Practitioners, teams, leaders, researchers, people with lived experience of developmental healthcare, and students who have completed projects and research in the field, and who:

• Value the opportunity to engage with colleagues from across Ontario
• Offer translational research to inform evidence-based practice
• Keep pace with transitions in Ontario’s child development sector
• Blaze new trails in family engagement, service delivery, and organizational leadership
• Attendees will appreciate the information you have to offer, and often find they can apply what they learn from you in their day-to-day work and lives. Please consider teaming up with youth, family members, clinical and research partners to present a session on an innovative idea, or best practice, that you’ve implemented in your work.

• Build your CV
• Share your expertise and experience
• Introduce notable projects
• Connect with colleagues who share your research interests, management challenges, and passions
• Network with mentors, leaders, peers and collaborators, youth and families
• Discover an inter-professional platform that is driving innovation, research and cutting-edge practices that set the standard for best practice in developmental health and pediatric rehabilitation.

The EKO Spring Symposium 2027 will consist of both invited and accepted presentations. The EKO Spring Symposium Working Group will review and evaluate proposals based on the goals and objectives of the program, and the following criteria:

• Novelty of the content
• Importance in the field
• Applicability/community impact
• Clarity of the abstract
• Rigour and strength of clinical reasoning or experience
• Format creativity
• Unique presentation style
• Career stage and perspective
• Geographic and demographic representation

When submitting your abstract, you will need to select how you intend to present during your concurrent session. The EKO Spring Symposium Working Group suggests you consider the following when planning your presentation for event delegates:

• Research Presentation (Formal presentation of completed research, with a focus on clinical applicability.)
• Workshop (This format incorporates exercises and activities to foster structured discussion and uninterrupted ideation.)
• Family First Conversation (Conversations co-facilitated by a youth or family member with a service provider or researcher.)
• Panel discussion (Facilitated by a moderator with a group of experts or practitioners.)
• Solution Room (Participants reflect on how current practice can work differently.)
• Fireside Chat (Interactive discussion between moderator and guest.)
• Facilitated Questions & Answer (Participants ask direct questions of the speaker.)
• Campfire Session (Less structured small-group discussion format.)

The EKO Spring Symposium 2027 welcomes submissions for concurrent session presentations focused on various aspects of developmental health. Presentations are not limited.

If you're looking for guidance, the EKO Spring Symposium Working Group suggests considering the following topics to focus your presentation: 

• Artificial Intelligence
• Clinical best practice
• Corporate culture
• Cultural approaches
• Diagnostics
• EDI
• Family/youth engagement
• Indigenous approaches
• Innovation
• Integrated care
• Neurodiversity
• Organizational service excellence
  

Presentation Length

All concurrent sessions will be 45 minutes, so presenters can determine how they would like to divide this time between presentation and Q&A.

Each room is set up theatre style.

Presenters at EKO’s Spring Symposium 2027 will receive a discount on their symposium registration fee. All presenters are required to register as an attendee. Travel and additional fees are the responsibility of the presenter. Lead speakers are asked to inform all co-presenters of this policy.

Note: If presenters bring a caregiver/family member, their accommodations are the responsibility of the presenter.

• Submission Opening Date: June 22, 2026 
• Submission Closing Date: October 9, 2026 
• Guidelines: Please read the Abstract Submission Guidelines before you start your submission. 
  
• Notification of Acceptance: Starting November 13, 2026 

If you have questions about anything discussed above, please contact info@empoweredkidsontario.ca