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 www.paralympicsontario.caerin@paralympicsontario.ca

Ontario Wheelchair Sports – Give It a Go!416-426-7131 www.ontwheelchairsports.org btg@ontwheelchairsports.org

Get Active Now!519-568-708 www.getactivenow.ca frank@getactivenow.ca

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

bernadette.garrity@mlhu.on.ca519-663-5317 Ext 2413

Karen FaragherThames Valley Children’s Centre

karen.faragher@tvcc.on.ca519-685-8700 Ext 1-53374