The Rehabilitation Centre for Children promotes excellence in the field of pediatric rehabilitation by supporting and participating in research. The research is focused on enhancing care and evaluating barriers that restrict inclusion of children with disabilities.
Rehabilitation Centre for Children staff and the Research Coordinator collaborate with local and national researchers in the field of childhood disability to develop research opportunities and to conduct research. Studies looking at issues such as community participation, system barriers, early challenges with feeding and intervention approaches for children with cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and autism are currently underway or in process.
Who: Preschool children between 30 and 46 months of age with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
The purpose of this study is to see if a treatment program for autism spectrum disorder called Relationship Development Intervention RDI® is an effective form of treatment. RDI® is a parent-based intervention program where parents are provided with the tools to teach their children motivation, friendship, empathy and a love of sharing experiences with others. If interested please contact Denise, research assistant, for further information at 770-8875.
Who: Parents with children between the ages of 18 months and 7 years with cerebral palsy or developmental delay.
A major challenge facing service providers and funders is how to systematically evaluate and understand key outcomes associated with the interventions and programs provided. Different measures are used across Manitoba and Canada, making comparison and understanding effectiveness of rehab treatments difficult.
As caregiver you will be interviewed twice and asked to complete some questionnaires about your child’s abilities. Your child will not be directly involved in the study. If interested, please let your therapist know or contact Carol Kehler at 452-4311 or ckehler@rccinc.ca.
Who: First Nations families of children with disabilities.
Family members are asked to participate in three interviews that take place over approximately seven months at a time and place that is convenient for families. The purpose of the study is to learn from First Nations families about their experiences in everyday life, the meanings that families give to childhood disability and how they participate in their communities. If interested, please call Holly at 272-1686 or holly_alston@umanitoba.ca.