Her studies, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, involve testing intervention plans to enhance community engagement by modifying aspects of the environment. In particular, PREP (Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation) intervention, delivered by an occupational therapist, encourages and empowers children, youth and adults with disabilities to participate in community-based leisure activities of choice by addressing environmental barriers and building capacity through coaching of both the young person and their parents/caregivers. The PREP takes place in the individual’s own setting and involves 5 steps: Make goals; Map out a plan; Make it happen; Measure the process and outcomes; Move forward. Youth and young adults who have taken part in the PREP study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have chosen to participate in a variety of activities, such as sports (badminton, swimming, horseback riding, football, rock climbing), music (saxophone, piano, singing), recreation (sewing, photography, cooking, painting), and doing volunteer work.  

The testimonial of one participant who chose to volunteer in a radio station was featured in the Spring 2021 Edition of the Habilitas Foundation: https://habilitas.ca/fr/communique/ 

Studies by Dana Anaby and her colleagues have demonstrated the significant impact of the PREP intervention and the positive response of parents and therapists alike. Through PREP, youth improved in a range of outcomes: motor (muscle strength, joint mobility), cognitive (attention), and affective (anxiety). Many of these projects have been conducted in collaboration with our establishment. Our site has supported the execution of the intervention as well as the recruitment of participants.  

Evidence of the effectiveness of the PREP intervention  

Dana Anaby is also very interested in knowledge translation and mobilization. She works closely with our teams at the LLMRC to develop and adapt projects that correspond to clinical needs. Many of our clinicians have collaborated with her on projects and have been trained to deliver the PREP.  

The PREP was recently awarded the Fred P. Sage award for the best educational multimedia tool by the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (ACPDM). It has also been successfully implemented worldwide, including in Canada, UK, Ireland, India, Israel, and Australia. In 2021, 7 invited presentations on PREP were given internationally including in Sweden, Australia, France, Israel, India, and Ontario, Canada.   

If you are interested in learning more about PREP or other studies conducted by Dana Anaby and her team, please don’t hesitate to contact her at dana.anaby@mcgill.ca