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
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