Launch of the FOCUS: Focus on Outcomes of Children Under Six

The FOCUS team: Nancy Thomas-Stonell (seated), L-R Bruce Oddson, Bernadette Robertson, Karla Washington, Peter Rosenbaum, Joan Walker

This week a new outcome measure of communicative participation was launched in Toronto, Canada.  The FOCUS: Focus on Outcomes of Children Under Six is a parent and clinician-report measure that is framed around the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FOCUS has taken 12 years to develop and has established reliability and validity measures. 

I was invited to open the 2-day conference with a presentation titled: "Children’s speech, language & communication: Learning from the WHO’s focus on functioning & participation". 

Other presentations included: 

• Using the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker
• Development and Validation of the FOCUS© Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Bernadette Robertson & Bruce Oddson
• Outcomes and Predictors of Outcomes for preschoolers with S/LI: A Post-doctoral Research Study Using the FOCUS© Karla Washington
• Measures & Measurement: Do we really need another lecture on this? Peter Rosenbaum
• Knowledge Translation: A great idea but how do we overcome people’s conservatism?  Dr. Peter Rosenbaum & Dr. Virginia Wright
•  What do we know about effective knowledge translation strategies? Dr. Diane Russell
• Opportunities & Challenges with using the FOCUS© Claire Maclean, Judy Meintzer, and Kate Wishart