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News & Events

Driving change for children with disability

Today marks International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), a United Nations initiative that encourages communities around the world to deepen their awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability.

News & Events

Pioneering new treatments for leukaemia in children with Down syndrome

A team of world-leading scientists has secured $5 million in funding from the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society to advance the fight against leukaemia in children with Down syndrome.

Research

Co-design of the neurodevelopment assessment scale

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have high comorbidity rates and shared etiology. Nevertheless, NDD assessment is diagnosis-driven and focuses on symptom profiles of individual disorders, which hinders diagnosis and treatment. There is also no evidence-based, standardized transdiagnostic approach currently available to provide a full clinical picture of individuals with NDDs. The pressing need for transdiagnostic assessment led to the development of the Neurodevelopment Assessment Scale.

Research

Discovery of 42 genome-wide significant loci associated with dyslexia

Reading and writing are crucial life skills but roughly one in ten children are affected by dyslexia, which can persist into adulthood. Family studies of dyslexia suggest heritability up to 70%, yet few convincing genetic markers have been found.

Research

Growth patterns in individuals with CDKL5 deficiency disorder

Aim: To compare growth in individuals with cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder with population norms and to investigate the effect of gastrostomy on growth. 

Research

Neurocognitive and self-reported psychosocial and behavioral functioning in siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions: a study using remote self-administered testing

This study compared and explored the neurocognitive profiles of siblings of persons with and without neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and associations between objective test performance and self-reported psychosocial functioning. 

Research

Measuring the Burden of Epilepsy Hospitalizations in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

Information on the hospital service use among individuals with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, an ultrarare developmental epileptic encephalopathy, is limited, evidence of which could assist with service planning. Therefore, using baseline and longitudinal data on 379 genetically verified individuals in the International CDKL5 Disorder Database, we aimed to investigate rates of seizure-related and other hospitalizations and associated length of stay in this cohort.

Research

Psychosocial wellbeing, parental concerns, and familial impact of children with developmental coordination disorder

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting motor skill acquisition and competence. While previous studies have identified adverse psychosocial outcomes in DCD, they are limited by small or population-screened, community-based samples.

Research

Associations between genotype, phenotype and behaviours measured by the Rett syndrome behaviour questionnaire in Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder with developmental impairments, comorbidities, and abnormal behaviours such as hand stereotypies and emotional features. The Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire (RSBQ) was developed to describe the behavioural and emotional features of RTT.

Research

Burden of illness in Rett syndrome: initial evaluation of a disorder-specific caregiver survey

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder associated with multiple neurologic impairments. Previous studies have shown challenges to the quality of life of individuals with RTT and their caregivers. However, instruments applied to quantify disease burden have not adequately captured the impact of these impairments on affected individuals and their families. Consequently, an international collaboration of stakeholders aimed at evaluating Burden of Illness in RTT was organized.