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Rett syndrome: Establishing a novel outcome measure for walking activity in an era of clinical trials for rare disordersRett syndrome is a pervasive neurological disorder with impaired gait as one criterion.
Research
Patterns of depressive symptoms and social relating behaviors differ over time from other behavioral domains for young people with Down syndromePeople with intellectual disabilities are at a higher risk for experiencing behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric problems in comparison with the general...
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Pandemic preparedness needs for children with rare diseases and their families: A perspective of COVID-19 experiencesPeople living with rare diseases had a high risk of negative health outcomes due to COVID-19. Pandemic preparedness will ensure best practice procedures and optimal outcomes during future pandemic events. This paper sought to understand the needs of children with rare diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform preparation for future pandemic and disaster events. First, impacts and outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with rare disease were identified in the literature.
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Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilityInvolvement in healthcare decisions is associated with better health outcomes for patients. For children and adolescents with intellectual disability, parents and healthcare professionals need to balance listening to a child's wishes with the responsibility of keeping them safe.
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A Co-Designed Online Education Resource on Gastrostomy Feeding for Parents and Caregivers to Support Clinical CareChildren with complex needs and severe disability may undergo gastrostomy insertion to support feeding difficulties. Parent education programs are critical components of clinical care pathways but there is little information on parent-reported educational needs. This study describes the collaborative process that yielded a resource to assist parents considering gastrostomy tube placement for their children, and the evaluation of the resource.
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Surfacing undiagnosed disease: consideration, counting and codingThe diagnostic odyssey for people living with rare diseases (PLWRD) is often prolonged for myriad reasons including an initial failure to consider rare disease and challenges to systemically and systematically identifying and tracking undiagnosed diseases across the diagnostic journey.
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The development, content and response process validation of a caregiver-reported severity measure for CDKL5 deficiency disorderCDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a severe X-linked developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Existing developmental outcome measures have floor effects and cannot capture incremental changes in symptoms. We modified the caregiver portion of a CDD clinical severity assessment (CCSA) and assessed content and response-process validity.
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Evaluation of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Hub Australia websiteTo evaluate use and utility of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Hub Australia website.
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qPCR assay optimisation for a clinical study comparing oral health risk in Rett syndromeThis study aimed to validate qPCR assays for specific microbiota, for use on dental plaque samples stored on Whatman FTA cards to compare relative oral health risk in Rett syndrome.
Research
Diagnostic services for developmental coordination disorder: Gaps and opportunities identified by parentsAffecting one in 20 children, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder impacting a child's ability to learn motor skills. Despite its high prevalence, DCD is under-recognized and under-diagnosed, causing unnecessary frustration and stress for families who are seeking help for their child. This study aimed to understand how parents procure diagnostic services and their perspectives on needed supports and services to improve early identification and diagnosis of DCD.