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No validated oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) instrument currently exists for those with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities and who communicate non-verbally. This qualitative study aimed to explore the domains that were important to the oral health-related quality of life in individuals with Rett syndrome.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are varied in their nature and presentation. Barriers to oral healthcare are reported in studies of general populations with IDD but these may not reflect the barriers experienced by individuals with rare disorders such as Rett syndrome.
Appropriate support for the health of children with an intellectual disability by parents and healthcare professionals is pivotal, given the high risk of chronic conditions. However, there is limited research that has collected important insights from parents on their learnings for supporting their child's evolving healthcare needs.
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) experience difficulty in the acquisition and performance of movement skills, threatening participation and quality of life. Environmental influences on participation and quality of life were investigated in children with DCD and their neurotypical peers.
To investigate the potential risk factors of respiratory illness (ethnicity, oral health, and eating and drinking ability) in children and young adults with cerebral palsy.
Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a major cause of congenital hypopituitarism and is known to be associated with overweight and obesity in up to 44% of children. Given the role of the hypothalamus in hormonal regulation, we sought to assess the association of resting energy expenditure (REE), appetite and physical activity with SOD.
Besides motor impairments, up to 90% of the children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) present with somatosensory impairments in the upper limb. As somatosensory information is of utmost importance for coordinated movements and motor learning, somatosensory impairments can further compromise the effective use of the impaired upper limb in daily life activities.
CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a genetically caused developmental epileptic encephalopathy that causes severe communication impairments. Communication of individuals with CDD is not well understood in the literature and currently available measures are not well validated in this population. Accurate and sensitive measurement of the communication of individuals with CDD is important for understanding this condition, clinical practice, and upcoming interventional trials.
Jenny Downs BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD Head, Child Disability 08 6319 1763 Jenny.Downs@thekids.org.au Head, Child Disability Areas of research
Siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) are a minority population at higher genetic and environmental risk of poorer neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes compared to siblings of individuals without NDCs.