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Simran Walia, BHSc, MHSc (candidate)

  • Program of Study: Master of Health Sciences - Public, Community and Population HealthSimran Walia
  • Institution: Ontario Tech University
  • Project title: Wait times for Pediatric Rehabilitation Services in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Durham, Ontario
  • Project background: Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities have specific rehabilitation needs that must be addressed to optimize their cognitive and behavioural development and functioning. A significant barrier to accessing timely rehabilitation is wait times. Grandview Children's Centre (Grandview), a dedicated ministry-funded Children's Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) in the region of Durham, Ontario, provides rehabilitation services for children and youth with moderate to severe disabilities and special needs. However, like many other CRCs, Grandview faces challenges in meeting the high service demand, leading to lengthy waitlists for its core services. With a specific emphasis on the essential services of physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech-language pathology (SLP), my research aims to generate new knowledge to address this important access and delivery challenge.
  • Project objectives: To synthesize the knowledge about the duration and factors associated with wait times for rehabilitation for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Canada. To describe the current wait times for PT, OT, and SLP at Grandview Children's Centre. To determine whether age, sex, residential location, and referral source are associated with wait times in Durham, Ontario.
  • Collaborators:  Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research at Ontario Tech University and Grandview Children's Centre.
  • Supervisor:
    • Pierre Côté DC, PhD (Ontario Tech University)
  • Committee Members:
    • Dr. Heather Shearer, BA (Hons), DC, MSc, FCCS(C), PhD
    • Dr. Dan (Demi) Wang, BMEd, MSc, PhD
    • Dr. Taryn Eickmeier, PhD