Childhood development
Resources for families with special needs
‘Meg doesn’t want to talk a lot, but we discovered she can perform.’ Meg Ohsada has surprised friends, family and teachers with her innate musicality, athletic ability and talent. Monty Kruger CBC Jessica Barrett with
… READ MORERobotically assisted hippotherapy, a type of therapy that simulates the repetitive and rhythmic movement of a horse, has the potential to improve trunk control and quality of life for children with cerebral palsy, according to science
… READ MOREMarkin USRP students Ash Kolstad, left, and Justin Tan combine neuroscience research with technology under the mentorship of Tyler Cluff, seated. Stephanie Vahaaho, University of Calgary University of Calgary students Justin Tan and
… READ MORESkiing and snowboarding are fun group activities for friends and families and Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) organization extends that inclusivity to people with disabilities. All Mountain Camps – Rocky Mountain Adaptive
… READ MOREMeet the next generation of caregivers. Ellery and Clare are sisters to Gilly, who has special needs. Gilly has high-needs autism meaning that she will never work or live independently. She requires constant 24-hour care and
… READ MOREYona Lunsky studies the mental health needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. She works at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Brian Goldman, White Coat, Black
… READ MOREA day with Gilly, a teen with autism and developmental delay on the cusp of aging out of the system – and her parents who are expected to pick up the slack. Gilly is a full-time student at a Toronto school for kids with special
… READ MOREFewer than half of parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities make long-term plans about who will take over their child’s care if the parent or other relative providing care dies or becomes incapacitated, a
… READ MOREPectus carinatum is a rare chest wall deformity that causes the breastbone to push outward instead of being flush against the chest. It is also known as pigeon chest or keel chest. Quick and accurate 3D scans assure excellent fit of
… READ MOREVernon Para-swimmer Sarah Mehain among 11 members named to full Canadian roster. Swimming Canada is nominating 11 Para-swimmers to its 2018 Commonwealth Games team – including Vernon’s Sarah Mehain – which will be the largest
… READ MOREJack Gill is one step closer to reaching his Summer Games dream. The 13-year-old Upper Canada Swim Club (UCSC) member was recently identified as a potential athlete for the 2020 and/or 2024 Paralympics and was invited to take part in
… READ MOREJust sitting upright is a battle for two-year-old Jack Pankratz, and so his mother Kim Kucher offers a steady hand and lots of encouragement. Two-year old, Jack, who suffers from cerebral palsy, lays on a couch in the home of
… READ MOREAngelina 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
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