Victoria
National data collection on alcohol in pregnancy: a qualitative study (Research project)
As part of the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to the enhancement of perinatal data to capture additional information in relation to antenatal care and alcohol use during pregnancy.
Western Australia
Telethon Kids Institute
3M FASD Prevention Strategy: Marulu, Mass Media & Midwives (Research project)
The aim of the FASD Prevention Strategy is to implement and evaluate a community designed FASD prevention strategy for communities in the Fitzroy Valley in remote Western Australia. The program includes the use of mass media, community messaging and workforce upskilling for midwives.
Hedland FASD Project (Research project)
The project involves researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute working with Wirraka Maya Health Services and BHP to make FASD History in the Pilbara. The project aims to identify and reduce the rates of alcohol use in pregnancy and increase the capacity of the local community to care for and support individuals and families affected by FASD.
Pilbara FASD Project (Research project)
The aim of this research is to develop, implement and evaluate an evidence-based model of prevention aimed at reducing the rates of alcohol consumption among women in the Pilbara. The research team is working with community organisation to support women to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy and increase community-led advocacy activities relating to FASD prevention.
Determinants of prenatal alcohol exposure among Aboriginal women in the Pilbara: Developing a statistically validated model of prenatal alcohol consumption for evidence based intervention development (PhD study)
The overarching aim of the proposed research is to identify the key psycho-social and contextual determinants of alcohol use during pregnancy in Aboriginal women of the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Understanding Aboriginal women's knowledge, attitudes and practice about alcohol and pregnancy (Research project)
This qualitative study of 61 Aboriginal women from Perth, the Goldfields and Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia, showed that although some participants had not heard of Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, they attributed some adverse birth outcomes and longer term outcomes to drinking alcohol in pregnancy.
Normative eye-tracking data for Australian children on four tasks (Research Project)
Before we use this system to screen for FASD in Australia we need to know what is “normal” for eye-movements for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Australia and check if this is the same as in Canada. To do this we will collect eye-tracking data for 100 children (50 non-Aboriginal and 50 Aboriginal, half male and half female) aged between 7-12 years old. Having this data will also allow us to make comparisons with children who have neurodevelopmental disorders in the future.
The Alert Program: An evidence based treatment program for Aboriginal children living with FASD (Research project)
The goal of this research project is to develop, implement and evaluate the Alert Program to improve self-regulation and executive functioning skills of primary school aged children in the Fitzroy Valley.
The Alert Program® Study (PhD study)
The Alert Program® Study: development and evaluation of an intervention to improve the self-regulation and executive functioning skills of Australian Aboriginal primary school children with a focus on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
Research related to youth in detention
Banksia Hill Detention Cenre Project (Research Project)
Improving the management of young people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in detention (PhD study)
Talking, Hearing, Understanding, Knowing: A qualitative exploration of the experiences of justice-involved youth undergoing assessment for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in a juvenile detention centre (PhD study)
Communication, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and youth justice (PhD study)
University of Sydney
Behaviour support training for parents and carers of Aboriginal children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Research project)
Aboriginal leaders in Fitzroy Valley (Kimberley, Western Australia) identified prevention, diagnosis and management of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) as a community priority and invited researchers from The University of Sydney to initiate a parenting support program to give parents and carers of Aboriginal children practical help in dealing with the substantial stresses caused by child behavioural problems attributable to FASD.
The Lililwan Project – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevalence Study
Meaning “all the little ones”, Lililwan’s collaborative team included experts in local Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, paediatrics, research, epidemiology and human rights. The Lililwan Project is part of a broader community strategy, Marulu: Overcoming FASD and Early Life Trauma in the Fitzroy Valley, which is working towards healing these Indigenous communities and creating a brighter future for their children.
Developing a tablet computer-based application (‘App’) to measure self-reported alcohol consumption in Indigenous Australians
The challenges of assessing alcohol consumption can be greater in Indigenous communities where there may be culturally distinct approaches to communication, sharing of drinking containers and episodic patterns of drinking. This paper discusses the processes used to develop a tablet computer-based application (‘App’) to collect a detailed assessment of drinking patterns in Indigenous Australians. The key features of the resulting App are described.