JCPSLP Vol 19 No 1 2017

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Communication and connection: Valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 1 2017 53
Dr John Gilroy, a Koori man, and his colleagues used an
Indigenous research methodology to discover the factors
that influence participation of Aboriginal people in disability
services. The team interviewed 67 participants (seven
identified as being Aboriginal) from a mainstream non-
government organisation (NGO) and an Aboriginal NGO
using focus groups and individual interviews. Transcripts
were analysed using a grounded theory approach and 12
factors emerged: conceptualising disability; family and kin;
colonisation and trauma; racism; choice of workers; choice
of organisations; community connections; trustworthiness
of mainstream services; multiple agency intervention;
trusting workers; mobility; and affirmative action policy.
These factors are interrelated and entrenched in services.
It is apparent that the NDIS offers an exciting opportunity
to improve services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples. However, this will be possible only if (to
paraphrase from the Australian Psychological Society’s
recent formal apology) we are able to:
• listen more and talk less;
• follow more and steer less;
• advocate more and comply less;
• include more and ignore less; and,
• collaborate more and command less (Australian
Psychological Society, 2016).
Reference
Australian Psychological Society. (2016). Media statement:
Thursday 15th September . Victoria: Author. Retrieved from
releases/15September2016/.
Robinson, G., Mares, S., & Arney, S. (2016). Continuity,
engagement and integration: Early intervention in
remote Australian Aboriginal communities .
Australian Social Work , early online. doi:
10.1080/0312407X.2016.1146315
Angela Lawless
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are significantly
overrepresented in the child protection system, compared
to non-Indigenous children, and the gap is widening. This
paper addresses the issue of early intervention in NT
remote communities where over 30% of the Territory’s
population are Indigenous and more than half of the
Indigenous population lives in rural and remote
communities. The authors draw lessons from the
implementation of a program for 4–7-year-olds known as
Let’s Start. This group intervention for Aboriginal families
comprises 2-hour sessions over 10 weeks with parent only
discussions followed by interactive semi-structured
sessions including the children. Despite experiencing major
life events including family death by suicide and family
violence, 50–60% of parents attended 60% or more of the
sessions.
The paper presents two cases to illustrate the factors,
capacities and practices that support or hinder the
Scull, J. (2016) Effective literacy teaching for
Indigenous students: Principles from evidence
based practices. Australian Journal of Language and
Literacy, 39(1), 54–63.
Anne Murrie
In the light of the ongoing gap in literacy attainment
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in
Australia, Scull outlines six principles to guide the
successful implementation of early literacy programs,
particularly in the context of remote communities. These
principles include: maintaining first language while building
skills in English; valuing and respecting community
knowledge and experience; providing responsive, tiered
learning support; recognising the complexity of literacy
learning; expert teaching and ongoing professional learning;
and investing in evidence-based programs. Scull discusses
three early intervention language and literacy programs
which are currently being trialled in remote communities
with positive outcomes: the Abecedarian Approach
Australia, which is an early language and literacy program
with a focus on 0–3-year-olds; Literacy Acquisition for
Pre-primary Students (LAPS), which is aimed at up-skilling
preschool staff in using specific small group teaching
procedures for literacy; and Reading Recovery, which is a
widely used intervention program for children who have not
attained the expected level in reading after one year of
instruction.
The author provides a set of principles with a strong
theoretical foundation for building literacy skills in
Indigenous children, and I believe these would be strongly
endorsed by teachers working in the field. Though not
acknowledged in the article, the challenge may be in the
practical implementation of recommended actions in such
complex contexts, for example: monitoring ear health;
supporting regular school attendance; attracting and
retaining experienced teachers; and so on. That said Scull’s
work contributes to an important and ongoing conversation
in Australia.
Gilroy, J., Donelly, M., Colmar, S., & Parmenter, T. (2016).
Twelve factors that can influence the participation
of Aboriginal people in disability services. Australian
Indigenous Health Bulletin, 16(1), 1–9.
Abigail Lewis
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is currently
being rolled out across Australia, changing the way services
are perceived and funded. As part of this process the
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is tasked with
ensuring people with disabilities are informed, empowered
and financed in order to obtain the services they require to
improve their outcomes. Currently, Aboriginal people have
significantly higher rates of disability than the non-Aboriginal
population and yet have considerably lower rates of
participation in disability services than the non-Aboriginal
population.
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