In the absence of a clear set of recommendations from doctors for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as fetal alcohol, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorders, many parents and children affected by NDDs turn to unproven diet- and exercise-based treatments. While some research suggests that such interventions can boost brain functioning, very few […]

This goal of this project is to develop a business plan for a searchable and interactive neighbourhood website that aggregates information obtained by journalists and other sources. Theoretically, the grad student researcher will explore how to incorporate the philosophy of “failing fast” into the confines of a traditional business plan. To do this, specific case […]

  Many parents of children affected by neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism, rely on information found on well-known advocacy websites to make decisions regarding their child’s treatment.  However, previous work has shown that advocacy websites tend to encourage a variety of treatments rather than objectively evaluate the plethora of available options.  Using journalistic methods, […]

Children living with NDDs are often dependent on their parents and healthcare providers. As these children reach adolescence and prepare to transition from the pediatric to the adult health care system many issues affecting their autonomy are currently not being addressed. In addition to feature articles, sidebar articles with multimedia components will further examine these […]

Media reports on socially and biologically complex neurological conditions such as autism and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) often fail to engage audiences in meaningful discourse. Research is needed to identify new models of scientific reporting in journalism to counteract this gap. Our goal is to investigate and analyze a new model of science reporting that […]