Nov. 9, 2016 GNEYP Research Event – Investigating the Early Development Instrument (EDI) & Toddler Development Instrument (TDI)

1. Building
a comprehensive, population-based
child development monitoring system
www.childdevelopmentmonitoring.net www.earlylearning.ubc.ca

2. “Owen & Mzee:
The true story of a remarkable friendship”

3. Dolinoy, Weidman, & Jirtle, 2007

4. Identical genes, but different prenatal diet
Waterland & Jirtle, 2003
Restricted diet:
More obesity
More diabetes
More cancers

5. Fagen & Fagen, 2004

6. Play & brain size
across species
Social play
Relative size of brain regions with
socio-cognitive, motor, emotional, & visual functions
Lewis, 2003

7. Play & brain size
across species
Social play
Relative size of brain regions with
socio-cognitive, motor, emotional, & visual functions
Lewis, 2003

8. Play & brain size
across species
Social play
Relative size of brain regions with
socio-cognitive, motor, emotional, & visual functions
Lewis, 2003

9. Fertile Minds
From birth, a baby’s brain
cells proliferate wildly,
making connections that
may shape a lifetime of
experience. The first three
years are critical.
February 3, 1997

10. 2nd
Decade
3rd/4th
Decade
5th/6th
Decade
Old
Age
 School Failure
 Teen
Pregnancy
 Criminality
 Obesity
 Elevated
Blood
Pressure
 Depression
 Coronary
Heart
Disease
 Diabetes
 Premature
Aging
 Memory
Loss
The long reach of early
experience….

11. 'Fair Society Healthy Lives’
http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-
marmot-review

13. Vision & goals
Toward a longitudinal ECD monitoring system

23. Toddler
Development
Instrument

24. Key milestones
“Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an
enhanced well-baby visit”
• R Williams, J Clinton; Canadian Paediatric
Society , Early Years Task Force
• Paediatr Child Health 2011; 16(10):647-50

25. Enhanced 18-month well-baby visit
• Ontario, Canada
http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/earlychildhood/health/enhance
d_18-month.aspx
Provincial government provides funding
Nipissing District Developmental Screen
http://www.ndds.ca/international/
Rourke Baby Record
http://www.rourkebabyrecord.ca

26. Components of a platform
• Short questionnaire filled out by parents
• Universal access – voluntary participation
• Practical benefits to practitioners and families (e.g.,
context-specific feedback; referral to resources)
• Easy to implement for parents and professionals
• Inexpensive
• Secure and privacy protected (confidential)
• Person-specific linkages to other data sources
• Aggregate-able for geo-spatial neighborhood mapping
• Scientifically valid (i.e., predictive)

27. Work to date
Forum for Early Child Development Monitoring
– Expert consultation
– Literature review
– Analyses of longitudinal studies
• (e.g., ELDEQ; ASQ data)
– Focus groups with parents and ECD professionals

28. Constructs on TDI pilot version
– Developmental milestones
– Child-parent/adult at home interaction
– Social play, outdoor play, screen time
– Sleep, nutrition, dental care, family doctor,
immunization
– Child care and access barriers
– Community child-family resources and access barriers
– Neighborhood safety, residential stability, interactions
– Social support for parent/caregiver
– Family dynamics (e.g., family functioning)
– Parenting beliefs and practices (e.g., parental impact,
competence)
– Parental well-being and mental health
– Demographic & socioeconomic background questions

29. Pilot sites
Trail
Kamloops
Revelstoke
East Kootenay
Comox
Vancouver
Powell River
Fraser Region

30. Trail
• Main contact: Christy Anderson – Executive Director, Family Action Network;
Member of IRESN
• TDI implementation set to start end of October
• Ongoing TDI collection through various early years organizations:
– Strong Start Programs; Aboriginal Family Gathering Program; Columbia Basin
Alliance for Literacy
Kamloops
• Main contact: Judy Treherne – Consultant, Make Children First; Member of IRESN
• TDI implementation to start early November
• Early Years Centre will serve as centre for coordination and distribution of TDI
• Additional locations interested in/committed to TDI implementation:
– Children’s Therapy & Family Resource Centre; Interior Community Services;
School District #73 Strong Start programs; Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and
Community Services; Secwepemc Child and Family Services; Kamloops
Aboriginal Friendship Society; Q’wemtsin Health Society; Interior Health Public
Health (Baby Clinics, Speech & Dental); Thompson Rivers University, ECE
Program, Infant Toddler program

31. Revelstoke
• Main contact: Tracy Spannier – Early Years Coordinator, Revelstoke Early Years
Centre
• TDI implementation set to start at community event on November 19th
• Additional implementation sites include:
– Public Health; Revelstoke Child Care Society; Revelstoke Speech & Language Clinic; Strong
Start, Revelstoke Leap Land, Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy
East Kootenay
• Main contact: Gina Panattoni – Regional Manager, Children First/Success by Six
• Interest expressed by four communities to partner in pilot implementation
– Cranbrook, Ktunaxa Nation, Kimberly, Fernie
• Specific implementation locations, dates, and details TBD
Comox
• Main contact: Joanne Schroeder – Executive Director, Comox Valley Child
Development Association
• TDI implementation to start January 2017
• Four key agencies to facilitate TDI implementation:
– Public Health; School District #71; Family Services; Comox Valley Child Development
Association

32. Vancouver
• Main contact: Susan Conley – Regional Manager, Public Health, Perinatal & Early
Childhood; Radhika Bhagat – Manager, Public Health
• TDI implementation to start January 2017
• TDI collection to be facilitated by PHNs in community health centres (CHC)
Powell River
• Main contact: Rita John – Early Learning Coordinator, School District #47
• TDI implementation to start in November and be co-coordinated between SD47
and Public Health
• Proposed implementation sites include:
– Powell River CHC Baby Clinics, School District #47 Strong Start Programs
Fraser Region
• Main contact: Sherry Sinclair – Executive Director, BC Association of Family
Resource Programs
• Interest expressed in partnering for pilot implementation
• Implementation locations, dates, and details TBD