Research by department

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Departmental overview

Kids Rehab WA is a statewide, integrated tertiary clinical, research, education and training unit. It delivers inter-disciplinary services to children and adolescents in Western Australia with acquired or congenital neurological impairments, with links to satellite secondary units throughout the state.

We offer research informed and infused services to children and youth with acquired or congenital neurological impairments, to improve functional outcomes.

These services are unique to Western Australia.

The research program exists to:

• generate, evaluate and translate research findings
• build capacity in the field by training the next generation of clinicians and clinical researchers.

Integral to our research is the involvement of consumers, who are represented by the Kids Rehab WA Consumer Steering group.

The group has regular meetings and is an important voice in the planning, implementation, and dissemination of the research findings.

Along with publication in top-ranking academic journals, and presenting at national and international conferences, knowledge translation is achieved through training and education within the department, to the wider hospital and external service providers to ensure all children and youth are given the opportunity to improve functional outcomes, and unlock their potential, with the latest evidence-based medicine and services.

Clinical programs and research

A range of research projects is nested within the different clinical programs including early detection and intervention for babies at risk of cerebral palsy, assessment of long-term outcomes of botulinum toxin use in children with cerebral palsy, and outcomes for children with acquired brain injury.

Highlights of specific projects are outlined below:

Early Moves

Kids Rehab WA Leads: Dr Jane Valentine, Professor Catherine Elliott, Dr Alison Salt. Post doc: Dr Caroline Alexander

NHMRC, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, WA Child Research Fund, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (Totalling $4.26 Million)

Early Moves is following 3,000 West Australian infants born between 2019 and 2024 and tracking their development in the first 2 years of life. The project is recruiting from two study sites: St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals and Joondalup Health Campus, as a subproject of the ORIGINS Project.

For more information on the Early Moves Project, visit:

• Child and Adolescent Health Service | CAHS - Early Moves
• Early Moves (thekids.org.au)

Envisage

Kids Rehab WA Lead: Professor Jane Valentine

Australian Catholic University (ACU); NHMRC Clinical trials and Cohort studies grant (2022; AP20203839)

The Kids Rehab WA team is the WA consortium delivering the ENabling VISIons And Growing Expectations (ENVISAGE) program, delivered in conjunction with Kiind (previously Kalparrin) and Kids are Kids Therapy.

ENVISAGE is a validated evidence-based program of facilitated group workshops for parents and carers of young children, aged 0-8 years, with a newly identified disability or who have concerns regarding their child’s development.

For more information on ENVISAGE visit:

• Homepage - Envisage Families
• ENVISAGE – ENabling VISions And Growing Expectations (thekids.org.au)

Accelerate - WA Network

Kids Rehab WA Lead: Professor Jane Valentine, Dr Alison Salt and Sue-Anne Davison.

The Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) has provided funding to pilot the initial roll out of this network in the Kimberley.

Accelerate-WA will be a statewide, multi-directorate teaching and training network for early detection of cerebral palsy, encompassing key clinical partners across CAHS and WACHS.

Early diagnosis of CP is now possible for babies from 12 weeks post term, however standard clinical use of the gold standard assessment tools (including General Movements and Hammersmith infant Neurological Examination) does not exist in WA, meaning that babies are falling through the gaps in our health system.

Children in regional and remote areas of WA are particularly vulnerable, requiring a coordinated approach with local stakeholders to increase training of healthcare workers, streamline referrals for specialised screening and reduce the age of diagnosis and referral to early intervention for babies at risk of CP, CVI and neuro-disability.

For more information on Accelerate-WA Network visit - Accelerate-WA Network (thekids.org.au)

Infant Wrist / Hand Orthoses Trial (iWHOT)

Kids Rehab WA Leads: Professor Catherine Elliott, Dr Simon Garbellini

PCH Foundation, Australian Catholic University

The iWHOTrial is a multicentre, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial with economic analysis which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision of a wrist immobilising orthosis on impairment, activity, participation and quality of life outcomes for young children aged 0 to 4 years who are at risk of, or have, cerebral palsy.

School Readiness

Kids Rehab WA Leads: Dr Tiffany Grisbrook

University of Queensland; MRFF PPHR Initiative (2021; AP2007292)

The School Readiness-CP study is designed to follow up the children who participated in past early-intervention studies, to assess the influence of these trials on child school readiness.

As part of this study, children will attend a one-off appointment (5-6 hours with 2 breaks) to undertake a comprehensive assessment of: cognitive functioning, gross and fine motor skills, growth and body composition, nutritional status, feeding ability, communication, and speech.

Genomic testing pathways for precision health in cerebral palsy

Kids Rehab WA Leads: Professor Jane Valentine

University of Adelaide; MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission Stream 1 (2022; AP2025102).

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a diagnosis based on clinical signs and not aetiology or pathology, with only about 50 per cent of children receiving a clinical diagnosis in the first year of life – limiting the opportunity for intervention where maximal neuronal plasticity may occur.

This study aims to implement effective, national pathways for clinical recruitment, assessment and genomic testing of CP.

The team will apply a combination of state-of-the-art genomic technologies and deep phenotyping to provide earlier and more accurate diagnosis for at least 50 per cent of children with CP.

For more information on this project visit: Genomic testing pathways (thekids.org.au)

Quality Improvement Projects

• Kids Rehab WA nurses care coordination
• The need for a Psychological Parenting Support Group in Early Intervention Rehabilitation
• Improving adult service transition for Acquired Brain Injury patients
• Audit of Kids Rehab Early Intervention at-risk of CP service
• Impact of using subacute care type on clinical outcomes and financial indicators for Kids Rehab WA
• ABI staff wellbeing and satisfaction
• A summary of quality improvement projects in Paediatric Rehabilitation
• Routine surveillance and early detection of cerebral vision impairment (CVI) in children with or at risk of cerebral palsy (CP).
• Rehab in the Community (RiC) program evaluation
• Audit of outcome measures used for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients in the Kid's Rehab Acquired Brain Injury program
• The feasibility and clinical utility of incorporating the pedASPECTS tool into Cerebral Palsy diagnosis.
• Cool Kids in Spinal Rehabilitation
• Integration of upper-limb robotics into paediatric intensive rehabilitation
• Kids Rehab WA nurses care coordination
• Implementation of "B2: I Can Communicate" within the "at-risk" early intervention service
• Use of the Infant Monitor of Vocal Production and Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language assessments in Early Intervention

Department

Paediatric Rehabilitation (Kids Rehab WA)

Featured project

Early Moves