Rachel Birnbaum
Biographic Data
| ID | 6243553 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rachel Birnbaum |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rachel |
| FAMILY NAME | Birnbaum |
| SIGNATURE | BIRNBAUM R |
| AFFILIATIONS | Western University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6203-6592 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 26 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 20 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Economic impacts of caring for autistic children in Ontario, Canada
Introduction: Although research on the economic costs of autism is growing, relatively few studies have examined these costs incurred by families of autistic children in Canada. Methods: This study designed and piloted a survey to capture the broader economic impact of caring for autistic children, including direct and indirect costs. It also sought to gather preliminary data to inform a future full-scale survey and enhance understanding of autis…
“Parental alienation” cases
This paper reports on two related studies on the experiences of Ontario therapists, parenting evaluators, child protection service (CPS) staff, and lawyers for parents, children and CPS about parent–child contact problem cases involving claims of parental alienation. One qualitative study was based on interviews with 62 professionals (45 parents' lawyers and 17 therapists) involved in reported Ontario cases between 2010 and 2022 where the court m…
Judicial decision‐making in family court involving children with autism spectrum disorder
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents has increased over the past decade. Consequently, the courts and experts are more likely to be exposed to these children whose needs are highly heterogeneous. The present study aims to document judicial decision‐making about children with autism spectrum as well as the parenting recommendations made by experts involved in these cases. There were 104 court decisions revie…
Ontario family justice in “lockdown”
The COVID‐19 pandemic has profoundly affected families and children involved in Ontario's family justice system as well as family justice professionals in the province. In a span of two years, Ontario's family justice system has been fundamentally transformed, from a paper‐based, in‐person system to a paperless system in which many services, including judicial proceedings, continue to be largely delivered remotely. We report on the findings of tw…
Experience with Ontario’s Parenting Plan Guide and Template
Detailed, voluntary parenting plans are being increasing used in many jurisdictions. In conjunction with legislative reforms that came into effect in Canada in 2021 and specifically provide for parenting plans in place of traditional custody and access orders, the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC-O) tasked a multidisciplinary group to prepare materials to assist professionals and parents in making parenti…
Views and Experiences of Parents in the Family Justice Process in Ontario and Quebec
As part of a larger prospective longitudinal research project to track parents as they navigate the family court system in Canada’s two largest provinces, this paper reports on the mixed methodology results at Time 1 as parents came into contact with the family courts. Data was collected by using in-person surveys at seven family court sites in Ontario and five family court sites in Quebec. A total of n = 1,539 litigants in Ontario (n = 865) and …
Family dispute resolution
Voice of the Child Reports in Ontario
Voice of the Child Reports have emerged as another method to hear from children involved in their parent’s dispute. Until 2016, these Reports had limited use in the province of Ontario. This paper details the content analysis of the Reports written by social workers from interviews conducted with children in the Views of the Child Reports: Ontario Pilot Project . The content analysis was performed of the written text of the interviews with 86 chi…
Challenges Faced by Canadian Social Work Field Instructors in Baccalaureate Field Supervision
This article examines the challenges faced by social work field instructors in two Canadian provinces. The results are based on the responses from 239 field instructors to a questionnaire survey. Findings highlight student difficulties, administrative issues with the social work schools, and practicum setting challenges. These demands hinder the optimal implementation of social work field education, reveal the concerning gatekeeping role of schoo…
Dimensions of conflict for separated families index
Shared Parenting in Canada
There is a complex interplay between federal and provincial parenting statutes in Canada. Although most statutes continue to use the traditional concepts of “custody” and “access,” in practice most lawyers and judges use more child‐focused terminology for parenting plans. There is a lack of reliable data on postseparation parenting in Canada, though a number of studies and data sources clearly indicate that there is growing use of various forms o…
Views of the Child Reports
Views of the Child reports are being increasingly used in Canada and other countries as a means of directly obtaining the child’s perspective on disputes between their parents and/or guardians. The reports provide information about the child’s perspective based on one or more interviews with a social worker. Yet, little research exists about their use and impact, the benefits and limitations of the approach, and less about what factors need to be…
Views of the Child Reports
There is increasing use of Views of the Child Reports as a means of involving children in the resolution of parenting disputes in Canada, but there are significant differences in how these Reports are prepared. This article reports on a study of an Ontario pilot project which provided non-evaluative reports for parenting disputes prepared by social workers based on two interviews with each child about the child’s perspectives and preferences; chi…
The Canadian Experience with Views of the Child Reports
Non-evaluative Views of the Child Reports prepared by legal or mental health professionals are an increasingly popular means of involving children in the resolution of parenting disputes in parts of Canada, but there are no widely accepted standards and significant differences exist in how children are interviewed and how these reports are prepared. This article examines the methods by which children’s views are obtained for use in court and non-…
Canada’s First Integrated Domestic Violence Court
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Experiences of Shared Care Post Divorce
Objectives : Children’s views and experiences of shared care arrangements post separation were explored to provide their voices to the ongoing discussions of shared parenting. Methods : Qualitative synthesis included a systematic and transparent method for retrieval, screening, and analysing qualitative studies. The inclusion criteria accepted studies that were: qualitative in design; included children as participants in shared care parenting tim…
A scoping review of qualitative studies about children experiencing parental separation
This article explores a scoping review of qualitative studies about children’s experiences and feelings during times of parental separation. The purpose of the review was to explore children’s feelings and attitudes about their parents’ separation and how their voices are heard during times of parental separation. The scoping review examined 44 studies in 13 countries involving 1525 children. While the studies examine how and why children’s voice…
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Participation in Custody Disputes
Objectives: This qualitative synthesis explores the voices of children in the context of child custody disputes over the last 20 years. The purpose was to (1) systematically retrieve qualitative studies to explore children’s views and preferences in the context of decision making postseparation and divorce and (2) explore how children’s voices are being heard or not. Method: Qualitative studies were identified through a systematic retrieval proce…
Children's Experiences with Family Justice Professionals in Ontario and Ohio
There is increasing recognition in law and social science research of the importance of having children participate in post-separation decision making, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. This article reviews the social science literature about children’s participation in the family justice process and presents results of a study in Ohio and Ontario with 32 children between 7–17 years of age, who either met with a ju…
Judicial Interviews with Children in Custody and Access Cases
Social science research and the Convention on the Rights of the Child support children's participation in family law disputes, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. Judicial interviews of children in custody and access cases are one method of involving children, and ascertaining their views and preferences, though the practice raises some complex and controversial issues. The extent to which judges meet with children, …
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Participation in Custody Disputes
Objectives: This qualitative synthesis explores the voices of children in the context of child custody disputes over the last 20 years. The purpose was to (1) systematically retrieve qualitative studies to explore children’s views and preferences in the context of decision making postseparation and divorce and (2) explore how children’s voices are being heard or not. Method: Qualitative studies were identified through a systematic retrieval proce…
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Experiences of Shared Care Post Divorce
Objectives : Children’s views and experiences of shared care arrangements post separation were explored to provide their voices to the ongoing discussions of shared parenting. Methods : Qualitative synthesis included a systematic and transparent method for retrieval, screening, and analysing qualitative studies. The inclusion criteria accepted studies that were: qualitative in design; included children as participants in shared care parenting tim…
Children's Experiences with Family Justice Professionals in Ontario and Ohio
There is increasing recognition in law and social science research of the importance of having children participate in post-separation decision making, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. This article reviews the social science literature about children’s participation in the family justice process and presents results of a study in Ohio and Ontario with 32 children between 7–17 years of age, who either met with a ju…
Judicial Interviews with Children in Custody and Access Cases
Social science research and the Convention on the Rights of the Child support children's participation in family law disputes, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. Judicial interviews of children in custody and access cases are one method of involving children, and ascertaining their views and preferences, though the practice raises some complex and controversial issues. The extent to which judges meet with children, …
Canada’s First Integrated Domestic Violence Court
Family dispute resolution
Dimensions of conflict for separated families index
Judicial Interviews with Children in Custody and Access Cases
Social science research and the Convention on the Rights of the Child support children's participation in family law disputes, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. Judicial interviews of children in custody and access cases are one method of involving children, and ascertaining their views and preferences, though the practice raises some complex and controversial issues. The extent to which judges meet with children, …
Children's Experiences with Family Justice Professionals in Ontario and Ohio
There is increasing recognition in law and social science research of the importance of having children participate in post-separation decision making, though there is not a clear consensus on how this should be done. This article reviews the social science literature about children’s participation in the family justice process and presents results of a study in Ohio and Ontario with 32 children between 7–17 years of age, who either met with a ju…
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Participation in Custody Disputes
Objectives: This qualitative synthesis explores the voices of children in the context of child custody disputes over the last 20 years. The purpose was to (1) systematically retrieve qualitative studies to explore children’s views and preferences in the context of decision making postseparation and divorce and (2) explore how children’s voices are being heard or not. Method: Qualitative studies were identified through a systematic retrieval proce…
A scoping review of qualitative studies about children experiencing parental separation
This article explores a scoping review of qualitative studies about children’s experiences and feelings during times of parental separation. The purpose of the review was to explore children’s feelings and attitudes about their parents’ separation and how their voices are heard during times of parental separation. The scoping review examined 44 studies in 13 countries involving 1525 children. While the studies examine how and why children’s voice…
A Qualitative Synthesis of Children’s Experiences of Shared Care Post Divorce
Objectives : Children’s views and experiences of shared care arrangements post separation were explored to provide their voices to the ongoing discussions of shared parenting. Methods : Qualitative synthesis included a systematic and transparent method for retrieval, screening, and analysing qualitative studies. The inclusion criteria accepted studies that were: qualitative in design; included children as participants in shared care parenting tim…
The Canadian Experience with Views of the Child Reports
Non-evaluative Views of the Child Reports prepared by legal or mental health professionals are an increasingly popular means of involving children in the resolution of parenting disputes in parts of Canada, but there are no widely accepted standards and significant differences exist in how children are interviewed and how these reports are prepared. This article examines the methods by which children’s views are obtained for use in court and non-…
Canada’s First Integrated Domestic Violence Court
Shared Parenting in Canada
There is a complex interplay between federal and provincial parenting statutes in Canada. Although most statutes continue to use the traditional concepts of “custody” and “access,” in practice most lawyers and judges use more child‐focused terminology for parenting plans. There is a lack of reliable data on postseparation parenting in Canada, though a number of studies and data sources clearly indicate that there is growing use of various forms o…
Views of the Child Reports
Views of the Child reports are being increasingly used in Canada and other countries as a means of directly obtaining the child’s perspective on disputes between their parents and/or guardians. The reports provide information about the child’s perspective based on one or more interviews with a social worker. Yet, little research exists about their use and impact, the benefits and limitations of the approach, and less about what factors need to be…
Views of the Child Reports
There is increasing use of Views of the Child Reports as a means of involving children in the resolution of parenting disputes in Canada, but there are significant differences in how these Reports are prepared. This article reports on a study of an Ontario pilot project which provided non-evaluative reports for parenting disputes prepared by social workers based on two interviews with each child about the child’s perspectives and preferences; chi…
Challenges Faced by Canadian Social Work Field Instructors in Baccalaureate Field Supervision
This article examines the challenges faced by social work field instructors in two Canadian provinces. The results are based on the responses from 239 field instructors to a questionnaire survey. Findings highlight student difficulties, administrative issues with the social work schools, and practicum setting challenges. These demands hinder the optimal implementation of social work field education, reveal the concerning gatekeeping role of schoo…
Dimensions of conflict for separated families index
Voice of the Child Reports in Ontario
Voice of the Child Reports have emerged as another method to hear from children involved in their parent’s dispute. Until 2016, these Reports had limited use in the province of Ontario. This paper details the content analysis of the Reports written by social workers from interviews conducted with children in the Views of the Child Reports: Ontario Pilot Project . The content analysis was performed of the written text of the interviews with 86 chi…
Views and Experiences of Parents in the Family Justice Process in Ontario and Quebec
As part of a larger prospective longitudinal research project to track parents as they navigate the family court system in Canada’s two largest provinces, this paper reports on the mixed methodology results at Time 1 as parents came into contact with the family courts. Data was collected by using in-person surveys at seven family court sites in Ontario and five family court sites in Quebec. A total of n = 1,539 litigants in Ontario (n = 865) and …
Family dispute resolution
Ontario family justice in “lockdown”
The COVID‐19 pandemic has profoundly affected families and children involved in Ontario's family justice system as well as family justice professionals in the province. In a span of two years, Ontario's family justice system has been fundamentally transformed, from a paper‐based, in‐person system to a paperless system in which many services, including judicial proceedings, continue to be largely delivered remotely. We report on the findings of tw…
Experience with Ontario’s Parenting Plan Guide and Template
Detailed, voluntary parenting plans are being increasing used in many jurisdictions. In conjunction with legislative reforms that came into effect in Canada in 2021 and specifically provide for parenting plans in place of traditional custody and access orders, the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC-O) tasked a multidisciplinary group to prepare materials to assist professionals and parents in making parenti…
Judicial decision‐making in family court involving children with autism spectrum disorder
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents has increased over the past decade. Consequently, the courts and experts are more likely to be exposed to these children whose needs are highly heterogeneous. The present study aims to document judicial decision‐making about children with autism spectrum as well as the parenting recommendations made by experts involved in these cases. There were 104 court decisions revie…
Economic impacts of caring for autistic children in Ontario, Canada
Introduction: Although research on the economic costs of autism is growing, relatively few studies have examined these costs incurred by families of autistic children in Canada. Methods: This study designed and piloted a survey to capture the broader economic impact of caring for autistic children, including direct and indirect costs. It also sought to gather preliminary data to inform a future full-scale survey and enhance understanding of autis…
“Parental alienation” cases
This paper reports on two related studies on the experiences of Ontario therapists, parenting evaluators, child protection service (CPS) staff, and lawyers for parents, children and CPS about parent–child contact problem cases involving claims of parental alienation. One qualitative study was based on interviews with 62 professionals (45 parents' lawyers and 17 therapists) involved in reported Ontario cases between 2010 and 2022 where the court m…
Psychology (19 works) · Political science (15 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (9 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Criminology (8 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (8 works) · Psychiatry (8 works)