Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Infinite Possibilities 2007-2012: Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Centres for Leadership in Childhood disability

Engaging children and youth with disabilities to create meaningful participation

As we continue to build our research in the areas of children’s participation and social inclusion, we are pleased to announce that Gillian King has joined Bloorview’s Centre for Leadership in Participation. Although Gillian has worked with Bloorview over the past two years, her role as Senior Scientist has now been formalized on a part-time basis.

Gillian’s work at Bloorview focuses on the importance of participation. She is currently working with a team of eight on a study that will help engage children and youth with disabilities in their environments by determining their experiences of different activity settings. This research is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Bloorview Childrens Hospital Foundation. 

Gillian also recently applied for funding for research that examines the cross-cultural participation patterns of children with Cerebral Palsy living in the United States, Australia, Quebec and Ontario. This study uses the CAPE measure (Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment), developed by Gillian and colleagues at CanChild Centre for Disability Research (McMaster University). This study hopes to examine whether there are differences between the activities that children prefer based on the geographic regions in which they live.

“I believe what’s key to children’s satisfaction with their leisure is engagement with others. This allows them to develop a positive sense of self,” Gillian says. “Participation is essential in creating meaning and happiness in our lives.”

Gillian believes that building bridges and knowledge sharing is essential for clinicians and researchers, since their collaboration leads to practice-based evidence, which has powerful real world application.

Gillian’s work will help Bloorview achieve the goal of establishing Centres for Leadership in Child Development and Participation, outlined in our Strategic Plan Infinite Possibilities, through creating opportunities for children with disabilities to discover their personal likes and dislikes, and paving the way for new discoveries.

Gillian has a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, and holds the positions of Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, and Adjunct Research Professor in the Faculty of Education, Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and Adjunct Research Professor in Psychology at the University of Western Ontario.