From April 16-17 KidsAbility participated in the Empowered Kids Ontario (EKO) Spring Symposium. This annual event unites organizations from across the province that are all dedicated to enhancing the lives of children with disabilities and developmental differences.
This year, KidsAbility’s Rocket Discovery Centre team shared some exciting research in pediatric rehabilitation. Brendan Wylie-Toal, Director of Innovation and Research, delivered an engaging presentation on Concurrent Studies on AI and Large Language Models in Clinical Documentation. Conducted in collaboration with the University of Waterloo and University of Guelph, Brendan’s work explores why Child Treatment Centres represent a challenging case for AI adoption, despite the technology’s potential to reduce workload and improve quality.
Cynthia Lennon, Clinical Innovation Specialist, Sue Gibson, Client Access Associate Director, and Samantha Noyek, a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University, showcased KidsAbility’s successful implementation of ENVISAGE, a family-centred program designed to empower caregivers of children with developmental differences. Their poster highlighted the program’s meaningful impact on family engagement and caregiver confidence within our services.
Reflecting on the event, Cynthia Lennon remarked, “It’s inspiring and motivating to see the creative solutions that our colleagues in the sector have developed. We’re facing so many of the same issues, and the EKO conference gives us the opportunity to learn from each other and find opportunities to move forward together.”
Brendan Wylie-Toal added, “The Symposium is such an incredible event. The sessions themselves are informative, but even the side conversations are invaluable. I’m always amazed by how creative and innovative the sector can be, and that was on full display at the Symposium. It was really fun to have some of our work celebrated in that mix. We’d like to thank Empower Kids Ontario for hosting this incredible event and for the opportunity to present and engage in meaningful conversations.”
We’re proud of our team’s contributions to advancing pediatric rehabilitation and remain committed to ensuring that children and families receive the support they need.
Stay up-to-date and read Rocket’s most recent update about their ENVISAGE-Families Program, from March 2025.
