Senior Research Fellow
PhD
Melissa is a Senior Research Fellow in Child Disability at the Telethon Kids Institute. She is currently leading a program of research within the team investigating the clinical presentation and intervention for movement-related difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions.
Melissa sits on the boards for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) Australia Inc., the Australian DCD Alliance, and is the Australian representative on the working board for the International Society for Research into DCD. She is leading a national advocacy project (the Impact for DCD Initiative) working to improve awareness and support of movement-related difficulties, including identification and diagnostic practice and delivery of evidence-based interventions. She has also authored a children’s book (‘Sometimes I Find It Hard to Move My Body’).
Melissa holds an honours degree in Science (University of Western Australia), completed doctoral studies examining motor function in children with neurodevelopmental conditions (University of Western Australia), and is an accredited exercise physiologist (AEP, Murdoch University). She has over ten years’ experience working as a lecturer and researcher, along with over 15 years clinical experience coordinating and directing movement programs for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Projects
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Publications
April 2024
Investigating the impact of developmental coordination difficulties across home, school, and community settings: Findings from the Australian Impact for DCD survey
To evaluate the participation difficulties experienced by children with developmental coordination disorder in home, school, and community environments.
Published research Child Disability Autism Research Subsite: CliniKids Developmental Coordination Disorder Kids Rehab Research WAJanuary 2024Diagnostic services for developmental coordination disorder: Gaps and opportunities identified by parents
Affecting one in 20 children, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder impacting a child's ability to learn motor skills. Despite its high prevalence, DCD is under-recognized and under-diagnosed, causing unnecessary frustration and stress for families who are seeking help for their child. This study aimed to understand how parents procure diagnostic services and their perspectives on needed supports and services to improve early identification and diagnosis of DCD.
Published research Child Disability Developmental Coordination Disorder Child disabilityJanuary 2024Psychosocial wellbeing, parental concerns, and familial impact of children with developmental coordination disorder
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting motor skill acquisition and competence. While previous studies have identified adverse psychosocial outcomes in DCD, they are limited by small or population-screened, community-based samples.
Published research Human Development and Community Wellbeing Child Disability Autism Research Developmental Coordination Disorder Child disabilityJanuary 2024The impact for DCD – USA study: The current state of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in the United States of America
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is among the most under-recognized and under-supported disorders worldwide. The aim of this study was to present a preliminary national study that evaluated the unmet needs of children with DCD in the USA using the Impact for DCD survey.
Published research Child Disability Developmental Coordination Disorder Child disabilityOctober 2023Thriving families: The feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a multi-component physical literacy program for children with neurodevelopmental, emotional, or behavioural problems
Children with neurodevelopmental, emotional, or behavioural challenges participate in lower levels of physical activity (PA) and subsequently have poorer physical and mental health outcomes. We sought to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a multi-component physical literacy program for children with neurodevelopmental, emotional, or behavioural challenges.
Published research Early Childhood Development Child Disability Youth Health Psychology of Active, Healthy Living Physical activityJun 2023Motor problems in autism: Co-occurrence or feature?
Motor features of autism have long been acknowledged by clinicians, researchers, and community stakeholders. Current DSM-5 and ICD-11 guidelines allow clinicians to assign a co-occurring diagnosis of developmental [motor] coordination disorder for autistic individuals with significant motor problems.
Autism Spectrum Published research Child Disability Child disabilityAugust 2022A systematic review of the biological, social, and environmental determinants of intellectual disability in children and adolescents
This systematic review aimed to identify the most important social, environmental, biological, and/or genetic risk factors for intellectual disability.
Published research Alcohol and Pregnancy and FASD Research Child Disability Autism Research Subsite: CliniKids Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Child disabilityAugust 2022A longitudinal examination of perinatal testosterone, estradiol and vitamin D as predictors of handedness outcomes in childhood and adolescence
The developmental origins of handedness remain elusive, though very early emergence suggests individual differences manifesting in utero could play an important role. Prenatal testosterone and Vitamin D exposure are considered, yet findings and interpretations remain equivocal.
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Disability Subsite: CliniKids Child disabilityAugust 2021Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes
Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order.
Autism Spectrum Published research Academic Biostatistics Child Disability Autism Research Diabetes and Obesity Subsite: CliniKidsNovember 2022Characterising the Early Presentation of Motor Difficulties in Autistic Children
This study aimed to explore the rates of motor difficulties in children from the Australian Autism Biobank, and how early motor concerns impacted on children functionally.
Autism Spectrum Published research Autism Research Subsite: CliniKidsJuly 2021Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in autism spectrum disorder: Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial
There are no well-established biomedical treatments for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A small number of studies suggest that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, may improve clinical and cognitive outcomes in ASD.
Autism Spectrum Published research Autism Research Subsite: Autism & Related Disorders Subsite: CliniKidsMay 2021The course and prognostic capability of motor difficulties in infants showing early signs of autism
Delays within the motor domain are often overlooked as an early surveillance marker for autism. The present study evaluated motor difficulties and its potential as an early predictive marker for later autism likelihood in a cohort of infants showing early behavioral signs of autism aged 9-14 months. The motor domain was evaluated using the motor subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at baseline, and at a 6-month follow-up.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Autism Research Subsite: Autism & Related Disorders Subsite: CliniKidsMay 2020Predicting outcome following mild traumatic brain injury: Protocol for the longitudinal, prospective, observational Concussion Recovery (CREST) cohort study
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a complex injury with heterogeneous physical, cognitive, emotional and functional outcomes. Many who sustain mTBI recover within 2 weeks of injury; however, approximately 10%-20% of individuals experience mTBI symptoms beyond this 'typical' recovery timeframe, known as persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). Despite increasing interest in PPCS, uncertainty remains regarding its prevalence in community-based populations and the extent to which poor recovery may be identified using early predictive markers.
Published research Autism ResearchFebruary 2021Early motor function of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review
Early motor impairments have been reported in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), but it is not clear if early detection of motor impairments can identify children at risk for NDD or how early such impairments might be detected. Our aim was to characterize early motor function in children later diagnosed with NDD relative to typically developing children or normative data.
Autism Spectrum Published research Early Childhood Development Child Disability Autism Research Youth Mental Health Developmental Coordination DisorderJanuary 2021The unmet clinical needs of children with developmental coordination disorder
The aim of this study was to understand the challenges experienced by families obtaining a diagnosis and therapy for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Parents of 435 children aged 4-18 years with persistent motor difficulties consistent with a diagnosis of DCD completed an online survey. Diagnostic timeline and diagnostic label/s received were examined, along with therapies accessed.
Published research Subsite: Autism & Related Disorders Subsite: CliniKids Developmental Coordination DisorderNovember 2020Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes
Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order. The present study investigated the potential association between birth order and ASD diagnostic phenotypes in a large and representative population sample.
Autism Spectrum Published research Autism Research Subsite: CliniKids