The first national study of facilities for isolated Australian children living away from home was undertaken by the Commonwealth Schools Commission in 1981 and released in 1983. This document contains the conclusions, findings, and recommendations of the Commonwealth Schools Commission Working Party report. The results prompted the Commission to…

Noting the need to support Western teachers in Australia in their quest to work with indigenous children in more culturally appropriate ways to close the literacy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous children, the Building Bridges project aimed to identify and record the key features of growing up as an indigenous child in Australia today.…

This article reports on a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 hospital residents were relocated to small group homes. Relocation generally resulted in a more varied life-routine for residents, a broader range of social activities and greater contact with their…

Recognizing the necessity of examining the needs of early adolescents and changing the focus of middle grades education in Australia, this report describes the findings from the Northcote Network of Schools, 8 primary and 2 secondary schools collaborating to develop continuity and coherence across grades 5 through 8. The paper outlines activities…

An analysis of data on residential services for people with mental retardation between 1995-1999 found growth in recipients of Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement-funded residential services; a decline in the proportion of people housed in large residential settings; an increase in those served in group homes; and more rapid growth in…

This article describes two programs, one in Australia and one in the United States, that teach people with diabetes and visual impairment to incorporate proper diets and exercise into their daily lives and thus to gain better control of their blood glucose levels. It also presents a basic model of an exercise regimen that clients can perform at…

This book contains papers and speeches presented at the 14th National Conference of the Australian Preschool Association held in Melbourne in May 1976. Topics discussed include early childhood education, handicapped children, parental involvement in education, evaluating preschool programs, day care, teaching young children, interdisciplinary…

This study investigated the reasons parents of kindergarten children selected the attendance option of either full days or half-days for their child/ren. Three-hundred-and-thirty-two kindergarten parents from 30 schools across three Tasmanian school districts were participants in this study. Postal surveys were employed to gather data…

The "Everyday Learning" series has been developed to focus attention on the everyday ways in which children can be supported in their growth and development. It is for all those who are involved in children's development and learning, including people caring for young children in their own or others' homes, such as parents, grandparents…

This third annual report presents the broad findings of studies attempting to provide a comprehensive description of the nature of families in Australia today and seeking to identify and analyze the many factors affecting their well-being. Studies that have not yet reached completion are also described. Specifically, six chapters cover (1) a…

Background: Adults with congenital deafblindness (CDB) have received little attention from researchers. In this study we examined the nature of interactions between adults with CDB and the staff who mediate their support, and investigated the reliability of an observation coding system, originally designed for observing adults with severe…

This report recommends a 10-year plan for changes in services to people with intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia. Intended key outcomes of the plan include: increases in the numbers of clients receiving direct residential support in community-based accommodations; reductions in numbers of adult clients resident in large scale…