Participate in Research

We are currently developing a wearable biofeedback system for use with lower-limb prostheses. Once developed the biofeedback system could serve as a training tool for lower-limb amputees to improve gait and balance.

Access technologies can help people with severe motor impairments communicate. However, many of the available devices have limited customization potential. We have created an access technology which users will be able to personalize at home to recognize their specific vocalizations, keywords and/or facial movements. We want to evaluate the impact of this new access technology.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Sertraline vs. Placebo in the Treatment of Anxiety in Children and AdoLescents with NeurodevelopMental Disorders– “CALM” Study.

Our team aims to shed light on the air travel experiences of caregivers of children with physical disabilities since their perspectives have been largely underrepresented. We hope that our findings will help to further advance the accessibility of air travel and enhance the experiences of families living with childhood disabilities.

Our aim with this project is to co-create a user-friendly switch-accessible DJ app in collaboration with clients and families, as well as music therapists and music therapy students.

We are developing a wearable system that analyzes walking patterns of lower-limb prostheses users and provides feedback. Once developed, the system could serve as a training tool for lower-limb amputees to improve mobility.

We are studying how we identify and diagnose children with developmental concerns in Ontario.

This study will help us develop a better understanding of autistic adults/adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by exploring aging and brain function.

Our team is trying to identify the clinical profiles of children diagnosed with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Current clinical studies have found that active rehabilitation may improve physical function in children with SMA. However, no one knows for sure how active therapy may add to the benefits of genetic based therapies alone. We hope to determine if our outpatient rehabilitation program will improve physical function in children with SMA treated with genetic based therapies.

Bootle Blast is a movement tracking video game that makes therapy exercises fun & is customizable for various abilities and therapy goals. In this study, we want to find out if Bootle Blast is an easy-to-use, fun and beneficial activity to practice movement and hand-arm skills development at home.

The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) is a Canada-wide registry for people diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. It collects medical and contact information from individuals across the country. CNDR will help improve our understanding of neuromuscular disease and generate appropriate clinical research.

The Childhood Cerebral Palsy (CP) Integrated Neuroscience Discovery Network “CP-NET” is designed to bring together children with CP, their families, and clinical and basic scientists to foster neuroscience discoveries through integrated translation. Understanding the underlying neuroscience mechanisms, pathology, physiology, and genomics of CP is critical to developing improved treatments.  In particular there is a critical need to link translationally-oriented neuroscience research with cutting-edge neurorehabilitation approaches for CP. 

Our team is conducting focus groups with caregivers and therapists to understand the needs and wants of those involved in rehabilitation care, and to create a resource for those with minimal experience.

Existing technologies struggle to understand speech sounds such as moans and grunts made by nonverbal children. We are trying to collect audio, video, and brain data during home interactions with nonverbal children. This will help us develop an assistive technology to decode unintelligible speech sounds for communication.

We are recruiting neurotypical adults (18 years and older) for a research study on brain-computer interfaces. This research will help us develop new technologies that can help people with physical disabilities communicate, interact with their environment, and participate in everyday activities. In this study, we will measure your brain activity while you perform different movements like blinking, tilting your head, and making facial expressions.  

Children with disabilities are at risk of having pressure injuries from long stays at the hospital. This is especially a concern for non-verbal or pre-verbal children since they cannot express discomfort and may have reduced sensation. We are investigating the use of thermal imaging to monitor pressure injuries due to leg casts. The study involves collecting thermal images of the casted limbs and clinical assessments of skin condition twice a day over one week. This research may help us develop technology to monitor and prevent pressure injuries for patients in the future.

Our team would like to understand the recommendations of decision makers who are responsible for programs, policies and resources that affect youth with disabilities, to address discrimination and ways that we can enhance the inclusion of young people with disabilities.

Our team would like to understand the diverse lived experiences of youth with disabilities and particularly how disability intersects with race, ethnicity and gender. We would like to hear your recommendations for solutions to address discrimination and ways that we can enhance the inclusion of young people with disabilities.

We would like to understand the diverse lived experiences of youth with physical or apparent disabilities and particularly how disability intersects with race, ethnicity and gender. We would like to hear your recommendations for solutions and address disability discrimination and ways that we can enhance the inclusion of young people with disabilities. 

Our team would like to understand the diverse lived experiences of youth with disabilities and particularly how disability intersects with race, ethnicity and gender. We would like to hear your recommendations for solutions to address discrimination and way that we can enhance the inclusion of young people with disabilities. 

This project aims to explore and enhance compassionate care for young people with muscular dystrophy (MD) and their families. 

We want to understand the experiences of working and looking for work among youth with disabilities who identify as belonging to a sex/gender minoritized group. Specifically, we want to learn about how your identity impacts your experiences with workplace inclusion, disability disclosure, and workplace accommodations.

Access technologies can be deeply important for the quality of life of many people with motor conditions. We have created an access technology called SwitchApp for people with complex communication needs. SwitchApp can be personalized to recognize users’ unique vocalizations, keywords and/or facial movements, and can use these cues to control a computer. We want to test the usability and performance of this technology for employment-related tasks. This information will help us improve the user experience of SwitchApp for many different users.

Access technologies have the potential to significantly enrich the lives of users with motor impairments. We have created an access technology called SwitchApp, which can be personalized to recognize users’ specific vocalizations, keywords and/or facial movements. We want to optimize user experience and evaluate the usability and performance of this technology for employment-related tasks.

We want input from employers and human resource personnel in evaluating an evidence-based tool to help employers to engage in disability disclosure discussions with their employees, helping to enhance disability confidence and sensitivity. 

The research team at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is conducting a study to understand the differences and similarities in psychological outcomes between youth with persistent concussion symptoms and youth with anxiety. This will help researchers improve treatments for youth with these conditions.

Our team would like to understand experiences and challenges encountered among housing stakeholders in obtaining accessible and affordable housing.

Our team would like to understand the experiences and challenges encounterd in obtaining accessible and affordable housing.

Our team would like to understand the experiences and challenges encountered in obtaining accessible and affordable housing among youth and young adults with disabilities

We are recruiting neurotypical children, youth, and adults for a research study on brain-computer interfaces. This research will help us develop new technologies that can help children with physical disabilities communicate, interact with their environment, and participate in everyday activities. In this study, you will test out a new device that lets you control a computer using your brainwaves, eye movements, and facial expressions.

We have learnt that children with disabilities and weight management and wellness needs, along with their families often experience challenges and difficulties accessing health and wellness support and/or weight programs.

Our genomics study will identify and characterize genes that confer risk to autism spectrum and related neurodevelopmental disorders (CURRENTLY RECRUITING)

Exploring the use of using constraint induced movement therapy to improve upper extremity functioning and occupational performance in children following acquired brain injury.

We want current and former clients (ages 12 to 29), and parents/guardians (any adult family member in a caregiving role) and service providers of current and former clients ages 12 to 29 to do an interview about how young people deal with life’s challenges.

Young children with CP may not participate as much in their community compared to in their home. For a young child with CP, participating may be difficult and limited. Participating in the community is important for children to create meaningful friendships, discover their interests, and find a sense of belonging. One possible way to help is by using solution focused coaching (SFC). SFC focuses on collaborating with you, the primary caregiver, to create solution-based goals for your child that promote their community participation. We want to learn if this SFC method is helpful to promote community participation for your child and what you think about the experience.

Our team would like to understand the diverse lived experiences of youth with disabilities and particularly how disability intersects with gender.

Move&Connect is a program for youth and their caregivers with Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms (PPCS). Youth will participate in fun exercises, learn new skills to manage their concussion and meet others going through similar experiences!

The HEART Lab at Holland Bloorview is doing a study to understand the caregiving experiences of parents who identify as coming from a racialized background and care for a child with autism. In the study, you will be asked to discuss your caregiving e xperiences in which we will explore topics such as cultural stigma. In this study you will also participate in an art activity in which you can express your experiences.

The research team wants to know what is important to the parents of young people with physical disabilities in regards to mental health and wellness. We will use this information to inform clinical guidelines for more effective and targeted early identification and addressing of mental health needs.

We are collecting information to help in our understanding of how genes, brain and bodies are different if a person has a neurodevelopmental disorder or is typically developing (CURRENTLY RECRUITING).

To understand how genes affect the brain, body, and behavior and translate this understanding into new ways to help individuals with autism and associated neurodevelopmental disorders.

We will be studying speech performance during a reading task and using MRI analysis and a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy to help understand specific brain areas and structural qualities which may influence people’s performance while learning speech.

Our research is exploring how youth with acquired brain injuries (ABI) use digital communication like social media, gaming, and texting. We aim to understand the benefits and challenges of online and digital communication after an ABI, and how these platforms may support their social connections.

Our team wants to know about the physical, mental, and sexual wellbeing of youth with physical disabilities. We hope to discuss how youth with physical disabilities think and feel about their sexuality. These experiences are important and may help improve programs about sexuality for youth with disabilities.

The research team at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is developing a system to help youth with concussion return to their sport life (return-to-play). We would like you to test the system, R2Play and get your feedback so we can understand the value and challenges associated with this system.

We are currently recruiting typically developing adolescents for a research study on human computer interaction. This study will use a head-mounted display which tracks eye movements. Participants try to type a query with their eyes on an on-screen keyboard and receive the answer from the system. In the future, we hope that this technology can be a replacement of search engines for youth with severe physical impairments to send query and receive the answer.

We have created a new home-based therapy exercise app – Bootle Boot Camp – that is presented on a television equipped with a 3D motion tracking camera. We want to learn about how movement tracking feedback impacts engagement, movement quality and families’ experiences with the app at home. We also want to learn about how overall use of the app impacts lower limb function.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most frequent cause of physical disability in children in Canada, affecting 2-2.5/1000 children every year. This project aims to establish a Canadian Cerebral Palsy Registry, to provide an epidemiologic profile of CP in Canada reflecting the full heterogeneity of the disorder and provide a platform for population-based research on CP. It will serve to estimate the incidence, prevalence and distribution of cerebral palsy in Canada, while facilitating research in this field.

We want to explore what health and wellness means to young people with physical disabilities and what health activities are important in their everyday lives. We want to hear about what sort of things you do or want to do to be healthy and feel good.

The researchers at the Autism Research Centre, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab are doing a study to understand how our body signals, like our heart beats, change when we feel frustrated.

The research team at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital would like to invite you to participate in an intervention called i-SibworkS, an e-health and therapeutic peer support group intervention led by clinicians to serve the mental health needs of siblings of children and youth with disabilities.  

We want parents/guardians of children ages 12 to 25 to complete a 10-minute survey one time telling us about their child’s readiness for the transition to adulthood.

Subway Sensations is a video experience of riding on the TTC subway. The researchers at the Autism Research Centre at Holland Bloorview are doing a study to understand youths' experience while playing Subway Sensations, and gather their insights on it.

Our team is trying to identify what specific barriers hinder racial/ethnic minoritized youth with disabilities from accessing leisure activities or programs and what strategies or policies may facilitate their participation. Mitigating discriminatory barriers can help us increase leisure participation among racial/ethnic minoritized youth with disabilities, leading to more social engagement and inclusion.  

Our team is trying to identify what specific barriers hinder racial/ethnic minoritized youth with disabilities from accessing leisure activities or programs and what strategies or policies may facilitate their participation. Mitigating discriminatory barriers can help us increase leisure participation among racial/ethnic minoritized youth with disabilities, leading to more social engagement and inclusion.  

We are asking children and youth with cerebral palsy to help us learn about if they hurt and if it affects them. This study will help us better understand about if and how much pain is felt by children and youth with cerebral palsy.

This study is about developing an interface that detects hunger/satiety, thirst, and desire to eat/drink from brain activity changes using a brain imaging technology called functional near infrared light spectroscopy (fNIRS), and from saliva biomarkers. In the future, we hope that such a study could be used to develop a device to help children and youth with severe disabilities to communicate their needs to eat or drink.

To evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the FNQ-PR.

Researchers from the Bloorview Research Institute would like to invite you to take part in a study about mental health and wellness in young adults with spina bifida. Parents of children or youth with spina bifida are invited to participate in a focus group to discuss findings from a review of the research literature about mental health and wellness in young adults with spina bifida.