Brain development
From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life
First-of-its-kind study using electrical currents to boost motor skills shows promise. Testing the technology: Hadley Lucca, making slime with her mom, Sarah, took part in a groundbreaking study at the University of Minnesota that
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About 1 in 2,500 people have a degenerative nerve disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). The disease is typically diagnosed in children, who can lose their ability to walk and use their hands for fine motor skills. There is no
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Meet 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
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Yona 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
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A 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
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Fewer 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
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Just 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
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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
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Early 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
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New, groundbreaking evidence suggests a much stronger underlying genetic link in children with hemiplegic CP – the most common type of CP – than previously thought. Two years. Affectionately Yours Flickr The Hospital for Sick
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Research is helping develop new treatments, strategies and surgeries, doctor says. The University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services have teamed up for a campaign encouraging Albertans to sign up for clinical trials. Dr. Michael
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Task-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
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With 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)
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Cliff Barr has no illusions about how his life is going to end but he still has hope. ALS patient Cliff Barr, left, who is taking part in a new Canada-wide clinical trial to treat ALS, poses in an examination room with tria leader Dr.
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Modified 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
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“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
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Randomized 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
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New 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
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Playing 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
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Half of those diagnosed with cerebral palsy have been prescribed standard AFOs to aid in walking, according to United Cerebral Palsy and the CDC. A patient with CP at Shriners Hospital for Children—Chicago wearing his customized
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Taking Strides is a student-run, non-profit initiative which aims to promote and refine physical literacy amongst children with mental and physical disabilities. We accomplish this through an adaptive program which incorporates 1-on-1
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As Canadians, we pride ourselves on our commitment to inclusion and diversity. Yet, when it comes to disabilities, this pride doesn’t match reality. Put simply – rather than inclusion, the every day experience of many
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UAlberta research gives new insight into healthy brain development. Recent research discoveries in the development of brain disorders could pave the way to new therapies for treating seizures, and even some children with autism, says
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Libby Beem was home-schooled so she would not have to attend a psycho-educational facility where experiments had been planned to deal with her behavioral issues. Bob Andres, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Alan Judd, The Atlanta
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Finding fun outside of the home can be difficult for children with special needs and their families. Thankfully, Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics gives kids with special needs and disabilities the perfect place to learn and play. The
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Melanie Reach is a 24-year-old Shorewood woman who has cerebral palsy. After over 20 years living with the neurological disorder, she has a lot to share with the world about the condition, the importance of kids with special needs
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Mobility influences the ability of children with cerebral palsy (CP) to carry out self–care activities independently, a finding that could help in the designing of treatment plans and improved development, new research from South
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WRIGLEYVILLE — On your way to the Cubs game Saturday, you might notice a lemonade stand manned by a particularly enthusiastic 8-year-old with an infectious smile. Cormac Friedlander (center) poses with family members during a
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Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital has launched a five-year push to make Canada more inclusive. “I’ve dealt with stigma my whole life because of my cerebral palsy,” Jadine Baldwin says. Steve Russell, Toronto
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Ontario’s human rights tribunal has ruled that a nine-year-old autistic boy in Waterloo, Ont. can’t bring his service dog with him into class. The decision says Kenner Fee’s family failed to prove that having his
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