Child Development Our Vision One Brain
Within the Child Development Fund, we are interested in the psychological and behavioural development of our children. In particular, we have a focus on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDS), their common co-occurrence and the factors that influence them. We want to understand why and how brains develop differently and what we can do to help children and families thrive.
Overall Vision – Neurodiversity
In our Child Development fund, our focus on neurodiversity starts with the understanding that each child possesses a singular brain. Whatever is happening for that child, in terms of neurodevelopmental growth, it is happening all in the same place, i.e. their brain. We are particularly interested in common and co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC) like Dyspraxia, ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia, and Rolandic Epilepsy. Our curiosity extends to factors within parents’ influence, such as nutrition, physical activity, and sleep, so that potentially work we have supported can help families live happy, stress-reduced and fulfilling lives.
Co-occurrence poses a significant challenge for children with NDCs, particularly in the context of a singular brain controlling all elements of behaviour. When co-occurrence of neurodiverse traits is present, which is more often the case than not, it intensifies the complexity of managing behaviours. The interconnected nature of cognitive, emotional, and social functions becomes more intricate, potentially leading to challenges in self-regulation and adaptive behaviour. A single brain controlling all elements of behaviour means that disruptions in one area can have cascading effects on others, amplifying difficulties for neurodiverse children.
For a child and their family to handle all these things at once is like solving a puzzle. Through our funding we aim to help researchers and practitioners figure out the best ways to help children with these combined challenges. By understanding how everything connects in their unique brains, we can create better ways to support them in school, at home, and in social situations. It’s like finding the right pieces for their puzzle to make sure they have what they need to thrive.
Our Child Development fund, looks to support those who are striving to understand these puzzle pieces. While we may use medical terminology when appropriate, we embrace neurodiversity as a concept recognising natural variations. We advocate for inclusive environments, appreciating neurodivergent strengths and unique perspectives, and hope to foster a society that supports every child’s unique journey to a successful and happy life.
To this end the core focus of the Child Development fund is:
Eligibility
Please do read the relevant pages to determine your eligibility, prior to looking at our Application Guidelines section. We receive many more strong applications than we are able to support, and are only able to consider applications that meet our eligibility criteria.
Publications and Web Links
Child development information and resources
Adult Attention Deficit Disorder – UK (AADD-UK) – Raising awareness of ADHD in adulthood, advancing the education of professionals and the public at a national and local level in the UK.
BishopBlog – Professor Dorothy Bishop’s blog. She writes about science and interesting research findings on child development, with excellent comments on methodology.
British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) – BASE is a membership organisation for supported employment agencies and supported businesses in the UK.
British Dyslexia Association* – Working towards a dyslexia friendly society enabling all dyslexic people to reach their potential.
CanChild** – Resources for health professionals and educational materials about DCD, from a research and educational centre at McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.
Contact a Family – a UK-based registered charity for families with disabled children offering support, advice and information.
Dyslexia Action – Aims to remove the barriers facing those with dyslexia by providing help and support to those with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
Epilepsy Action* – Advice and information about Epilepsy.
Equality and Human Rights Commission – Has a statutory remit to promote and monitor human rights, and to protect, enforce and promote equality.
Food and Behaviour** – Research based information on how nutrition can affect behaviour.
Information and Support Services (ADDISS) – ADDISS provides information, training and support for parents, sufferers and professionals in the fields of ADHD and related learning and behavioural difficulties.
JobCentrePlus Disability Employment Advisor – Available at Job Centres for anyone with a disability or hidden difficulty, to tell you about programs and grants to help you into work, and the reasonable adjustments that employers are required to make on your behalf.
Microlink – Microlink is the UK’s largest independent supplier of Assistive Technology and disability related management services.
Movement Matters* – the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as ‘dyspraxia’.
National Autistic Society* – A UK charity for people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (including Asperger syndrome) and their families, providing information, support and pioneering services.
National Handwriting Association – Helping teachers help children effectively handwrite, as it is such a critical component of literacy.
RALLI** – Raising Awareness of Language Learning Impairments. A youtube channel of video shorts about language learning and Specific Language Impairment.
Sense about Science – A UK-based charitable trust equipping people to make sense of science, through encouraging an evidence-based approach to scientific and technological developments.
*indicates an organisation that has received grant funding from TWF **indicates a resource funded by TWF
Service User Involvement
The involvement of the public improves research projects, particularly when by those with the condition in question, or “service users”. This influences the sorts of questions that researchers ask, and the feasibility of projects. There are many ways of involving service users in research.
For more information, please consult the following.
- INVOLVE, for advice and support.
- Staley, K., Kabir, T., and Szmukler, G., (2013). Service users as collaborators in mental health research: less stick, more carrot. Psychological Medicine, 43, pp 1121-1125 doi:10.1017/S0033291712001663 (Click here for link).
- Szmukler, G., Staley, K., & Kabir, T. (2011). Service user involvement in research. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, 3(4), 180–186. doi:10.1111/j.1758-5872.2011.00145.x (Click here for link).
- The McPin Foundation, for advice, consultancy, and practical support.
Research Tools
BishopBlog Professor Dorothy Bishop’s blog. She writes about science and interesting research findings on child development, with excellent comments on methodology.
Guide to Interpreting Research Gina Gomez de la Cuesta, Action Research Leader, The National Autistic Society.
Trying Hard is Not Good Enough Mark Friedman, Director of the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Michael Blastland Summer School Michael Blastland.
Bad Science Dr Ben Goldacre.