What is Making Mindfulness Matter in Children with Epilepsy?
Epilepsy affects the whole family. Children and parents often experience stress, anxiety and a rollercoaster of emotions. M3-E was created to help address these experiences.
M3-E stands for Making Mindfulness Matter© in children with Epilepsy. This is an online parent and child program that supports parents by offering a new approach to parenting in stressful situations and helps children build skills to manage their emotions and behaviours and build caring relationships with those around them. Through exploring how our brains works under stress, M3 teaches how we can pay better attention to our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours through mindful awareness, which helps us make better decisions about how we respond. M3 also teaches positive ways to respond, like perspective taking, using thankfulness, kindness and positive thinking.
The M3-E study is currently enrolling families of children living with epilepsy to take part in the M3-E program. The aim of the M3-E study is to evaluate M3-E as a family support and see if it can have a positive effect on quality of life and well-being of children with epilepsy and their family.
Interested? Please contact our research team at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
Learn More about Making Mindfulness Matter ©
What Mindfulness is…..
“Mindfulness is breathing in the present moment.” (child)
“Like calm and clearing your mind so there’s no fuzziness.” (child)
“Taking in perspective, going into someone else’s shoes.” (child)
“To calm down, to take deep breaths, to calm down if you have epilepsy.” (child)
“Choosing to be in the moment, thinking of what’s happening now, not in the past or in the future.” (child)
“Breathing, relaxing with a stuffy.” (younger child)
What Happens During the M3-E Study?
M3-E is a live, online mindful-based group program for children, ages 4-10 years old. It is 8 weeks long, with a 1.5 hour session each week for parents and a 1-hour session each week for children. The group sizes are small (4 to 8 people). In addition to the M3 program, you will be asked to complete questionnaires two or three times; you will receive a gift card each time as a thank you.
Who can participate in the M3-E Study?
Children, aged 4-10 years, diagnosed with epilepsy more than six months ago, and their parent or guardian.
Where are the sessions held?
The sessions are held virtually on Zoom.
Who leads these groups?
All M3-E groups are facilitated by trained educators from Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario, and co-facilitated by trained parent and child counsellors.
M3 Program Details
- The facilitated group is 8 weeks long
- Parents attend the group online for 1.5 hours per week
- Children attend the child group for 1.0 hours per week
- Families receive a family package with material that supports using the M3 skills at home (e.g., A breathing ball, books, resource cards)
How much does it cost?
This program, and all of the materials provided are FREE.
How do I register for the M3-E study?
If you are interested in participating in the program or learning more about it, please connect with us at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
Available Sessions
Limited spots are available for Fall and Winter sessions. Please inquire about availability at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610.
We are currently enrolling families. Connect with us at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
About Us
The M3-E study is supported by numerous research assistants, program facilitators and community agencies. We are grateful to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for funding this research. Our co-Principal Researchers are Dr. Kathy Speechley, Dr. Karen Bax, and Dr. Klajdi Puka.
Dr. Kathy Nixon Speechley is a Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, a Scientist Children’s Health Research Institute, and an Assistant Director at Lawson Health Research Institute. As an epidemiologist, she has many years experience conducting health research with children and families. She led a 10-year follow-up of children across Canada with epilepsy and their parents aimed at optimizing their quality of life.
Dr. Karen Bax, PhD, C. Psych is a Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Professor in Psychology at Western University and a Scientist at Children’s Health Research Institute. Karen is passionate about increasing the well-being and resilience of families both within the clinical and research context. Her applied prevention and early intervention research is related to the benefits of mindfulness, social-emotion skills, and self regulation of parents and children who have experienced adversity.
Dr. Klajdi Puka is a Project Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an Adjunct Professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. His research focuses on investigating and intervening on modifiable factors of health outcomes, and examining their interactions with clinical characteristics, family environment, health behaviors, and socioeconomic status. This work has been used to inform a second line of research, focused on the implementation and evaluation of behavioural interventions through randomized control trials.
Co-Investigators: Andrea Andrade, Craig Campbell, Margo Devries-Rizzo, Simon Levin, Maryam N. Nouri, Asuri N. Prasad, Mary Secco, Guangyong Zou Collaborators: Hema Gangam, Edigio Spinelli
Community Partners: Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario is pleased to be partnered with Western University researchers to study mindful awareness training for children with epilepsy and their families.
Community Collaborators: Epilepsy Ontario, Epilepsy Ottawa, Epilepsy York Region, Epilepsy Durham Region, Epilepsy South Central Ontario
Funding provided by:
We are currently enrolling families. Contact us at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
What is M3E?
What is Making Mindfulness Matter in Children with Epilepsy?
Epilepsy affects the whole family. Children and parents often experience stress, anxiety and a rollercoaster of emotions. M3-E was created to help address these experiences.
M3-E stands for Making Mindfulness Matter© in children with Epilepsy. This is an online parent and child program that supports parents by offering a new approach to parenting in stressful situations and helps children build skills to manage their emotions and behaviours and build caring relationships with those around them. Through exploring how our brains works under stress, M3 teaches how we can pay better attention to our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours through mindful awareness, which helps us make better decisions about how we respond. M3 also teaches positive ways to respond, like perspective taking, using thankfulness, kindness and positive thinking.
The M3-E study is currently enrolling families of children living with epilepsy to take part in the M3-E program. The aim of the M3-E study is to evaluate M3-E as a family support and see if it can have a positive effect on quality of life and well-being of children with epilepsy and their family.
Interested? Please contact our research team at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
Learn More about Making Mindfulness Matter ©
What Mindfulness is…..
“Mindfulness is breathing in the present moment.” (child)
“Like calm and clearing your mind so there’s no fuzziness.” (child)
“Taking in perspective, going into someone else’s shoes.” (child)
“To calm down, to take deep breaths, to calm down if you have epilepsy.” (child)
“Choosing to be in the moment, thinking of what’s happening now, not in the past or in the future.” (child)
“Breathing, relaxing with a stuffy.” (younger child)
Join the Study
What Happens During the M3-E Study?
M3-E is a live, online mindful-based group program for children, ages 4-10 years old. It is 8 weeks long, with a 1.5 hour session each week for parents and a 1-hour session each week for children. The group sizes are small (4 to 8 people). In addition to the M3 program, you will be asked to complete questionnaires two or three times; you will receive a gift card each time as a thank you.
Who can participate in the M3-E Study?
Children, aged 4-10 years, diagnosed with epilepsy more than six months ago, and their parent or guardian.
Where are the sessions held?
The sessions are held virtually on Zoom.
Who leads these groups?
All M3-E groups are facilitated by trained educators from Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario, and co-facilitated by trained parent and child counsellors.
M3 Program Details
- The facilitated group is 8 weeks long
- Parents attend the group online for 1.5 hours per week
- Children attend the child group for 1.0 hours per week
- Families receive a family package with material that supports using the M3 skills at home (e.g., A breathing ball, books, resource cards)
How much does it cost?
This program, and all of the materials provided are FREE.
How do I register for the M3-E study?
If you are interested in participating in the program or learning more about it, please connect with us at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
Available Sessions
Limited spots are available for Fall and Winter sessions. Please inquire about availability at [email protected]or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610.
We are currently enrolling families. Connect with us at [email protected] or call or text Sarah at 518-388-7610
About Us
About Us
The M3-E study is supported by numerous research assistants, program facilitators and community agencies. We are grateful to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for funding this research. Our co-Principal Researchers are Dr. Kathy Speechley, Dr. Karen Bax, and Dr. Klajdi Puka.
Dr. Kathy Nixon Speechley is a Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, a Scientist Children’s Health Research Institute, and an Assistant Director at Lawson Health Research Institute. As an epidemiologist, she has many years experience conducting health research with children and families. She led a 10-year follow-up of children across Canada with epilepsy and their parents aimed at optimizing their quality of life.
Dr. Karen Bax, PhD, C. Psych is a Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Professor in Psychology at Western University and a Scientist at Children’s Health Research Institute. Karen is passionate about increasing the well-being and resilience of families both within the clinical and research context. Her applied prevention and early intervention research is related to the benefits of mindfulness, social-emotion skills, and self regulation of parents and children who have experienced adversity.
Dr. Klajdi Puka is a Project Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an Adjunct Professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. His research focuses on investigating and intervening on modifiable factors of health outcomes, and examining their interactions with clinical characteristics, family environment, health behaviors, and socioeconomic status. This work has been used to inform a second line of research, focused on the implementation and evaluation of behavioural interventions through randomized control trials.
Co-Investigators: Andrea Andrade, Craig Campbell, Margo Devries-Rizzo, Simon Levin, Maryam N. Nouri, Asuri N. Prasad, Mary Secco, Guangyong Zou Collaborators: Hema Gangam, Edigio Spinelli
Community Partners: Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario is pleased to be partnered with Western University researchers to study mindful awareness training for children with epilepsy and their families.
Community Collaborators: Epilepsy Ontario, Epilepsy Ottawa, Epilepsy York Region, Epilepsy Durham Region, Epilepsy South Central Ontario
Funding provided by: