Healthy Active LivingHealthy Active Living Children & Youth with Children & Youth with
DisabilitiesDisabilities
Karen Faragher, TVCC Bernadette Garrity, MLHU
Overview of Session
OverviewHealthy Living Partnership Middlesex LondonChildren and Youth with Disabilities Specific Healthy Living InitiativesResources, Links & References
What is the Healthy Living Partnership Middlesex London?
Structure of the partnership
Children, Youth and Young Adult Community Action Team
2006 Taking Action for Healthy Living - OHHP funding opportunity
Eat Smart Eat Smart Feel Great! Feel Great! Butt OutButt Out Be Free! Be Free! Get Active Get Active Your Way!Your Way!
Healthy Living Coordinating
Team
Children, YouthYoung Adult
Community Action Team
Women Living Healthy
Community Action Team
Middlesex-London Resource
Community Action Team
Worksite Community
Action Team
Ministry of Health Promotion
Healthy Living Partnership Middlesex-London
Eat Smart Eat Smart Feel Great! Feel Great! Butt OutButt Out Be Free! Be Free! Get Active Get Active Your Way!Your Way!
Healthy Living 2006 Campaigns
Children, Youth and Young Adult Community Action
Team
Our Goal: to promote and support healthy lifestyle choices in children, youth and young adults.
To develop and support strategies that encourage our target population to:
Increase daily physical activity.Promote healthy food choices.Decrease incidence of tobacco use/exposure.
These strategies include, but are not limited to, awareness programs, educational resources, skill building opportunities, environmental support and policy.
Children, Youth and Young Adult Community Action
Team Team Members
Thames Valley District School BoardLondon District School BoardCity of LondonLondon YMCAThames Valley Children’s CentreOntario Early Years Centres
Volunteer from Council for Tobacco Free CommunityMerrymount Children’s Centre MLHU Staff: Family Health Services Dietician, PHNS from Young Adult Team, Child Health Team and CDIP (Chair)
HighlightsHealthy Active School Award
Healthy Eating Champions AwardTreasure Boxes
Families are MunchingTurn Off the ScreensHealthy Living Day
Challenge of the HeartBalanced Choice
Children, Youth and Young Adult Community Action
Team
2006 Taking Action for Healthy Living - OHHP funding opportunity
One of the partners …Thames Valley Children’s
Centre
Is a regional rehabilitation centre serving children and young people with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities and/or communication needs, primarily in southwestern Ontario
Therapeutic Recreation at TVCC
Based on the principles of the Life Needs Model of Service Delivery, all services at TVCC:
Focus on strengths, interests and aspirationsAre provided in a family-centered mannerIntervene on the family and community level
Children and Youth with Disabilities …
What do we know?Children with disabilities tend to be more restricted in … formal and informal leisure activities than their peers and the scope of their activities are limited (Brown & Gordon, 1987)Compared to children without disabilities, children with disabilities tend to engage in fewer recreation and social activities (Brown & Gordon, 1987)The participation of children and youth with disabilities decreases as children grow-up so that by adulthood participation is restricted; typically they take part in passive, home-based activities (Brown & Gordon, 1987)
What else do we know? (King et al., 2006)
Direct predictors of participationThe child’s functional ability (affected by supportive environments)Family participation patterns & value of leisureChild preferences (affected by greater social support)
Indirect predictors of participationParent’s perceptions of environmental barriersFamily cohesion (impacts participating together)Supportive relationships for the childFamily income (affects orientation to activity)
What do these findings mean? (King et al., 2006)
Implications for familiesFamilies play a vital role in enabling their children’s participationChildren participate more intensely when families value the activity and when families are more engagedFamilies play a key role in supportive relationships
Implications for service providers & policy makersChildren’s functional abilities and activity preferences should be formally assessed and shared with familiesPolicy interventions are most effective when they address both direct and indirect predictorsNeed multi-pronged strategies that are aimed at the child but also family and environmental levels as well
The Healthy Living Partnership… What Have We
Done?We have partnered on already existing and very successful programs and added a twist that supports and encourages increased participation of children and youth with disabilities
Inclusive Treasure Boxes Adapted Equipment Lending
Turn off the ScreensOther Spin Offs
Inclusive Treasure Boxes
QDPA is equally vital for students with disabilitiesInclusive Treasure Boxes are a resource to support teachers in providing QDPA for all!Each one contains adapted equipment as well as activity ideas for each piece of equipment
Inclusive Treasure Box Contents
Audi BallsFar Out Floater
Impact Lightning BallRoo ScoopRib It BallRaz Ball
Surekatch BallGrab ballGrabits
Slo Mo BallSuccess Ball
Ballz EyePellets N Pebbles
Beans N FoamBumper Grip Play Ball
Rhythm FlagsRag Ball Soccer
Adapted Equipment Lending
Sledge hockey
Boccia sets
Turn Off The Screens Week
Week long screen-free challenge, with over 50 free activities offered to children and families
Wheelchair Sports event added to the Calendar of Events in 2006
Offered Wheelchair Basketball and Boccia challenges
Partnership with London Wheelchair Basketball Association, Paralympic Ontario and the City of London
Other Spin Offs…
Summer Camp Requests
Education & Training
Additional purchases
Community ResourcesParalympics Ontario – Ready Willing &
Able416-426-7426 [email protected]
Ontario Wheelchair Sports – Give It a Go!416-426-7131 www.ontwheelchairsports.org [email protected]
Get Active Now!519-568-708 www.getactivenow.ca [email protected]
Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services
www.oacrs.com
ReferencesBrown, M., & Gordon, W. (1987). Impact of impairment on activity patterns of children. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 68, 828-832.
King, G., Law, M., Hanna, S., King, S., Hurley, P., Rosenbaum, P., Kertoy, M., Petrenchik, T., (2006). Predictors of the Leisure and Recreation Participation of Children with Physical Disabilities: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis. Children’s Health Care, 35(3), 209-234.
King, G., Law, M., King, S., Rosenbaum, P., Kertoy, M. K., & Young, N. L., (2003). A conceptual model of the factors affecting the recreation and leisure participation of children with disabilities. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 23(1), 63-90.
King, G., Tucker, M.A., Baldwin, P., Lowry, K., LaPorta, J., & Martens, L., (2002). A LifeNeeds Model of pediatric Service Delivery: Services to support community participation and quality of life for children and youth with disabilities. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 22(2), 53-77.
Contact Us …
Bernadette GarrityMiddlesex London Health Unit
[email protected] Ext 2413
Karen FaragherThames Valley Children’s Centre
[email protected] Ext 1-53374