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Research

Parent-reported health-related quality of life of children with Down syndrome: A descriptive study

To describe health-related quality of life of Australian children and adolescents with Down syndrome and compare it with norm-referenced data.

Research

The Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in Children of Immigrant and Refugee Parents: Current Knowledge and Directions for Future Research

We investigated the literature from 2002 to 2016 describing the risk of ASD, intellectual disability and ADHD in children of refugee and immigrant backgrounds.

Research

CDKL5 variants: Improving our understanding of a rare neurologic disorder

Providing new insights into the interpretation of genetic variants in a rare neurologi disorder, in the contexts of population sequencing data.

Research

Establishing a national platform for the provision of evidence based practice in Prader-Willi syndrome

Helen Jenny Leonard Downs MBChB MPH BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD Principal Research Fellow Head, Child Disability +61 419 956 946 08 6319 1763

Research

Multi-site validation of a suite of clinical outcome measures for clinical trial readiness in the CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

Helen Jenny Peter Leonard Downs Jacoby MBChB MPH BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD BA (Hons) MSc Principal Research Fellow Head, Child Disability

Research

Content Validation of Clinician-Reported Items for a Severity Measure for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) results in early-onset seizures and severe developmental impairments. A CDD clinical severity assessment (CCSA) was previously developed with clinician and parent-report items to capture information on a range of domains.

Research

Functional skills in MECP2 duplication syndrome: developmental dynamics and regression

MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is an ultrarare, X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that is poorly understood in terms of its natural history and phenotypic variability. There is limited information on how individuals with MDS acquire, retain or lose fundamental functional skills (gross motor, purposeful hand function and communication) - that of which this study aimed to better characterise in the largest case series to date.

Parental origin of mutations

We hypothesised that MECP2 mutations occur predominantly on the male derived X chromosome.

Research

Using a trauma informed practice framework to enhance understanding of and identify support strategies for behavioural difficulties in young people with Prader-Willi syndrome

Behavioural support for young people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is necessary in home and school environments. The Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) framework has been used to support young people with complex behavioural needs in school settings. To identify parent and professional perspectives on behavioural challenges experienced by young people with PWS and strategies for supports, to inform understanding of how they are aligned with the TIP framework.

Database a crucial tool helping to fill the CDKL5 information void

The Kids Research Institute Australia disability researcher, Associate Professor Helen Leonard, played an important role in the identification of the differences that define CDD, thanks to her extensive experience researching Rett syndrome and running an Australian online database tracking Rett cases.