Helping people to help themselves: a study of training issues for Aboriginal women and their remote communities in Central Australia

OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT This reports presents research findings into the knowledge and aspirations of vocational education and training (VET) held by Central Australian Indigenous women leaders. It identifies and reviews some current initiatives to improve access and participation for women in remote Aboriginal communities in the region. The project is based upon the perceptions of women in Central Australia who are: Training participants: Aboriginal women undertaking training in a unit of the Certificate IV Training and Assessment in order to gain employment as Training Nintiringtjaku (community training facilitators) Advocates and decision-makers: Aboriginal women on the Management Committee of Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Association, representing their remote community and the concerns of communities across the Central Australian region Training providers: Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff of two Aboriginal Registered Training Organisations: Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi (Waltja) and the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) The research data comprises publications and interview texts on training needs and issues for Aboriginal women in Central Australia, compiled from 1993 to the present. Commentary is also provided upon the implementation of the National Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in vocational education and training, and upon other policies and initiatives by the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments

Aboriginal women working in vocational training and education: a story from Central Australia

This article outlines research undertaken by an Aboriginal women’s non-government organization (NGO) into vocational training and education (VTE) needs and issues for remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. It describes the Central Australian context, and in particular the impact of remoteness, inequity and disadvantage upon Aboriginal people’s access to and participation in VTE. Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi (Waltja) is an Aboriginal NGO based in Alice Springs, at the centre of the desert region of inland Australia. Waltja supports the development of family services and the self-determination of remote Central Australian Aboriginal communities. Senior Aboriginal women from widespread communities govern Waltja. In their communities, and working with and through Waltja, women play a significant role in identification of training needs, advocacy for their communities, and facilitation of education and training, including VTE. This article outlines Waltja’s research over the past decade into training needs and issues and documents the organizational ‘journey’ of this Aboriginal NGO into and within the VTE system. In particular, the article discusses Waltja’s ‘Training Nintiringtjaku’ initiative to develop a professional role for Aboriginal community leaders mediating between the VTE system and their communities

How do caregivers know when to take their child for immunizations?

BACKGROUND: Childhood vaccinations help reduce and eliminate many causes of morbidity and mortality among children. The objective of this study was to compare 4:3:1:3:3 (4+ doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, 3+ doses of poliovirus vaccine, 1+ doses of measles-containing vaccine, 3+ doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, and 3+ doses of hepatitis B vaccine) coverage among children whose caregivers learned by different methods when their child's most recent immunization was needed. METHODS: Between July 2001 and December 2002, a portion of households receiving the National Immunization Survey were asked how they knew when to take the child in for his/her most recent immunization. Responses were post-coded into several categories: 'Doctor/nurse reminder at previous immunization visit', 'Shot card/record', 'Reminder/recall', and 'Other'. Respondents could give more than one answer. Children who did not receive any vaccines, had ≤ 1 visits for vaccinations, or whose caregiver did not provide an answer to the question were excluded from analyses. Chi-square analyses were used to compare 4:3:1:3:3 coverage among 19–35 month old children. RESULTS: Children whose caregivers indicated that a doctor/nurse told them at a previous immunization visit when to return for the next immunization had significantly greater 4:3:1:3:3 coverage than those who did not choose the response (77.2% vs. 70.1%, p < 0.01). However, no significant difference in coverage was found between households that did/did not indicate that reminder/recalls (71.0% vs. 75.5%, p = 0.24) helped them remember when to take their child for their most recent immunization visit; only borderline significance was found between those that did/did not choose shot cards (70.6% vs. 76.2%, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: A doctor or nurse's reminder during an immunization visit of the next scheduled immunization visit effectively encourages caregivers to bring children in for immunizations, providing an inexpensive and easy way to effectively increase immunization coverage

Can Children See Emotions in Faces?

One way in which we figure out how people are feeling is by looking at their faces. Being able to do this allows us to react in the right way in social situations. But, are young children good at recognizing facial expressions showing emotion? And how does this ability develop throughout childhood and the teenage years? Children are able to recognize certain emotions very well when they are just 6 years old, but become better at recognizing other emotions as they grow older. At all ages, girls seem to have less difficulty than boys in recognizing emotions. Hormones that our bodies produce at puberty do not only influence how our bodies develop but also influence how our brains develop and how we change emotionally. Understanding more about the typical development of emotion recognition can guide us in helping children who have difficulties with these skills

The Feasibility of a Dietary Intervention in Children With ADHD

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can suffer debilitating symptoms, including problematic behaviour and sleep. Research suggests dietary manipulations may be a helpful treatment option for children with ADHD, although the most effective are highly restrictive, with little known about why they might work. Optimising gut bacteria in individuals with ADHD may help alleviate some of the symptoms of this condition via the gut-brain axis and would provide a plausible mechanism by which dietary interventions operate. We propose to conduct a feasibility pilot study of a dietary intervention designed to optimise gut bacteria in children diagnosed with ADHD

Teaching Certificate Redesign: Making a Flexible Program for Future Faculty

Higher education teaching certificate programs can improve graduate students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ teaching while preparing them for their future roles as faculty, providing a multi-tiered benefit to universities’ teaching goals. This article documents the decision points and initial success of a redesign of one such teaching certificate program.” As part of the redesign process, 10 universities’ programs were reviewed and used as a benchmark. The programs’ learning objectives and assessments, along with their connections to the literature, are discussed in detail. A new flexible pathway through the certificate program emerged, tapping into courses, workshops, and online resources for content delivery, effectively expanding access to more participants. Preliminary outcomes include increased enrollments from a wide range of disciplines and new opportunities for partnerships with academic departments

Using a Respectful Approach to Child-centred Healthcare (ReACH) in a paediatric clinical trial: A feasibility study

Background There is a growing momentum in paediatric ethics to develop respectful research and healthcare protocols. We developed, tested and refined our ‘Respectful Approach to Child-centred Healthcare’ (ReACH), to underpin respectful participant interactions in a clinical trial. Objective To determine whether a ReACH-based approach is acceptable to children and parents, and effective in obtaining compliance with common healthcare assessments in a clinical trial of healthy 4-6-year-old children. Methods ReACH-based child assessments were evaluated at two baseline clinics and one post-intervention, using mixed methods. Children (n = 49; 46.9% female; mean age = 5.24±0.88 years at baseline) and their parents provided independent evaluation, via customised 5-point Likert scales and qualitative feedback. A dedicated child researcher evaluated adherence to the study ReACH principles. Results Children achieved compliance rates of 95% for body composition (BodPod) assessments; 89% for blood pressure measurements, and 92% (baseline) and 87% (post-intervention) for blood draws. Adherence to ReACH principles during clinic visits was positively associated with child compliance, significantly for baseline BodPod (p = 0.002) and blood test (p = 0.009) clinics. Satisfaction with BodPod protocols was positively associated with compliance, for children at baseline (p = 0.029) and for parents post-intervention (p \u3c 0.001). Parents rated the study itself very highly, with 91.7% satisfied at baseline and 100% post-intervention. Qualitative feedback reflected an enjoyable study experience for both parents and children. Conclusions Adherence to our emerging ReACH approach was associated with high child compliance rates for common healthcare assessments, although no causality can be inferred at this preliminary stage of development. Participants expressed satisfaction with all aspects of the study. Our use of child-centred methods throughout a research intervention appears feasible and acceptable to children and their parents