About CRRN

The Children's Rehabilitation Research Network (CRRN) is an association of researchers across a broad spectrum of expertise, concerned parents and community members, staff from related funding agencies, and students beginning their careers in the field of children's rehabilitation.

Funded by the Ontario Rehabilitation Research Advisory Network (ORRAN), CRRN is one of 5 theme groups that fall under the umbrella of the larger network.

Defining Re/habilitation

CRRN defines re/habilitation as a goal-oriented, often time-limited, process which enables individuals with physical or cognitive impairments, leading to activity limitations, and/or participation restrictions to identify and reach their optimal physical, mental and/or social functional level through a client-focused partnership with family, providers, and the community. Rehabilitation focuses on abilities and aims to facilitate independence and social integration.

Objectives of the Network

The Children's Rehabilitation Research Network's objectives are to:

• facilitate communication and promote topic-specific partnerships among researchers from all backgrounds who focus upon children's rehabilitation
• implement annual networking days to showcase ongoing research, identify strengths and gaps in childhood rehabilitation research, and to identify and follow-up on strategic plans
• establish a core team of childhood rehabilitation researchers in Ontario, to promote and support CRRN activities, and
• establish a program of multi-disciplinary research guided by the interactionist model for rehabilitation research.

What the Network Offers

The Children's Rehabilitation Research Network

• maintains a database of researchers and professionals from backgrounds as diverse as neurosurgery, engineering, occupational therapy, and children's mental health
• maintains a database of research projects currently being conducted by its members
• provides an on-line forum for members to publish research reports and relevant papers
• supports initiatives related to children's rehabilitation research by providing small grants for the development of proposals involving groups of researchers and individuals
• keeps members notified of upcoming funding sources, events, and other news relevant to children's rehabilitation through email and website postings
• supports members work through workshops designed to coordinate efforts and interests of all stakeholders
• supports future development in children's rehabilitation by providing students and new researchers with resources for finding mentors

Membership

In order to promote and encourage networking and communication among people involved in children's rehabilitation, membership in the Children's Rehabilitation Research Network is voluntary and free of charge.

The CRRN is under no obligation to people who subscribe to the email or ask to be part of the CRRN directory of researchers.

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Background

In 2003, the Ontario Rehabilitation Research Advisory Network, then known as the Ontario Rehabilitation Research Network, organized a number of groups to focus on specific areas of concern for rehabilitation research in the province.

Five theme groups were established by ORRAN:

• Aging & Disability
• Rehabilitation in Childhood
• Health Services Research
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Neurological Rehabilitation

The rehabilitation in childhood group, led by Helene Polatajko, Deb Cameron, and Patty Rigby, of the Department of Occupational Science and Occuaptional Therapy at the University of Toronto, organized a multifaceted consultation process. This brought together people with a variety of interests to voice their concerns for the direction of children's rehabiliation research and to identify common goals.

The process included key informant interviews, focus groups with clinicians, and an interactive workshop with representation from all stakeholders to identify strategic priorities and key research directions.

As a result, the Children's Rehabilitation Reserach Network launched four initiatives:

• Changing Social Capital
• Knowledge Translation
• the Rehabilitation Model of Research
• Transitions

Working groups were established for each of these initiatives and their reports are available in the Iniatives and Resources section of this website.

If you have any questions about the Children's Rehabilitation Research Network, please contact us at: crrn.info@utoronto.ca.