AACPDM President’s MessageDear Colleagues, As we move into 2023, I would like to acknowledge the dedication of our members and staff this past year as we transitioned back to our in-person annual meeting. Many of you have expressed how valuable it was to connect with each other in person again. We hope that you will join us this year at the 77th Annual Meeting of the AACPDM in Chicago, Illinois Sept. 10-13. Abstracts are currently being accepted until January 31, 2023 and can be submitted here. I know that the 2023 Meeting Planning Team (Drs. Wade Shrader, Bhooma Aravamuthan and Theresa Sukal Moulton) and the 2023 Scientific Program Committee will do an excellent job bringing the 2023 meeting to fruition and we look forward to seeing you there!
Membership renewal is open for 2023! We encourage you to renew your membership through the member portal. We are also always welcoming new members so if you are considering becoming an AACPDM member, or you would like to learn more about member benefits, please visit the AACPDM Membership page. The AACPDM has afforded me so many opportunities to connect with others who share common interests related to people with cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities and their families. Joining the AACPDM and getting involved in a committee or council is a wonderful way to start building a network of people that can play an important role in supporting you throughout your career. If you have not yet had the opportunity to view the new AACPDM strategic plan, I encourage you to do so. The AACPDM vision is to advance the health and well-being of all individuals with cerebral palsy and childhood-onset disabilities. One of the greatest benefits of this academy is the opportunity to engage with a community of like-minded people with diverse disciplinary backgrounds, who all work towards this vision. Through global relationships and connectedness, we are empowered to stretch the boundaries of knowledge through research and implement evidence-based changes to clinical practice. The Board of Directors is working with the AACPDM Committees to operationalize the strategic plan this year. We are pleased to include a newsletter section on the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability (IAACD). The IAACD was formed in 2017 by three founding member academies, the AACPDM, the Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) and the European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD). The mission of the IAACD is to improve the health and well-being of children, youth and adults with childhood-onset disabilities around the globe by enhancing local multidisciplinary professional capacity and expertise through an international collaboration between academies. In addition to a regular update in the newsletter, there will be a mechanism for members to indicate interest in serving on IAACD committees and an online forum for AACPDM/IAACD volunteers to communicate with each other and with AACPDM board of directors. We will also be including an IAACD update at the Annual Business Meeting. Please watch for upcoming announcements for 2023 clinical research grants. We are grateful to our funding partners, Pedal with Pete Foundation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation and the National Pediatric Rehabilitation Resource Center (C-PROGRESS) for their ongoing collaborations that have resulted in research to make a difference in the lives of people with childhood onset disability and their families. More details on the grants is located here: https://www.aacpdm.org/professional-opportunities/grants. Finally, we are in the process of transitioning the Care Pathways Committee to the Care Pathways Council. Thank you to several members who have indicated interest in serving on the new council and Dr. Jilda Vargas Adams, who has agreed to be the incoming chair (2023-2024). More information about the Care Pathways Council will be forthcoming over the next few months as the council has the opportunity to get established. I look forward to opportunities to connect with you in 2023!
Sincerely, Lesley Pritchard, PT, PhD |
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AACPDM First Vice President's UpdateWinds of HopeWhen a third of the city was destroyed by fire, it was hope that allowed Chicago to not just re-build, but to rebuild better and bigger in just a couple of decades! It was hope in a more beautiful future that allowed this city to become the birthplace of Modern architecture and hope for a healthier tomorrow that made this the site of the Nation’s first open-heart surgery. And that doesn’t even mention the hope that allows Cubs fans to show up at Wrigley field season after season. And, of course, we can’t forget our White Sox fans on the Southside! AACPDM and all of our members represent hope for so many children and their families and we are thrilled to invite you to experience these Winds of Hope as our 77th AACPDM Annual Meeting comes to The Windy City, Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile, September 10-13, 2023. Our planning team – Dr. Bhooma R. Aravamuthan, MD, DPhil, and Dr. Theresa S. Moulton, PT, DPT, PhD and I – look forward to presenting an exciting program full of inspiring messages, cutting edge research, and messages of hope from the amazing membership of AACPDM. The abstract submission website is open and is set to close on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 11:59pm EST. https://www.aacpdm.org/events/2023/abstracts. The committee will look favorably on submissions that directly address the following priority topics:
Please note that the meeting will take place over different days of the week in 2023, meeting from Sunday through Wednesday instead of Wednesday through Saturday. We are all excited to see how this brings out new and different participation.
M. Wade Shrader, MD
AACPDM Second Vice President's MessageContribute Through CommitteesIt is a pleasure to serve the AACPDM this year as the Second Vice President. In this role, it is my responsibility to oversee all committee functions and roles. The dedication and loyalty of our volunteer committee members are essential elements of the AACPDM foundation. Committee membership is not only a great way to contribute to the Academy, it also enhances personal professional growth by exposing us to new opportunities and colleagues outside of our own institutions. With a wide variety of committees to choose from, there is truly something for everyone. *To find out more about AACPDM committees, click on any of the links below.* Adapted Sports & Recreation In addition to the Committees, we also have opportunities for involvement in the Community Council, Care Pathways Council, or as a member of a committee for the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability (IAACD). If you would like to volunteer for a committee, you can do so by clicking here: https://aacpdm.execinc.com/edibo/VolunteerApplication The AACPDM Board of Directors recently provided clarification regarding several policies and protocols related to committee member terms:
Thank you for all that you do for AACPDM. It is the thoughtful and generous spirits of our diverse Academy that make it such a rich professional home. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions!
Laurie Glader, MD AACPDM Treasurer's UpdateFor nonprofit organizations, including AACPDM, continued economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in prudent budget planning. While the AACPDM ultimately produced two outstanding virtual annual meetings in 2020 and 2021 and one in-person meeting in Las Vegas in 2022, we still face budgetary uncertainty. Many of these economic uncertainties are beyond our control. Some of these economic uncertainties include a likely US economic recession in 2023, inflation continuing above pre-pandemic trends, and ongoing elevated interest rates, all of which impact not only our Academy but also our members. Furthermore, the stock market has struggled with the S&P 500 closing out its worst calendar year since 2008, which has impacted investment revenue. Overall attendance at in-person meetings was down across the association industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic though improving with a 65% increase from 2021. While we expect attendance to continue to improve for AACPDM in-person meetings, industry reports indicate that the average cost-per-attendee for meetings and events in 2022 was around 25% higher than many last in-person events held in 2019. The same association industry report anticipates the cost for conducting meetings will likely increase an additional 7% in 2023. The Academy is clearly not alone in having to be prudent in planning our budget to try to anticipate the ongoing economic uncertainty and rising costs. We are also mindful that rising costs of nearly everything is also impacting the personal budgets of all our members. While this sounds bleak, we are pleased to let you know that our Academy is still in good standing: - The revenues generated from the 2020 and 2021 meeting allowed the Academy to remain in a stable financial position. We have only accessed additional funds for strategic planning in 2022. The board greatly appreciates your ongoing membership and financial support of the Academy and with our refreshed vision, mission, and strategic plan, we can re-evaluate financial priorities needed to continue supporting our mission for years to come. Moving forward, the board encourages you to support the Academy via the new member challenge initiatives or you can donate directly to one of the endowment funds by visiting aacpdm.org/donate. Your active participation and encouragement to colleagues to join the Academy is the best way to support our Vision and Mission! We all hope that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and that the Academy retains a strong financial position. We thank you, the membership, and the board for your dedication to the stewardship of our Academy. Respectfully,
Joline Brandenburg, MD Past President's ReflectionDiscovering the Archives of the AACPDM VillageA project intended to preserve the stories from the past to shape the future of the AACPDM What began in 2021 to celebrate the AACPDM’s 75th Anniversary has launched an online interview video series designed to create a living history to highlight those who have had a profound impact on the Academy. “Archives of the AACPCP Village: Past Presidents and Trail Blazers” is now a series currently featuring eight past president interviews, each contributing uniquely to building the AACPDM village. Through their stories, the Academy is reminded of the many different personalities and characteristics that make the Academy village so special and how each past president has contributed to the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary vision of the Academy. These eight individuals have played an integral role in advocacy, mentorship, cultural expansion, women in leadership, and research excellence. Each of these past presidents has learned from those who have come before them. They have developed lasting friendships and learned from one another. Their stories often intertwine and remind us of their dedication to the Academy, their fellow members, and the patients and families this project was created to support. You can access these interviews by visiting the AACPDM website, clicking the “Membership” tab, selecting “Membership Highlights,” and clicking “Archives of the AACPDM Village.”
From there, you will find the eight featured full-length interviews, also found on the AACPDM’s YouTube channel. Featured Interviews Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President Al Scherzer, MD, EdD (1986) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President Robert P. Christopher, MD (1987) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President James (Jim) Gage, MD (1991) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President John McLaughlin, MD (1992) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President Michael Alexander, MD (1993) Archives of the AACPDM Village - Past President Helen Horstmann, MD (1994) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President Charlene Butler, EdD (1995) Archives of the AACPDM Village: Past President Peter Rosenbaum, MD (1996-1998) More videos will follow in the coming months and years. The board would like to express sincere appreciation to the Past Presidents who have donated the time and dollars for this remarkable endeavor to record our history. These video clips include highlights of a Presidential year, aspects leaders have enjoy about their profession, reasons for joining the AACPDM, among other tidbits. Although this was an initiative of the Historian and Past Presidents, it soon became apparent that many other people are trailblazers and thus the scope of the project was expanded. If members have people they would like to nominate for inclusion in the series, please contact the Historian. These videos are just one more way we can highlight how AACPDM is like no other professional society! The “teamwork” mindset of AACPDM members solidifies a worldwide network that provides the most effective outcomes for patients. William Oppenheim Committee CornerEducation The Education Committee has been working on several new projects. Our latest project includes the creation of a spring conference. The Education Committee continues to offer self-paced online eCourses for CME and CEU credits. With collaboration from AACPDM members, the committee successfully launched the following course:
We encourage members to attend and share the current eCourse, available until February 6, 2023 Sports for Children with Disabilities by Georgina Clutterbuck, BPhty, Ricardo Rodrigues Sousa Junior, PT, Sean Tweedy, Associate Professor, Iain Dutia, BSc (Hons), PhD, Hercules Ribeiro Leite, PhD. LifeSpan Care The Lifespan Committee has continued to work diligently to highlight topics and issues relevant to the lives and care of adults with childhood onset disabilities to the AACPDM membership. Our committee members worked with the Education Committee to develop an e-course on Physical Activity and Exercise Interventions for Children and Youth with Disabilities. We continue to contribute to the Lifespan Journal Digest, which is now live on the AACPDM website. In the Digest, you’ll find short reviews of 2-3 relevant journal articles each quarter. Our hope is that this will allow people to find “bite-sized” summaries of the information they need to work with this population! Membership The Membership Committee will continue to host quarterly Zoom webinars for AACPDM members. The webinars focus on discussion and exchange of information with participants. Proposed topics include: submitting grant proposals, submitting a proposal for a course at the Annual Meeting, and discussion focus on how new members can navigate and build connections at their first Annual Meeting. The Advisor/Advisee program matches experienced members with new members. We currently have Advisors willing to help and would like to engage more Advisees.
International Affairs The International Affairs Committee aims to provide opportunities for continuing education, research and innovation to International colleagues working in the field of CP and Developmental Disabilities; also, to promote their relationships with the AACPDM multidisciplinary community. Travel scholarships are awarded to applicants from resource-limited areas of the world with great potential for spreading knowledge and innovation in patient care; also, to researchers requesting support for international travel. In the coming year the committee aims to discuss survey results received from previous international scholarship winners and to present some exceptional success stories with great impact in the care of patients with CP and Developmental Disabilities that started from a travel scholarship supported by the AACPDM. We encourage members of the international community to actively participate in this committee and to stay connected in order to promote awareness on the great achievements in the diagnosis and care in the field of CP and Developmental Disabilities. Adapted Sports & Recreation The AACPDM Adapted Sports & Recreation Committee has continued to work hard on multiple initiatives this year! We received approval to create an Adapted Sports and Recreation Special Interest Group, and we are currently working on its implementation. Committee members also continue providing concise summaries of recent adaptive sports original research articles via the Adaptive Sports & Recreation Journal Article Digest, helping busy AACPDM members keep up with recent evidence-based literature. Our committee has also increased its focus in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts related to adaptive sports and recreation, including highlighting different organizations, resources, or events. Committee members will soon begin thoughtfully planning sessions for the next AACPDM Annual Meeting, including multiple “Let’s Move!” physical activity sessions and the adaptive sports and recreation community forum session. Communications The Communications Committee works to utilize coordinated strategies to disseminate AACPDM announcements and updates across several different platforms to promote its overall mission. We use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as our key social media platforms and create our society newsletters. We also work to share information about latest research and education opportunities that are of benefit to our members and the patients and families that we serve. We select the annual Fred P. Sage award winner, congratulations to our previous winners! This year we are collaborating with POSNA regarding a “myth buster” series.
AACPDM SIGs – Specially Designed for You!AACPDM Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Submitted by: Caitlin Cassidy MD, FRCPC, AACPDM Adults and Aging SIG Chair The Adult and Aging SIG is excited to be hosting a virtual meeting on Feb 28 at 4pm ET featuring a group of speakers from CP Research Network including Paul Gross and Drs. Garey Noritz, Amy Bailes, and Mary Gannotti. Come and join us for their talk, titled "Increasing the Quality of Life for Adults with CP: An Improvement Initiative." We'd love to see you there and look forward to the robust discussion this is sure to inspire! The Adults and Aging SIG is excited to announce our first meeting of 2023. Topic: "Increasing the Quality of Life for Adults with CP: An Improvement Initiative" We are looking forward to (virtually) seeing new and familiar faces alike, but we're also thrilled with the lineup of speakers addressing the SIG.
Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. As always, if you have any questions, please send them along to AdultAgingSIG@aacpdm.org. Also, if you have any news, updates, exciting research reports you'd like to share, please submit them in advance for a roundtable discussion during the meeting! Hope to see you on February 28! IAACD UpdateInternational Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability Submitted by: Sean Tabaie, IAACD Communications Committee Chair Recognizing the global gap in the access of expertise provided by professional societies, the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, European Academy of Child Disability, and The Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine agreed to establish an alliance of developmental disability associations, forming the IAACD. This alliance was formed in July 2014 and was designed to combine individual academy strengths and support the creation of further regional/national academies. In addition, the IAACD was created with a mission to promote knowledge transfer, including access to training, educational material, context related research knowhow to clinicians, families, policy makers and all stakeholders. The KT would be supported with appropriate cultural, social, geographic and political contexts and sensitivities access of educational material to families and policy makers that is developed in a manner cultural, social, geographic, and political sensitive manner. The Constitution of the IAACD with details of aims and objectives can be found here. Current members of the IAACD are professional academies that share the vision and include the following organizations:
2022 was a pivotal year for the IAACD. The organization transitioned leadership from a steering group to an official executive committee under the leadership of Christine Imms as President. Additionally, in the summer of 2022, the IAACD executive committee initiated their first strategic planning process which they anticipate concluding in 2023. The initial phase consisted of a survey that was provided to all committee members, the general council, executive committee, standing committees, and presidents of member academies. Currently, the results of surveys are being analysed by the executive committee and will be discussed at the strategy forming meeting in late winter 2023. At this time, the structure of the IAACD consists of seven committees which are listed below:
Details of the activities and current membership of the committees can be found here. If you have an interest in being considered as an AACPDM volunteer for the IAACD please indicate that on the AACPDM Volunteer application: https://aacpdm.execinc.com/edibo/VolunteerApplication Mac Keith Press Update
Partner Society DiscountsOur partner society members are entitled to:
Just ask your society representatives for special discount codes to apply at checkout. New BookWe are delighted to announce a new book forthcoming in 2023.
Here's a taster from the foreword written by somebody with professional and lived experience in the field: ‘Anyone with childhood-onset disabilities, their parents, trainers in sports associations, assistants, sports teachers, and others who take care of people with childhood-onset disabilities in training or movement contexts should read this book and have it by their side as a guide in all phases of training.’ Linda Sandström, Research Assistant and Physiotherapist, Lund University, Sweden. Has unilateral cerebral palsy. This book provides clear and evidence-based information on how to evaluate, train, and foster physical activity and fitness in individuals with childhood-onset disabilities safely across the lifespan. It is written for frontline service providers, such as clinicians and other rehabilitation professionals, as well as individuals with childhood-onset physical and developmental disabilities and their families. The authors thereby respond to specific needs and enable multiple parties to lead more physically active lives. Themes include physical fitness and activity assessment and training, safe engagement, measurement of activity levels and progress, responses to pain, and specific disorders. Diverse, complex subjects are presented in an accessible and engaging way thanks to cross-referencing and reading aids.
An essential resource for rehabilitation clinicians, educators, coaches, and other providers; specialists in sports medicine, sports science, or physical rehabilitation; individuals with childhood-onset physical and developmental disabilities, and their families. To register interest in PRE-ORDERS email alex.mckenzie@mackeith.co.uk with the following text: To the attention of the Mac Keith Press Team, I would like to be notified when Promoting Physical Activity and Fitness is available for pre-order in the new year. Kind regards, [enter name] Browse by TopicsWe are pleased to launch a new search tool to allow better navigation of DMCN content. Now you can browse by topic, giving more accurate and relevant search results. The tool is available directly here or via the DMCN homepage. 13 core topics have been identified, each with sub-topics that provide highly relevant results for your interests. Benefits of searching this way include:
2022 Editorial Highlights2022 has been another busy and enjoyable year here at DMCN. We are proud of Volume 64, which includes a diverse range of brilliant papers. Some highlights include an invited review on the neurological effects of COVID-19 in children, an overview of reviews looking at early interventions for autism spectrum disorder in very young children, and a landmark paper on global cerebral palsy prevalence.In his end-of-year round-up, our Editor in Chief Bernard Dan flags many key papers from the past year and discusses some of our own developments. Read his highlights here: DMCN 2022 highlights: Applying global perspectives to paediatric disability research. Letter from the EditorDespite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and its varied effects, the Academy has continued to not just survive but to thrive. As we all adjust to societal changes with hopefully some future stability, the purpose of the Academy remains preeminent; to advance the health and well-being of all individuals with cerebral palsy and other childhood-onset disabilities. World-wide connections are growing allowing more rapid sharing and dissemination of information and good practices, at the same time that research is adding to the knowledge base. Every member from the most passive to the most active has a part in the mission. Of course, we would encourage the more passive to step up their involvement. Attending the annual meeting has historically produced a charge of energy in attendees and is encouraged. The meeting committee is working hard to ensure that the gain from attendance is worth the time and expense. Thank you for reading the newsletter and any submissions will be enthusiastically considered.
Steve Couch |
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