastic CP means the muscles are tense and tight. This occurs because the brain is not sending the right signals to the muscles. Muscle stiffness affects all aspects of the child’s activities of daily living. A four-year-old who has
… READ MOREFor one girl dreaming of a career in policing, a day spent with Calgary police showed her the possibilities are limitless. Eleven-year-old Erin Donaldson gets fingerprinted at the Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre as part
… READ MORETask-oriented training (TOT) improves hand dexterity in children with cerebral palsy (CP), according to a preliminary study from South Korea. Children with CP often show delayed development, impaired body movement, and limitations in
… READ MOREWith public programs stretched, some parents are turning to private therapies to help kids overcome mobility problems – but the jury is still out on their effectiveness. Therapist Sandi Marshall (left) and mother Nancy Grant (right)
… READ MOREModified vehicles offer independence to children, hope to parents. Khyla Buium, a two-year-old with cerebral palsy, along with her mom Julie were at the Wascana Rehabiliation Centre to demonstrate a modified ride-on car that was
… READ MOREYellowknife’s first such team has about 20 players, but only one actually requires a seated sled. Riley Oldford, 12, who has limited mobility, has inspired the formation of Yellowknife’s first sledge hockey team. Sarah Bridge
… READ MOREChristmas has come early, with the help of British Airways and Charlbury-based SpecialEffect, for 12-year-old football fan, Finlay Sangster, who has cerebral palsy. Finlay’s mum, Gail, wrote to the airline to ask for some Christmas
… READ MOREElham Albakar and her family came to Canada in 2015 after fleeing conflict in Aleppo. Elham was presented with the bike by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, Freedom Concepts and the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams
… READ MORE“I’d drive 1,000 miles for an experience like this.” Harrison Markin, 6 yrs, experiences a giant snow globe and visits Santa and Mrs Claus at Southcentre Mall in southwest Calgary on Sunday, December 3, 2017. The mall hosted a
… READ MOREMore than one injection of botulinum toxin A in children with cerebral palsy (CP) was seen as less effective over the long term and had fewer gait benefits compared to patients injected once or not at all, according to a new
… READ MORERegistration is now open for our Winter 2018 programs in both Calgary and Edmonton! We have a new way to register, as well. There are still openings in a number of our programs in both cities, so please visit your city’s site if
… READ MORECalgary Interprofessional Challenge encourages student solutions. Typically, students are ensconced within their respective faculties and programs. Possibly they will take electives that broaden their education. The Calgary
… READ MORERandomized clinical trial shows improved motor function in children infused with own cells. An infusion of cells from a child’s own umbilical cord blood appears to improve brain connectivity and motor function in children with
… READ MORENew study shows genetic variations are a factor in 20 per cent of hemiplegic CP cases. What was thought to be an almost entirely environmental disorder has a significant genetic component. – Stephen Scherer, Hospital for Sick
… READ MOREPlaying a video game that rewards participants for holding various “ninja” poses could help children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve their balance, according to a recent study in the Journal of Autism and
… READ MOREIt’s a looming five-year anniversary Kamila Kitzul is loath to ponder. On Dec. 12, 2012, her eight-year-old son Nicholas donned a hall pass dangling from a non-breakaway lanyard for a trip to the boys’ washroom at Bearspaw School,
… READ MOREUC Davis Department of Pediatrics has received a $2 million, five-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to fund a new telemedicine program for children in remote communities. The School-Based
… READ MOREBrett Smith, 14, plays volleyball, floor hockey, table tennis and softball. According to his coaches, Brett Smith’s strong point is his serve. It’s on display Tuesday afternoons, during volleyball practice at Heritage
… READ MOREAmong children with cerebral palsy, 42% have not received any common spasticity management therapies, including orthotics, casting or orthopedic surgery, according to a press release from Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Inquiry into
… READ MOREThe new Whitemud Equine Learning Centre officially opened in October. Indoor washrooms, a roof that doesn’t leak and above-freezing temperatures allows for year-round riding. Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association. Programs for
… READ MORECustom bikes make cycling dreams come true. Jerzee Wasylnuk’s mobility was achieved thanks to Freedom Concepts, a Winnipeg company where a team custom designs and builds bikes for people — mostly children — who would never
… READ MOREIt might not surprise that good relationships create good outcomes, as meaningful relational experiences are crucial to all of us in our everyday life. However, the development of a relationship with a child with autism may be
… READ MOREBack by popular demand, we will be hosting our second Burn’N’Mahn Dueling Pianos event on Saturday, November 18, 2017. Get ready for Burn ’N’ Mahn dueling pianists Brian Burns and Jamie Mahn Those who attended last
… READ MORECori, a 1-year-old retriever mix training in water rescue, takes part in a special-needs swim lesson in Escondido. With her, clockwise from left, are Logan Powell, 6, dog handler Deb Parker, Caiden Shawver, 3, swim instructor Jodi
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