Partnering for Change Demonstration Project 2009-2011

In this project, researchers from CanChild partnered with decision-makers from the Mississauga-Halton Local Health Integration Network and with Community Rehab, providers of services for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Using a participatory action approach to research, the team worked with community partners and decision makers to plan and evaluate the feasibility of an intervention in which occupational therapists worked in 11 elementary schools and shared knowledge to help families and educators better support children with DCD. The group was composed of families, educators, researchers, service providers and representatives from school boards, Community Care Access Centres, provider agencies, and the Ontario Ministries of Education, Children and Youth Services, and Health and Long-Term Care, who were concerned about the challenges faced by school-aged children with coordination problems

The study showed that educators, families and therapists all improved their knowledge about children with DCD and preferred Partnering for Change (P4C) over existing  models of service delivery – Click here to read a summary of the study. 

Canadian Institutes of Health Research.  $199,994, 2008-2011.  Partnering for change (Demonstration Project): Promoting health and participation of school-aged children with developmental conditions in their communities.  Missiuna, C. (PI), Hecimovich, C. (Principal Decision Maker), Pollock, N.Russell, D.Cairney, J.Bennett, S., Ruttan, B. (Decision Maker), Gaines, R., & Rosenbaum, P. 

P4C Demonstration Project Team

Sharing our Findings

Campbell, W., Missiuna, C., Rivard, L., & Pollock, N. (2012). “Support for everyone”: Experiences of occupational therapists delivering a new model of school-based serviceCanadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(1), 51-59.

Missiuna, C., Pollock, N., Campbell, W., Bennett, S., Hecimovich, C., Gaines, R., … Molinaro, E. (2012). Use of the Medical Research Council Framework to develop a complex intervention in pediatric occupational therapy: Assessing feasibilityResearch in Developmental Disabilities, 33(5), 1443-1452. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.03.018.

Missiuna, C., Pollock, N., Levac, D., Campbell, W., Sahagian Whalen, S., Bennett, S.,… Russell, D. (2012). Partnering for Change: An innovative school-based occupational therapy service delivery model for children with developmental coordination disorder. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(1), 41-50. doi: 10.2182/cjot.2012.79.1.6.