Pre-Conference Workshops

All AusACPDM 2020 pre-Conference workshops will be held on Wednesday 11 March 2020 at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre and there is an exciting range of workshops on offer:


Workshop 1: Robotics in Action – Offsite location at Perth Children’s Hospital
Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time: 8.30am arrival, 9am – 12pm workshop
Venue: Perth Children’s Hospital
Speaker: Dr Andreas Meyer-Heim, Chief Medical Officer, Rehabilitation Centre Affoltern am Albis and Division of Rehabilitation, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, and Jen Colegate

In the introduction of this workshop we will look at the rationale, the options of application as well as the current state of research and evidence of robotic devices for upper and lower extremities used in paediatrics rehab. We investigate the clinical implementation and the role of the therapist in the application of these novel rehab technologies.

During a practical session, participants will have the opportunity exploring and get “hands-on” in touch with some of the devices in order to gather information from a practical perspective.

Clinical video examples of patients are used to interactively discuss the indication and possible contraindications for robotic therapies as well as patient’s journeys.


Workshop 2Routines Based Coaching
Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time:8.30am – 11.30am
Venue: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Speaker: Denise Luscombe, Assistant Director WA Practice, National Disability Insurance Agency

This workshop will focus on the combined application of coaching and routines-based intervention, two practices utilised in the early childhood intervention field.  Coaching builds the capacity of the family and other significant adults involved in a child’s life and is defined as ‘an adult learning strategy in which the coach promotes the learner’s ability to reflect on his/her actions as a means to determine the effectiveness of an action or practice and develop a plan for refinement and use of the action in immediate and future situations’ (2011). Routines Based Intervention focuses on the contextualising of solutions within the everyday lives of children with delays and disability.  The recently released Tune Review of the NDIS (2019) recommends that funded supports for children with disability build the capacity of families and carers to support children with disability in natural settings such as the home and community.  Routines Based Coaching achieves this outcome. Participants will be provided with a framework to assist with the immediate application of the key characteristics of coaching, authentic assessment and routines based intervention within their practice. 


Workshop 3: Hot Topics: Innovations in Early Diagnosis, MRI Analysis and Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Australasian Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials Network (Aus-CP-CTN)

Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time: 8:30am – 11:30am
Venue: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Speaker: Ros Boyd PhD (Chair) Domenico Romeo, MD, PhD; Cath Morgan, PhD, PT; Andrea Guzzetta, MD, PhD; Michael Fahey, MBBS PhD FRACP; Lynda McNamara, PT, PhD Candidate, PT; Joanne George PhD, PT; Leanne Sakzewski, PhD, OT; Jurgen Fripp, PhD; Katherine Benfer, PhD, SpTh; Jane Valentine MD, PhD.

Program:
Part 1 1: Innovations in Early Diagnosis
1: Identifying infants at high-risk for developing cerebral palsy and differential diagnosis of CP (45 mins) Domenico Romeo and Cath Morgan.
2: Describe the neurophysiological mechanisms of adaptive neuroplasticity (20 mins) Andrea Guzzetta
3. Use genetic algorithmic differential diagnostic decision-making. (20 mins) Michael Fahey
4. Implementation of early detection with stakeholders and clinicians (20 mins) Lynda McNamara and Joanne George


Hour 2: Innovations in measuring neuroplasticity for Cerebral Palsy
5. Innovations in Automated Analysis of MRI for infants at risk of Cerebral Palsy.  (10 mins) Jurgen Fripp
6. Innovations in Automated Analysis of MRI for measuring structure/ function relationships in children with Cerebral Palsy. (10 mins) Jurgen Fripp


Hour 3: Innovations in intervention for Cerebral Palsy
7. Novel interventions that optimize function and participation: Habitile and Participate CP (20 mins) Leanne Sakzewski
8. Early Intervention in Low Middle Income Countries: LEAP-CP (20 mins) Katherine Benfer
9. State of the Science of Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) in Cerebral Palsy (20 mins) Jane Valentine.


Learning Objectives:
1: Learn about latest techniques to Identify infants at high-risk for developing cerebral palsy and other differential diagnoses.
2: Describe the neurophysiological mechanisms of adaptive neuroplasticity and use genetic algorithmic differential diagnostic decision-making.
3: Outline novel interventions that optimize neuroplasticity.
4: Discuss stakeholder perspectives and pathways for clinicians for the early detection of CP.
5. Learn about innovations in automated analysis of MRI for infants at risk and children with CP.
6. Learn about latest intensive interventions to optimize function and participation.
7. Learn about the state of the science and implications for clinical practice for the use of BoNT-A in CP.


Workshop 4: Consumer Engagement in Research
Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time: 12.30pm – 3.30pm
Venue: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Speaker: Anne McKenzie AM, Community Engagement Manager, Telethon Kids Institute

A workshop consumer and community involvement in research will be presented by Anne McKenzie AM, Community Engagement Manager at Telethon Kids Institute. During the past ten years Anne has delivered training workshops to approximately 3000 researchers, clinicians and consumers across Australia about the ‘how and why’ of implementing involvement in research.

Workshop Aims

  • Raise awareness of the value and contribution consumers and the community can make to research when involved as active partners
  • Develop an understanding about the foundations of consumer and community involvement
  • Identify and address the barriers to consumer and community involvement
  • Build knowledge about the benefits of consumer and community involvement in their research

Learning Outcomes

Attendees will be able to

  • Identify why, where and how consumers and community members can contribute to research
  • Understand and have an awareness of the benefits and value of consumer and community involvement
  • Consider solutions to barriers for meaningfully involving consumers and community members in research

Workshop 5: State of the Science in Communication 
Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time: 12.30pm – 3.30pm
Venue: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
Speaker: Professor Katie Hustad, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin

Approximately 60% of children with cerebral palsy (CP) have some type of communication disorder, which may include dysarthria and its associated speech intelligibility deficits; language and/or cognitive impairments; or a combination of both speech and language/cognitive problems. Children with CP are heterogeneous in their speech, language, and communication abilities.  Classification of communication profiles is an important means for reducing heterogeneity and enables us to better understand growth, predict outcomes, and develop treatment plans that are profile group specific.  In this presentation we will discuss speech and language classification profiles and recent research findings highlighting speech and language outcomes that are classification-group specific.  We will also discuss findings from our longitudinal research on speech and language growth curves and how findings relate to clinical decision-making for communication interventions. The seminar will feature case examples, including repeated samples over years from the same children.  The seminar will emphasise translation of research findings into clinical practice and will integrate discussions of evidence-based decision making throughout.

Learning outcomes

  • Identify different strategies for classifying speech, language, and communication in children with CP and discuss similarities and differences among approaches.
  • Describe the range of communication strengths and deficits in children with CP and the associated speech-language profile groups used in our clinical research.
  • Describe findings of studies examining growth of speech intelligibility in children with CP and relate findings to clinical profile groups.
  • Explain the importance of growth curves and cut points for separating typical from atypical intelligibility development among children with CP.

Workshop 6: Transitional Care Pathways CANCELLED


X