Effective communication is an essential of everyday life, and stuttering impairs this function. Stuttering has been shown to cause social maladjustment and to hinder attainment of occupational potential. There is an effective treatment available for preschool children who stutter, and this treatment can prevent the problems of stuttering later in life. The treatment depends on regular, weekly, face-to-face sessions with a speech pathologist. However, thirty percent of Australian children live ru ....Effective communication is an essential of everyday life, and stuttering impairs this function. Stuttering has been shown to cause social maladjustment and to hinder attainment of occupational potential. There is an effective treatment available for preschool children who stutter, and this treatment can prevent the problems of stuttering later in life. The treatment depends on regular, weekly, face-to-face sessions with a speech pathologist. However, thirty percent of Australian children live rurally, and are receiving inadequate access to this important health service. This research is a randomised controlled trial of a telehealth intervention for early stuttering. The telehealth intervention is a new procedure where the speech pathologist uses the telephone and other communication methods to deliver the treatment to isolated families with a stuttering child.Read moreRead less
Early Childhood Caries: A Longitudinal Study Measuring The Risk And Protective Factors In Infants 1-18 Months Of Age
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$123,736.00
Summary
Dental decay affects 70% of Australian children, with children in rural areas being worse off. This study will describe the natural history of dental decay from birth to 18 months and will examine the environment, behaviours and biology that these infants are exposed to over time. Although families will benefit most from this research, the study contributes uniquely to our knowledge of decay in young children and will directly inform population health and targeted programs of care.
Parenting Style As A Mediator Of Psychosocial Risk Factors And Childhood Externalizing Behaviour Problems
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$113,160.00
Summary
It is imperative that effective interventions be developed and evaluated for children with externalising disorders (e.g. oppositional disorder, attention deficit order and conduct disorder). The prevalence of these problems in the community is high, the prognosis of children is poor, and externalising problems are passed on across successive generations in the same family. Childhood externalising problems are also one of the most costly behavioural disorders for society. Many studies have examin ....It is imperative that effective interventions be developed and evaluated for children with externalising disorders (e.g. oppositional disorder, attention deficit order and conduct disorder). The prevalence of these problems in the community is high, the prognosis of children is poor, and externalising problems are passed on across successive generations in the same family. Childhood externalising problems are also one of the most costly behavioural disorders for society. Many studies have examined the nature and course of externalising problems in older children and adolescents. However, little attention has been paid to the early onset of externalising disorders amongst preschool and early school-age children. Whilst the relationships between family risk factors (e.g. marital discord and maternal depression), parental management styles and children's behaviour problems are widely recognised, the exact nature and direction of these relationships remains largely unknown. This proposal will provide new information about the mechanism through which family risk factors such as marital discord or parental distress influence the onset and persistence of externalising problems in young children, via their effects on parents' behaviour management techniques. This information can then be used to instruct early intervention efforts for parents and families of children at risk of developing externalising behaviour problems.Read moreRead less
Positive Feeding Practices And Food Preferences In Very Early Childhood - A Primary Care Obesity Prevention Program
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,459,238.00
Summary
The more than 1:5 and rapidly increasing number of overweight Australian children are at a substantially increased risk of becoming fat adults resulting in increased illness, mortality, health care burden and costs. Adult eating habits are influenced and formed by food preferences and capacity to self-regulate in response to behaviours developed in childhood. Thus parent feeding practices in very early childhood are critical. This study aims to show that a program of parent education and peer su ....The more than 1:5 and rapidly increasing number of overweight Australian children are at a substantially increased risk of becoming fat adults resulting in increased illness, mortality, health care burden and costs. Adult eating habits are influenced and formed by food preferences and capacity to self-regulate in response to behaviours developed in childhood. Thus parent feeding practices in very early childhood are critical. This study aims to show that a program of parent education and peer support to initiate and maintain positive feeding practices in very young children (6-10 months) will (1) promote healthy eating behaviours and (2) prevent excess weight gain and overweight in children. A successsful intervention will provide evidence for policies and programs that can be implemented within a large primary care service to equip and support mothers-carers in developing the confidence and skills to introduce positive feeding practices in very early childhood. This is consistent with current community interest in early childhood as the foundation for health and well-being.Read moreRead less
Prevention Of Childhood Anxiety: A Parent-focused Approach, Targeting The School Transition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$60,220.00
Summary
The prevention of mental health problems in young people warrants research. Anxiety is a common problem amongst children, resulting in academic and relationship difficulties across the lifespan. The project investigates the effectiveness of an anxiety prevention strategy designed to optimise school adjustment in anxious and withdrawn preschool aged children making the transition to formal schooling. The intervention is parent-focused. Parents will be taught anxiety management strategies. They wi ....The prevention of mental health problems in young people warrants research. Anxiety is a common problem amongst children, resulting in academic and relationship difficulties across the lifespan. The project investigates the effectiveness of an anxiety prevention strategy designed to optimise school adjustment in anxious and withdrawn preschool aged children making the transition to formal schooling. The intervention is parent-focused. Parents will be taught anxiety management strategies. They will also be taught to decrease the use of overprotective or threat communicative responses, to model and reinforce non-anxious behaviour, and to coach children in active problem solving. The prevention of childhood anxiety will have important cost savings in the long term, relating to reduction in the costs associated with school adjustment difficulties and mental health treatments for children, as well as reductions in distress amongst individuals and their families. If the present program proves successful with children at risk of anxiety, it may have the potential to be offered within the education system as a universal transitional program.Read moreRead less
Improving Outcomes Of Preschool Language Delay In The Community: Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$927,327.00
Summary
7-15% of preschool children have language delay, so are vulnerable to poor lifelong academic, social and economic outcomes. Small trials suggest that intervention helps. This randomized trial aims to find out the population costs and benefits of optimized intervention for 4 year olds following systematic identification of language delay. Because we have studied the 1500 participants since infancy, the trial could also shed light on why some children respond better than others to treatment.
One-session Treatment For Specific Phobias In Pre-school Children: Improving Access And Long-term Mental Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,745.00
Summary
This project aims to conduct the first randomised controlled trial of a modified-one session treatment (OST) for preschoolers with specific phobias (SP). SPs are highly prevalent (~10%), onset very early in life (~3 years) and predict a host of mental illness later in life. OST for SPs is well-established for older children (>7 years), yet is currently untested with pre-school aged children.