Thank you for the opportunity to provide information for this important issue.
The increased prevalence of developmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in
children in WA is critical, and will only get worse if not addressed
appropriately.
Please find below my responses to each of the questions. I feel that I have
important information to contribute to this inquiry, and would welcome the
opportunity to also provide information in person.
The role of child development services on a child’s overall development,
health, and wellbeing:
Healthy child development is dependent on both genetic and environmental
factors. Although genetic factors are less able to be controlled, a healthy
environment, and appropriate educational services for a young child can make
the difference between a person who is able to live a productive life and
contribute to their society, or a person who will need ongoing support to live
a productive life with dignity. Today in WA, many children have developmental
disorders such as autism and ADHD. It is critical to address this both from a
perspective of research as to the causes, and intervention in early childhood.
To not put significant necessary resources into these issues is both wrong from
a human rights and social justice perspective, but also shortsighted from a
policy and economic point of view, as effective early services to support the
child and their family is an investment that will allow individuals with these
types of disorders to be able to be effective and productive members of our
society.
How child development services are delivered in both metropolitan and regional
Western Australia:
I am presenting this information from an education perspective, as this is my
area of expertise and experience. Although the medical communities are
critical as partners in research and diagnosis, children with developmental
disorders should be supported by educators who have appropriate training and
support. Currently, we do not have enough teachers in WA schools who have the
skills to understand and effectively support children with autism, ADHD and
similar conditions. The model currently supported in WA is a medical model,
which separates the children from receiving comprehensive services. I have
conducted research on this issue through my role at Curtin University for the
past 3 years, and have interviewed more than 150 families of children with
disabilities. Some significant findings include:
-parents are stressed, often to the breaking point.
-this stress is a result of many things including: being on long wait lists to
even have their child evaluated; their child being excluded by schools because
of his/her difficulties in managing the traditional educational
environment;having to quit their job because their carer responsibilities are
so intense; marital difficulties because of the stress and/or financial strain
they are under; and overall, the lack of available, effective resources to
provide their child with the support they need.
The role of specialist medical colleges, universities and other training bodies
in establishing sufficient workforce pathways:
This problem is critical, and cuts across many research and educational areas.
All universities and training bodies in WA need to work together to solve this
problem. Working in isolation will not help, and if we don’t work together as
colleagues to address the medical, educational, social and mental health
aspects of this issue, the problem will only get much worse. There is an
understanding and a mindset to do this among my colleagues, but we need
dedicated time and resources to be effective.
How to increase engagement with, and collaboration between, government and
non-government child development services including Aboriginal Community
Controlled Organisations:
Again, there needs to be resources and time dedicated to collaborative
discussions/research/resources. All aspects of the issue needs to be
considered with the perspectives of all stakeholders included and honoured.
One of the problems, long recognised by research, is that early intervention
services for children with developmental conditions cannot take place in only a
clinical setting. Rather, the services and education must be able to be
generalised to the child’s environment and consistent and supportive of the
families values and lifestyle. Persons with autism and ADHD have important,
significant insights and are valuable sources of information as to what works
for them and what is going to allow them to be the valuable contributors to
their society that they have a right to be.
How child development service models and programs outside of Western Australia
could be applied in Western Australia:
My training was from the University of Missouri, USA. I hold a PHD in Special
Education/Educational Psychology with an emphasis on individuals whose
disability manifest in severe behaviors. I have worked as an educator and
researcher in this area in 3 countries for almost 2 decades. A model that I
saw to be successful in my university studies and classroom experience was a
focus on educational services in consultation with medical professionals,
rather than the extreme separation between the medical community and educators
which is the norm in WA. Currently, parents in WA report being on 2 to 3 year
waitlists to even have appointments for an evaluation, the first step to
receiving a diagnosis and thus being eligible to access services. This loses
valuable time for early intervention that often cannot be recovered because of
the developmental nature of these conditions. Rather, clinicians with the
training and expertise should be located in schools and early childhood
settings. Often times, if issues are caught at this early stage, the need for
more intensive, expensive, and less effective services is eliminated. Allied
health professionals such as occupational therapists and speech language
pathologists embedded in schools and working with educators can provide more
effective and less expensive services.
I am currently collaborating with Dr. Douglas Greer and his colleagues from
Columbia University, New York, USA regarding the highly effective (with
transparent research data) programs to train educators to deliver effective
education for persons with developmental disorders from early intervention
through adult support. The purpose is to bring this effective methodology of
educator training to WA. We have been training educators in WA for the past 3
years, and have research data which demonstrates: significant improvements in
child outcomes and effective educator training. Focusing resources on this
training will allow us to move forward much more quickly and train more
professionals to address this critical problem.