Researchers at McGill University have created a virtual coaching programme that supports parents of children with developmental delays, boosting confidence and understanding during a confusing wait for specialist care.
McGill University researchers say they have developed and tested a virtual coaching programme designed to help parents of preschool children with developmental delays make sense of a confusing period marked by assessments, referrals and waiting lists.
The programme, called BRIGHT Coaching, provides one-to-one support from trained coaches who guide families through practical questions about speech and language delays, autism and cerebral palsy. According to McGill, the coaches also help parents understand how services are organised locally and how to support their child’s development and family resilience while they wait for specialist care.
The work was co-led by researchers at McGill and evaluated in a randomised clinical trial involving more than 300 parents in Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. The findings, published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, suggest that parents who took part in the 14-session programme felt more confident and better informed than those who did not. More than 93% of participants said it helped them support their child.
Annette Majnemer, professor emerita in McGill’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy and a senior scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, said many parents enter the process unsure what will happen when they meet a neurologist or other developmental specialist. She said the goal is to help families prepare questions, understand therapy options and learn how the system works in their community, adding that the aim is empowerment.
Tatiana Ogourtsova, an assistant professor in the same school, said the programme was built for a vulnerable stage in family life, when parents may suspect something is wrong but do not yet have a diagnosis or a clear map of available support. McGill and CHILD-BRIGHT say the initiative was shaped with parents from the outset, drawing on what families said they wished they had known earlier. The researchers also point to the wider need: more than 850,000 Canadian children live with brain-based developmental disabilities, and early intervention during the preschool years can make a meaningful difference.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
