Table 2 Intervention studies
From: Childhood disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: a literature review
First Author (year) | Disability/ impairment | Design | Aims | Level of Evidence | TREND Scores | Population | Geographic Setting | Intervention type | Methods | Indigenous involvement | Recruitment | Control group | Language | Content/components | Duration | Evaluation | Key Findings | Conclusions/recommendations | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan, B. (2006) | Hearing | Experiment; intervention | To investigate Indigenous Australian children's attitudes of peers wearing hearing aids | VI | 13 | 60 Indigenous Australian children aged 5–12 years (mean age 9) | 3 urban schools in Alice Springs | learning- based desensitization program | Experiment (photographs of Aboriginal people with and without hearing aids, attitudes surveyed, 20 min. educational intervention on benefits of hearing aids) | Community Consult | No info | Reverse ordered | English and Tiwi | discussion-based intervention was designed to encourage the participants to reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards people who wear hearing aids; demonstrations; An audio example; scenarios | 10 minutes | Survey | Children had negative attitudes towards others with hearing aids; intervention had significant effect on attitudes | Children had more negative attitude towards peers with hearing aids; intervention had significant effect on attitudes; Potential for negative attitudes towards peers w/hearing aids to be changed via learning-based discussion aimed at reducing negative attitudes. | A |
Strange, A. (2008) | Hearing | Experimental; intervention | Identify the negative stigmas attached to hearing aids, increase awareness of attitudes | VI | 13 | 62 Indigenous adolescents boarding at high schools Alice Springs aged 12–18 (mean age 14) | Alice Springs | learning- based desensitization program | Experiment (photographs of Aboriginal people with and without hearing aids, attitudes surveyed, 20 min. educational intervention on benefits of hearing aids) | Community Consult | No info | Reverse ordered | English and Tiwi | discussion-based intervention was designed to encourage the participants to reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards people who wear hearing aids; demonstrations; An audio example; scenarios | 20-30 minutes | Survey | greater visibility of the hearing aid, is associated with more negative attitudes by adolescents; intervention demonstrated some reduced stigma | Stigma and negative attitudes contribute to the low use of hearing aids in children; Need to develop appropriate strategies to decrease stigma and increase the use of amplification; appropriate attitude changing techniques interventions needed | A |
Yonovitz, L. (2000) | Hearing | Intervention | Demonstrate link between hearing loss and low English literacy | VI | 10.75 | 1,032 Indigenous students 4–22 years old representing 106 rural and remote communities | NT (Darwin and Alice Springs) | phonological awareness | Teacher in-service sessions; pre/post PA- EFL criterion- referenced, diagnostic tests | Not reported | No info | None | English | 1)two-day workshops for each school for teachers and assistant; 2)provision of amplification systems and hearing aids; 3) ear, hearing, phonological awareness assessment; 4) reading, spelling assessment; (over 1 school year) | 12 months | ear, hearing, phonological awareness, reading, and spelling assessments | Teacher training, hearing support services, screening, and phonological awareness intervention documented strong improvements in literacy and contributed to understanding relationship between ear disease and low literacy. | This intervention represents a feasible, adaptive program that can be used in combination with existing ESL curricula and should not cause interference with already published phonics programs. | S, I |
Massie, R. (2004) | Hearing | Intervention | Identify effects of sound-field amplification on communication in classrooms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children | VI | 11 | 64 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from 4 classrooms in two rural QLD schools | Rural QLD communities | amplification trial | Classroom observation; teacher questionnaire; assessments, modified Environmental Communication Profile, Screening Identification for Targeting Educational Risk rating scale | None reported | No info | None | English | amplification on/off conditions changed fortnightly | 8 weeks | Teacher survey, sensory assessments | Sound-field amplification intervention encouraged the children to interact with teachers and peers in a proactive way. | No clear or enforceable standards for classroom acoustics in Australia exist; amplification may provide rapid, cost effective part of solution to improving the classroom listening environment. | S, I |