Shaping the future of pediatric disability care, from Ontario to New Brunswick
Dr. Tara Kennedy remembers working with a child on her social skills – and the joy the child felt when she later attended a birthday party with her peers.
Although 20 years have passed since then, it’s one of the many moments Dr. Kennedy carries from her time as a developmental pediatric fellow at Holland Bloorview.
“The program is really special. Everything I do in my practice is informed by my experiences as a fellow,” Dr. Kennedy says. “The faculty and the physicians at Holland Bloorview are leaders in our field – not only in the country, but internationally.”
Holland Bloorview’s developmental pediatrics subspecialty residency and fellowship program trains the next generation of developmental pediatricians to become outstanding clinicians, advocates, innovators and teachers in childhood disability. As a fellow, Dr. Kennedy learned the value of being a part of an interdisciplinary team. Speech language pathologists taught her how to engage with children with disabilities, physiotherapists demonstrated how to position children’s limbs for exams, and social workers modeled empathy.
Like Dr. Kennedy, many graduates apply what they’ve learned during their fellowship in communities across Canada. As a proud Maritimer, Dr. Kennedy became one of New Brunswick’s first developmental pediatricians after her fellowship. As the clinical leader of provincial autism rehabilitation services at the Stan Cassidy Center for Rehabilitation, Dr. Kennedy provides advocacy, supports and services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. She also trains pediatricians to complete high quality autism diagnostic assessments and works closely with provincial government committees and health network groups.
Since helping to establish the province’s therapeutic autism team in 2007, Dr. Kennedy has seen dramatic system changes. Kids with more severe presentations of developmental disorders, for example, were often sent to the United States for care. Now, families can get the support they need at home.
Still, there is a critical shortage of trained professionals in disability care across Canada, and Dr. Kennedy says capacity is a big concern. As the chair of the examination board in developmental pediatrics for the Royal College, Dr. Kennedy says there aren’t enough developmental pediatric graduates to replace retirees in the coming years. Typical pediatric training also often excludes childhood disability.
“We hear from a lot of new pediatricians who get into the community and realize how many of their consults are related to development, behavior and learning,” Dr. Kennedy says. “They realize that they didn’t spend enough time on it during their pediatric training.”
In addition to having the largest developmental pediatrics program in Canada, Holland Bloorview’s Teaching & Learning Institute also trains over 400 professionals across healthcare fields, including speech language pathology and physiotherapy. The Institute creates opportunities for students from marginalized communities, and shares expertise with international learners.
Although there aren’t as many programs in New Brunswick as there are in Ontario, there’s a real willingness for people to work together for a better future, Dr. Kennedy says.
“To have a society that’s truly inclusive and truly supportive of all types of abilities is still a possibility for the future. Continuing to equip pediatricians with specialized knowledge is crucial to moving us forward.”
