Keynote Speakers
Katrina Williams will be the facilitator of Pre-Congress Course 2 - A focus on behavioural management in Autism Spectrum Disorder (8:30-12:00)
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She will also present in the Keynote Session Developmental regression in childhood - identification, investigation and outcomes
Thursday 4 June
09.30 - 10.30
Changing the conversation on childhood disability: family voices and the power of the F-words
Moderator
Rachel Teplicky
CanChild, McMaster University
Rachel Teplicky is an occupational therapist and a leader in pediatric rehabilitation with over 25 years of experience. As Business and Engagement Officer at CanChild, she leads national and international efforts to turn research into policy and practice, including the widely adopted F-words for Child Development, family-centred service and participation-focused practice. Rachel is a published author and award recipient, who brings deep expertise, strategic vision, and a passion for collaborative innovation, with the overall goal of making a difference in the lives of children and their families.
Panellists
Nicola Welford
Cerebral Palsy Foundation Ireland
​Nicola Welford is a passionate advocate and Community & Communication Officer for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation Ireland. A mother of an 11-year-old daughter with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, she has spent over a decade working tirelessly to improve services and advocate for individuals with disabilities. Her role as a national parent voice for the past four years has positioned her at the forefront of key initiatives, including the HSE National CDNT steering group, Family Regional Forum Review Group and the PDS Roadmap Communications & Engagement Working Group. ​ In addition to her professional and advocacy work, Nicola is a dedicated volunteer, having founded local inclusive sports and tech clubs, and securing over €500,000 in funding for inclusive community facilities in her area. Her efforts have earned her the County Clare Volunteer in Sports Award in 2024, the National Lottery Good Causes County Tipperary Award in 2023 and she was shortlisted for the Community Volunteer of the Year at the LAMA awards in 2024. She also collaborates closely with both Clare and Tipperary County Councils to ensure that local amenities are inclusive and accessible. With her extensive experience in both education and community development, she continues to champion meaningful change and inclusivity at both local and national levels.
Danijela Grahovac
Parent Researcher
Danijela Grahovac is a parent researcher, advocate, and the mother of a young adult with cerebral palsy. Drawing on decades of lived experience navigating health, education, and community systems, she brings a strong family perspective to childhood disability research and practice. Danijela has been actively involved with the F-words for Child Development since 2014, using the framework within her own family and advocating for its strengths-based, life-course application across research, services, and schools. She is also a founding leader of All Abilities Allstars, a community initiative that promotes inclusive sport, participation, and belonging for children and youth of all abilities. With a background in IT engineering, she supports accessible, family-centred knowledge translation initiatives internationally.
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Purva Khandelwal
Parent
Dr. Purva Khandelwal is a practicing anaesthesiologist and the parent of a 15‑year‑old on the autism spectrum. She shares her lived experiences and practical strategies across platforms. Through her association with the Family Resource Centre at Ummeed Child Development Centre, she supports families newly introduced to an autism diagnosis, helping them understand and embrace their child’s developmental path. She also serves as a parent expert in workshops on Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC), guiding families in using communication tools for children with speech or language challenges. Dr. Purva’s engagement with the F‑words for Child Development since 2020 led her to recognise and nurture her son's passion for painting. As his work gained appreciation and he started participating in exhibitions, Purva felt the need for a platform that showcases artwork by Neurodiverse individuals. She founded the Strokes & Stories Art Foundation through which she organizes exhibitions, dedicated to empowering neurodiverse artists toward economic independence and fostering an empathetic, inclusive society. Her work brings together art, advocacy, and community-building. Actively involved in neurodiversity community forums in Mumbai, Dr. Purva blends medical expertise, lived family experience, and a strong commitment to inclusion in every conversation on childhood disability and strengths‑based development.
Thursday 4 June
14.00 - 15.00
Nothing about us without strategy: cerebral palsy, policy and professional responsibility
John Coughlan
Cerebral Palsy Europe
John Coughlan is the Secretary General of the International Cerebral Palsy Society and Cerebral Palsy Europe, and the parent of a young adult with cerebral palsy. He has been active in advocating for the rights of people with cerebral palsy and in promoting the engagement of people with lived experience in scientific research for over 15 years. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Commission of the World Health Organization and of the Foundational Committee of the WHO Global Initiative on Disability Health Equity. He was previously Communications Director of the Academy of European Law and and editor-in-chief of studies for the European Commission and European Parliament. He studied modern languages at the University of Oxford and political science at the University of Kent. He lives in Luxembourg and is President of cerebra.lu - Paralysie Cérébrale Luxembourg.
International Cerebral Palsy Society
​Agnes Kojc was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility, supported by a personal assistant and other services. She graduated in 2019 with a degree in Translation Studies and Slovenian Language and Literature. Later that year, she began her Master’s in English Translation and Interpreting, completing it with a thesis on metaphor translation. ​Over the years, Agnes has been involved in a variety of projects spanning language, translation, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue. Today, she works as a freelance translator, language editor, journalist, and writer, which means her daily life remains closely intertwined with digital platforms and technology. She is also a PhD student, continuing her research on metaphor translation, and a lecturer at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts. In 2022, she joined the EDF Youth Forum as an observer, and in 2023, she was appointed a youth representative to the board of Cerebral Palsy Europe. She uses every opportunity to advocate for equality and the recognition of disabled persons in society, with a strong focus on raising awareness about cerebral palsy, the potential of people with CP, and the importance of creating more inclusive environments across all areas of life.​ In her free time, Agnes also enjoys writing prose and poetry.
Friday 5 June
09.10 - 10.10
Innovative adapted physical activities - participation and lived experience
Moderator
Dr Kwok Ng
University of Limerick, University of Turku, Lithuanian Sports University
Dr. Kwok Ng holds the title of docent "Health Promotion and Adapted Physical Activity" and is a collegium research fellow at the University of Turku, a researcher at the University of Limerick, as well as Professor at the Lithuanian Sports University. He is the Vice-President of the International Federations of Adapted Physical Activity, and co-chairs the chronic conditions and disability working group for the HBSC - a WHO collaborative study. His work is multidisciplinary in areas associated to disability, education, physical activity, health and policy.
Panellists
Prof Nora Shields
La Trobe University
Professor Nora Shields is Deputy Director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre in Melbourne. Her work aims to optimise the health and wellbeing of people with disability by supporting their participation in exercise and physical activity.
Tor Erik Heyerdahl Nyquist
Beitostølen Healthsports Center
Tor Erik Heyerdahl Nyquist, 58 years old, lives and works at Beitostølen Healthsport Center. Currently, he is employed as the head of Medical professional services and communication. Nyquist is an exercise physiologist, educated at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, specializing in Adapted Physical Activity. He has worked for several years in the field of sports and activities for people with disabilities. Additionally, he holds a master's degree in value-based leadership from VID Specialized university. He is currently pursuing a PhD focusing on how nature-based activities can be made equally accessible to everyone – through universal design and reasonable accommodations.
Alix Crawford
Mae Murray Foundation
Alix Crawford is the Chairperson of Mae Murray Foundation, a charity which she founded in 2015 as a result of her own lived experience. The social exclusion and isolation that her own family has faced, whilst raising her daughter Talia who has Cerebral Palsy, drives her to work to deliver the change she wants to see. Mae Murray Foundation is committed to creating best practice inclusive environments and sharing learning with others so that evidenced models can be replicated. As a membership led organisation it aims to break down barriers to participation for people of all ages and abilities, and help younger generations grow up in communities which are welcoming and well planned.
Friday 5 June
13.30 - 14.15
From data to difference
Moderator
Dr Claire Kerr
Queen's University Belfast
Dr. Claire Kerr is a physiotherapist and researcher. She is a Reader in Rehabilitation at Queen's University Belfast and co-manages the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register. Her research aims to improve the health, well-being and provision of clinical services for children and young people with physical disabilities, in particular, those with cerebral palsy. She works closely with clinicians, patient and public involvement partners and interest-holders to ensure that her research is relevant, useful and impactful.
Panellists
Dr Grace Lavelle
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Dr Grace Lavelle is the Project Manager of the Irish Cerebral Palsy Registry at the CP-Life Research Centre, RCSI. She has over 10 years’ experience in clinical trial management, alongside expertise in interdisciplinary research on physical disability. Her research spans physical and mental health, with a particular focus on co developing and evaluating interventions for people living with long term physical conditions. A strong advocate for public and patient involvement, Grace works alongside clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience to ensure that evidence-based insights lead to meaningful improvements in care and outcomes for people with cerebral palsy.
Prof Annemieke Buizer
Amsterdam University Medical Center
Annemieke Buizer is a professor of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands. She serves as coordinator of the Center of Expertise for Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders. Her clinical and research work focuses on cerebral palsy and movement disorders, movement analysis, and personalized interventions aimed at improving lives of children with motor disabilities. She is co-founder of The Netherlands CP register, and currently chair of the Scientific board of the registry.
Dr Oliver Perra
Queen's University Belfast
Oliver Perra is a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, co-Principal Investigator of the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register, and he chairs the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe collaboration. His research focuses on the development of children exposed to early adversity and other susceptible populations, including infants born very preterm and children with cerebral palsy. He has expertise in advanced quantitative methods applied to the study of individual differences across childhood and adolescence.
Friday 5 June
14.15 - 15.00
Developmental regression in childhood - identification, investigation and outcomes
Prof Katrina Williams
Monash University
Professor Katrina Williams is a paediatrician and public health physician. She has 30 years of experience working in child health care and research with a focus on child development and disability. Each week she works in partnership with professionals from many disciplines and with families with lived experience.
Saturday 6 June
11.40 - 12.25
Neurology and neurodisability - shared expertise in acute and chronic care of the complex child
Prof Denise McDonald
Children's Health Ireland and Trinity College Dublin
Professor McDonald is a consultant paediatrician with a special interest in neurodisability in Dublin. She has a particular interest in physical disability and in the management of children and young people with severe neurological impairment. She has worked for over 20years as a consultant in this area and has established a hospital cased clinic for children with severe neurological impairment with paediatric, nursing and dietetic support, She has developed regional specialist services for children with physical disability and is the neurodisability lead for the neuromuscular service in Children’s Health Ireland. Her research interests reflect this clinical work, including work to establish a consensus definition for severe neurological impairment and a core minimum clinical dataset. She is leading interdisciplinary projects aimed at optimising the management of medical complexity. Professor McDonald holds an associate academic position in cerebral palsy, leading several research projects and working with the health service towards clinical implementation. She is the clinical lead on the Irish Cerebral Palsy Registry research project.
Dr Kathleen Gorman
Dr. Kathleen Gorman is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at Children’s Health Ireland, Temple Street and Associate Clinical Professor at University College Dublin. She completed specialist training in General Paediatrics in Ireland with subspecialisation in Paediatric Neurology. Her clinical interests include epilepsy, neurogenetics, movement disorders, and neonatal neurology. She is a member of the board of the EPNS and associate editor for European Journal of Paediatric Neurology.