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Adapting the Australian Early Development Index for Indigenous Children

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The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a nation-wide program that looks at the development of young children in communities across Australia.  It is a tool that helps communities and governments pinpoint services, resources and supports young children and their families need to give children the best start in life. However it is recognised that in order for the AEDI to provide the most accurate and useful information, there is a need for some questions to be adapted to take into account cultural differences, particularly relating to Indigenous children.

The AEDI was adapted from the original Early Development Index that was developed in Canada.  Its reliability in the Australian context was tested in a series of pilot projects, starting in 2002.  A new project to further adapt the AEDI to ensure its relevance and sensitivity to the needs of Indigenous children was initiated by the Centre for Developmental Health and the Kulunga Indigenous Research Network at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in 2007, on behalf of the national AEDI partnership between the Centre for Community Child Health and Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

The AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study has been overseen by a National Indigenous AEDI Reference Group. Indigenous peak bodies and grass roots community organisations, parents, unions and government and non-government stakeholders were involved in its development and continue to contribute to the study's progression. Shell Australia provided foundation support for the AEDI and, with the Australian Government, is supporting the Indigenous Adaptation Study. The main modifications to emerge from the adaptation project include:

  • The recommended use of Indigenous school personnel (e.g. Aboriginal Teaching Assistants/ Aboriginal & Islander Education Officers) to work with teachers in completing the AEDI checklists for Indigenous children.
  • Modifications to the on-line teacher guide to provide additional information so that particular cultural considerations can be taken into account on certain checklist items.
  • Addition of a number of extra checklist items which were recommended by Indigenous educators and stakeholders as being of relevance to understanding the particular circumstances of Indigenous children. e.g. reasons for days absent from school (cultural, sickness or other); proficiency in use of home language, history of otitis media or hearing difficulties; difficulties participating either because of tiredness or sickness; children who come to school hungry etc.

These adaptations were initially piloted in 49 schools throughout urban, regional and remote regions of Western Australia in 2007. The AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study recommended a few extra questions be included in the AEDI Checklist for Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) children for national AEDI implementation. Inclusion of these questions was recommended by Indigenous parents, educators and communities, to provide contextual information to aid in interpreting the AEDI results.

It has since been recognised that to further evaluate these questions it is important they be asked for all children, independent of their Indigenous status. States and territories were therefore consulted about inclusion of these additional questions for all children in 2009. At this stage all states and territories except New South Wales (NSW) undertook to have these additional questions asked for all children.  The standard AEDI questions for the five domains of development will be collected on all children in NSW in 2009.  Subject to further consultation with key stakeholders it is anticipated that NSW will be involved in the next phase of the adaptation study to ensure further refinement and evaluation of community engagement processes and resources for reporting back findings to communities. 

The Indigenous Adaptation Study is an important step in ensuring not only the cultural accuracy of the AEDI, but also its effectiveness in empowering communities to enhance the development of all children in their critical early years.

AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study & National Implementation

The AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study was initiated to ensure the AEDI is relevant and sensitive to the needs of Indigenous children. As a result of the first phase of the study the following recommendations have been adopted for national implementation commencing in 2009:

  • Modifications to the AEDI Guide for Teachers so that particular cultural considerations could be taken into account on certain checklist items
  • Teachers complete the AEDI Checklists for Indigenous children collaboratively with an Indigenous Cultural Consultant (where available)
  • The additional questions piloted in the AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study to aid interpretation of the AEDI findings will be asked for all children (i.e. Indigenous and non-Indigenous) in the 2009 national data collection for  all jurisdictions except  NSW 
  • Whilst NSW is not participating in the AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study in 2009, it is anticipated that they will be involved in future consultations as part of the adaptation process

Indigenous Adaptation Study Newsletters

Read more in the AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study's e-newsletters:

For more information about the AEDI Indigenous Adaptation Study contact:

Telethon Institute for Child Health Research

Sue Ferguson-Hill (sfergusonhill@ichr.uwa.edu.au, 08 9489 7848); Sven Silburn (sven.silburn@menzies.edu.au, 08 8922 8196); or Sally Brinkman (sallyb@ichr.uwa.edu.au, 08 8303 3467)

AEDI National Support Centre at the Centre for Community Child Health
Sharon Goldfeld (sharon.goldfeld@rch.org.au, 03 9345 6408) or Mary Sayers (mary.sayers@mcri.edu.au, 03 8341 5618)

 

For more information about the AEDI see AEDI FAQs

 

Last Updated 20-Aug-2009. Authorised by: June McLoughlin. Enquiries: Mary Sayers.
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