Occupational therapy

Parents modeling physical activity help kids with developmental disabilities improve motor skills

Parents can make a big difference by modeling and supporting physical activity in daily life, especially with younger children. A parent plays a game with her child. OSU Molly Rosbach, Oregon State University March 24, 2020 Corvallis, … READ MORE

New program aims to train doctors on developmental disabilities

A new effort is underway to better prepare future doctors and other health care professionals to treat people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. First-year medical students learn to use an automated external … READ MORE

Alberta school boards lobby to reinstate funding program for children with disabilities and delays

Association wants province to restore early intervention PUF program to 2018 levels. A motion passed by the Alberta School Boards Association at a recent meeting means they will now fight for funding of the PUF program to be restored … READ MORE

Robotic neck brace dramatically improves functions of ALS patients

Comfortable brace incorporates both sensors and actuators to restore roughly 70% of the active range of motion. A study participant wearing the neck brace. Photo and Video credit: Haohan Zhang and Sunil K. Agrawal, Columbia … READ MORE

Therapeutic horseback riding combined with cognitive exercises can help children with ADHD and Autism

Therapeutic horseback riding combined with brain-building exercises can improve the dexterity, coordination and strength of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, shows a study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Whispering … READ MORE

20% of disabled Albertans who need workplace modifications don’t get them

Advocates say employers are changing for the better. Experts say it’s often small adjustments that make a big difference for disabled staff in a work environment. Alexander Zemlianichenko, Associated Press Amy Tucker, CBC News … READ MORE

October is disability employment awareness month

Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) is an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of Disability Employment Awareness Month is to promote employment inclusion for people with disabilities and … READ MORE

Jaw-strengthening teether designed for children with Down syndrome

Hannah Ferrill, a Purdue University alumna in industrial design from Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts, has developed a jaw-strengthening teether for children with Down syndrome. Hannah Ferrill Chris Adam, Purdue University April 6, … READ MORE

An engineer, his Segway, and the ADA: A tale of the open road

Technology and legislation allowed Walter Marsh to work and to explore despite a debilitating heart condition. The author’s father, Walter Marsh, explored the lava fields of Craters of the Moon, in Idaho. Photo: Allison Marsh By … READ MORE

Video game representation

“Momma, you’ve gotta see this,” my 5-year-old son River says from the living room where he is playing Lego City Undercover on the Xbox. “I unlocked a wheelchair. It’s so cool.” As I roll into the room, I see his character, … READ MORE

Software recreates complex movements for medical, rehabilitation, and basic research

An open-source movement simulator that has already helped solve problems in medicine, paleontology, and animal locomotion has been expanded and improved, according to a new publication in the open-access journal PLOS Computational … READ MORE

I’m scared: parents of children with disability struggle to get the basics during coronavirus

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all Australians, but there are very good reasons why the impact might be more keenly felt by people with disability and their carers. More than isolated: The experience of children and young … READ MORE

No physio, no socializing: Kids with special needs face new challenges during COVID-19

Youth with special needs miss friends but also many services they receive at school. Christopher Craig swims with his son Cameron Armstrong-Craig on a family vacation last summer. Submitted by Christopher Craig Shari Okeke, CBC News … READ MORE

Switch Control changed my world

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to independently send my wife a text for the first time. Meet Todd Stabelfeldt. He’s been using Tecla since February 2014. We asked Todd to share with us his thoughts since introducing Tecla … READ MORE

DIY tools TalkBox and SenseBox help people with disabilities to communicate

The new devices, developed by a collaborative team based in the US, Canada, and Kenya, are easy to use and allow people in different cultural contexts to quickly enhance their ability to communicate. Figure 1. The first prototype (top … READ MORE

Motion capture technology used to prevent falls in older people

Researchers from CAMERA are using Hollywood technology to assess the benefits of an exercise programme aimed at reducing the risk of falls in older people. Volunteers in their seventies donned motion capture suits for the study to … READ MORE

Mechanics, mobility, and motion capture: From Pixar to reality

When you watch a Pixar movie, have you ever wondered why the characters’ movements and facial expressions appear so vivid and realistic? Illustration by Eric Chung for rehabINK By Yilina Liubaoerjijin, John Christy Johnson, & … READ MORE

Autism linked to between-limb asymmetries across the gait cycle

Recent findings from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), add to a growing body of evidence that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with significant gait asymmetry, suggesting movement quality should be part of the … READ MORE

Disability progression in multiple sclerosis linked to income, education

Neighbourhood income and education level is associated with risk of disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia. North Vancouver resident Marilyn Lenzen, … READ MORE

U of A lab developing wearable technology to prevent athletic injuries

Top student from China lends programming expertise to develop sensors and 3D avatar. Researchers at the University of Alberta are developing a wearable technology they say will help with athletic assessment and rehabilitation. Scott … READ MORE

Robotic walker may help young people be more social and physically fit

“Robotics holds great hope for individuals with CP where mobility options are limited. Physical and social advantages are evident,” the researchers wrote. By Iqra Mumal, Cerebral Palsy News Today April 29, 2019 A modified version … READ MORE

Drake Music Project scheme hits right note in helping disabled children

One Newry youngster whose life has benefited from being able to take part in a music workshop has spoken of his passion for the Sport Relief-backed project. Mary Louise McCord in the Crescent Arts Centre, Drake Music Project. Northern … READ MORE

Apple puts accessibility features front and center

Although the meat of Apple’s accessibility news from WWDC has been covered, there still are other items announced that have relevancy to accessibility as well. Here, then, are some thoughts on Apple’s less-headlining … READ MORE

CP Foundation launches new universal design “Accessibility is Beautiful” initiative

The Cerebral Palsy Foundation launched a new initiative on the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) called Accessibility is Beautiful, generously supported by CHUBB. The YouTube miniseries, developed by the Cerebral Palsy … READ MORE

Rehabilitation and cerebral palsy

Frequent re-evaluation of orthotic devices is important because children quickly outgrow them and can undergo skin breakdown from improper use of this equipment. Summer camp for children with cerebral palsy. CerebralPalsy.org Author: … READ MORE

Adolescents with cerebral palsy report similar quality of life to their able-bodied peers

“Our results are encouraging. Across 10 different areas of life, adolescents with cerebral palsy only ranked their quality of friend and peer relationships as on average lower than adolescents in the general population, … READ MORE

Non-invasive brain stimulation may help treat symptoms of rare movement disorders

Electrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord may help treat the symptoms of rare movement disorders called neurodegenerative ataxias, according to a study published in the August 22, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical … READ MORE

Alberta law to allow unwed parents to share financial burden of disabled adult children

The proposed legislation would allow parents to apply for financial support from ex-partners. Christina Ryan reads to her daughter, Emily, who is 18 but still requires constant care due to her Down syndrome and several other medical … READ MORE

The curious case of Charles Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for The Washington Post, best-selling author, Fox News commentator and well-respected conservative rhetorician, died on June 21 after an aggressive return of cancer following … READ MORE

Forget the cell phone screen, a forearm is all you’ll need to read

Researchers report haptic interface for mobile technology. Postdoctoral student Yang Jiao communicates words to Jaeong Jung, an undergraduate student, using phoneme signals transmitted to the haptic device on his forearm. Purdue … READ MORE

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