Engaging to learn: Increasing the engagement of children with autism in learning activities. This research addresses the ARC national research priority of promoting and maintaining good health and well being for all Australians by enabling children with autism and their families to lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Children with autism are amongst the most challenging of all students for educators. Improving educational outcomes by engaging these children in learning, the aim of this re ....Engaging to learn: Increasing the engagement of children with autism in learning activities. This research addresses the ARC national research priority of promoting and maintaining good health and well being for all Australians by enabling children with autism and their families to lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Children with autism are amongst the most challenging of all students for educators. Improving educational outcomes by engaging these children in learning, the aim of this research, is critical if these children are to achieve their full potential. This will benefit the Australian community by increasing independence, reducing barriers to inclusion, and improving the quality of life for children with autism and their families.Read moreRead less
The transition to school for young children with developmental disabilities: The impact of interpersonal relationships on successful school adjustment. Increasing numbers of young children with developmental disabilities are included in regular school settings. Children with developmental disabilities have additional support needs and are at high risk for poor school outcomes. Effective programs to support success in the transition to school have the potential to improve children's long-term soc ....The transition to school for young children with developmental disabilities: The impact of interpersonal relationships on successful school adjustment. Increasing numbers of young children with developmental disabilities are included in regular school settings. Children with developmental disabilities have additional support needs and are at high risk for poor school outcomes. Effective programs to support success in the transition to school have the potential to improve children's long-term social and behavioural adjustment. In this research, the focus on modifiable mediating factors for successful school transitions will inform inclusive educational policy and practice. Investment in optimising child outcomes in the early years has long-term social, community, and economic benefits.
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Children's difficulties in learning to read: Causes and consequences of poor letter-sound knowledge. This research will identify the causes and treatments of reading impairment in children. This will help the Government counter the effects of poor reading instruction in Australian schools (see the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy). The outcomes will reveal how struggling readers should be taught in classrooms, and which treatments should be covered by the Reading Assistance Voucher ....Children's difficulties in learning to read: Causes and consequences of poor letter-sound knowledge. This research will identify the causes and treatments of reading impairment in children. This will help the Government counter the effects of poor reading instruction in Australian schools (see the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy). The outcomes will reveal how struggling readers should be taught in classrooms, and which treatments should be covered by the Reading Assistance Voucher programme. Treating reading impairment in children will reduce the number of teenagers who attempt suicide, drop out of school, or abuse drugs to try and escape the failure that accompanies poor reading ability.Read moreRead less
Comparison of interventions for families from rural communities who have a child with an intellectual disability and problem behaviour. The project comprises two studies. The first aims at evaluating the relative effectiveness of two modes of supporting families from rural areas who have a child with an intellectual disability and problem behaviour. Both modes involve providing the families with written and videotape materials containing advice about how to manage the problem behaviour, but one ....Comparison of interventions for families from rural communities who have a child with an intellectual disability and problem behaviour. The project comprises two studies. The first aims at evaluating the relative effectiveness of two modes of supporting families from rural areas who have a child with an intellectual disability and problem behaviour. Both modes involve providing the families with written and videotape materials containing advice about how to manage the problem behaviour, but one mode also includes the addition of regular telephone calls. The second study focuses on examining the child, parent, practitioner, and contextual variables associated with families being able to benefit from support through the use of the written and videotape materials.Read moreRead less
Self-regulation in very low birthweight/very preterm 2 and 4 year olds: A comparison study. Increasing numbers of extremely low birthweight children are surviving, and the majority go on to have learning problems. The difficulties these children experience and the resources that are devoted to the task of improving their academic skills have personal, social and economic costs. This project will assist in the identification of areas of difficulty that contribute to their problems in learning, es ....Self-regulation in very low birthweight/very preterm 2 and 4 year olds: A comparison study. Increasing numbers of extremely low birthweight children are surviving, and the majority go on to have learning problems. The difficulties these children experience and the resources that are devoted to the task of improving their academic skills have personal, social and economic costs. This project will assist in the identification of areas of difficulty that contribute to their problems in learning, essential for developing effective interventions. Success will bring substantial benefits at both the level of the individual and of society. The study will be undertaken by a PhD candidate as part of a multidisciplinary team, an experience that will provide an exceptional training in research with vulnerable children.Read moreRead less
Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the c ....Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the critical importance of family involvement with schools to effect enduring change and the difficulties of achieving this within current structures. We address this challenge by nurturing whole-school culture change, providing teacher professional development, and locating family support resources within schools to promote home-school partnerships, family functioning, and child well-being. Read moreRead less