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CanChild has been working hard to post new material and resources to keep you up-to-date on the research we are conducting on childhood disability.  In this issue, you will find state of the evidence reviews and recent CanChild publications that we think will be of interest to you! 

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues.  They can subscribe to CanChild Today by registering here.

Also check our What's New page for new postings on our website.

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New Resources on CanChild's website (www.canchild.ca)

Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC)
Thanks to the generosity of colleagues from around the world, the MPOC is now available in Arabic as well as Danish, Hebrew, Japanese and Portuguese.  The MPOC is a valid and reliable self-report measure of parents' perceptions of the extent to which the health services they receive are family-centred. Developed by CanChild investigators in the 90s, the original version of the MPOC has 56 items.  There is also a shorter 20 item version. The MPOC-SP was developed for service providers and measures the extent to which the services they provide are family-centred. Free download. View translations of MPOC-56 & MPOC-20 here, and translations of MPOC-SP here.

What Helps Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy to be Physically Active?
Interventions that promote physical activity and fitness in combination with an approach that encourages mobility and an active lifestyle are needed for adolescents with cerebral palsy.  This 'In Brief' describes the Stay-FIT study protocol as part of a program to support physical activity for youth with cerebral palsy using a focus group methodology.  Click here to read 'In Brief' and click here to view recent publication.

Sensory Integration: A review of the current state of the evidence
Prepared by Nancy Pollock and published in Occupational Therapy Now, this 'Keeping Current' describes the evidence for effectiveness of sensory integration interventions.  Further suggestions for clinicians and families are provided.  Reprinted with the permission of CAOT Publications ACE.  Click here to view Keeping Current.

Use of Virtual Reality Technology to Improve Movement in Children with Physical Impairments
Danielle Levac and Cheryl Missiuna examine the use of virtual reality therapy as an engaging and motivational intervention for children with physical impairments in this 'Keeping Current'.  A review of the use of VRT in therapy is included along with practical tips for clinicians and researchers.  Click here to read the Keeping Current.  Also read an abstract of a related article in Human Movement Science and an article in Developmental Neurorehabilitation.

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Recent CanChild Publications

.…about DCD

A staged approach for identifying children with developmental coordination disorder from the population
The STACK study team investigators describe the motor, attention and intellectual characteristics of a population-based sample of children first screened for motor impairment and discuss the recruitment and identification methods employed.  A school-based survey was conducted to screen for children with motor coordination difficulties and to identify children with an existing diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/attention deficit disorder. The identified children, and a random sample of typically developing children, were assessed to confirm or rule out the presence of DCD.  Published in Research in Developmental Disability.  Authors: C Missiuna, J Cairney, N Pollock, D Russell, K Macdonald, M Cousins, S Veldhuizen, L Schmidt.  Click here to read the abstract and click here to read more about the STACK study. 

Activities and participation in children with developmental coordination disorder: A systematic review
The authors of this article, published electronically ahead of print in Research in Developmental Disability, systematically reviewed all literature published in peer reviewed journals from 1995 to 2008 in order to summarize and describe the activity limitations and participation restrictions of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).  Data analysis revealed that, from 371 articles that met inclusion criteria, only 44 presented any data related to activity or participation issues. Evidence concerning activity and participation issues for children with DCD is limited in both volume and scope.  Authors: LC Magalhães, AA Cardoso, C Missiuna. Click here to view abstract.

Physical activity and fitness in children with developmental coordination disorder: A systematic review
A systematic review of the literature was conducted and published electronically ahead of print in Research in Developmental Disability by investigators at Brock University. The purpose was to synthesize the recent available data on fitness and physical activity in children with DCD, and to understand the extent of the differences between children with DCD and their typically developing peers. It has been demonstrated that body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and endurance, anaerobic capacity, power, and physical activity have all been negatively associated, to various degrees, with poor motor proficiency. Authors: I Rivilis, J. Hay, J Cairney, P Klentrou, J Liu, BE Faught. Click here to view abstract.

Book Chapter: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Lisa Rivard and her colleagues have updated their chapter on DCD in the recently published Physical Therapy for Children.  Following the ICF framework, up-to-date evidence on the prevalence, co-existing conditions, prognosis, diagnosis, and physical therapy interventions for children with DCD across the lifespan are described.  This chapter will be a valuable reference for clinicians and students.
Citation: Rivard, L., Missiuna, C., Pollock, N., Steyer David, K. (2011). Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). In S. Campbell, RJ Palisano & MN Orlin (Ed.), Physical Therapy for Children, 4th ed. (pp. 498 - 538). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.

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