City Hall Ballroom

While patient-oriented research is increasingly practiced and can make sure research outcomes respond to what youth express is important, the few training programs in Canada aren’t tailored for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Session presenters explored the question: How can researchers and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities collaborate effectively? 

Looking at researcher-youth partnerships to learn more about the benefits and challenges of patient-oriented research revealed important training needs for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and researchers, informing co-production of future training opportunities. This work expands the practice of effective patient-oriented research, ensuring investigations truly embody the principle, “Nothing about us without us.” 
 
1. Nothing about us without us.
2. We identified there needs to be opportunities for youth with neurodisabilities and researchers to partner in research, as well as co-training opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills for equitable collaboration.
3. Our research team experience was a working example of an accessible, collaborative research partnership between researchers and individuals with lived experience.
 

Samantha Dong, Student Investigator, CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research
Amanda St. Dennis, Co-investigator, CP-Net; CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research
Jessica Geboers, Co-investigator, CP-Net; CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research