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Students who are parents are largely invisible within the Australian higher education sector. We know little about the particular views and experiences of this group at university. This article explores the Potivations perceived challenges to success and self-identified strengths of students who are parents. Our analysis is based on eighteen semi-structured interviews conducted with students who are parents at one multi-campus Australian university. The article contributes new insights to identify university strategies to better support under-represented groups to succeed at university.

Objectives: Among Aboriginal children, the year between birth and 1 year of age has the highest mortality rate compared with any other age. Prompt administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) leads to better outcomes and a lower likelihood of ongoing sequalae. Current education on infant CPR is not provided to parents except in certain circumstances in a neonatal intensive care unit. Currently, there are no identified CPR education courses specifically available for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, meaning that current infant CPR education courses are not culturally responsive. Design: Partnering with an Aboriginal community from the Bindjareb region of the Western Australian Noongar nation, the researchers used a co-design approach and an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research (APAR) design to explore how to deliver culturally safe and responsive infant CPR community education. This resulted in the development of the Koolangka Infant Life Saving Education Framework (KILSEF), which can be used to guide future planning and delivery of culturally safe and responsive community level infant CPR education. Results: The study findings identified that members of the Aboriginal community were very interested in receiving infant CPR education, but the barriers identified from mainstream CPR course delivery need to be removed for the community to benefit from culturally responsive ways of learning. Culturally responsive community CPR education should be provided in culturally safe places and the focus of learning should be on the practical applications of CPR and less on the academic pre-reading and written requirements. Explanations should be provided in lay terms and patience is required to communicate ideas in ways that facilitate understanding, and the course may need to be delivered over several days to accommodate community participant availability. Conclusion: Addressing Aboriginal community concerns and barriers allowed for the implementation of culturally responsive infant resuscitation education which was highly valued by community members and led to increased community confidence and participation in CPR education.

This study aimed to assess differences in emotion and elaboration quality between clinical and community child cohorts in both past reminiscing and future worry conversations. We analyzed 54 Australian parents (46 mothers, 8 fathers) and their 8- to 12-year-old children (M = 9.63, SD = 1.29; 28 boys, 26 girls) in reminiscing interactions. Dyads were recruited from local schools (community cohort, n = 26) or a children's psychology clinic waitlist (clinical cohort, n = 28). Clinical cohort children engaged in less emotion exploration in both past and future conversations, as did parents for future conversations. Elaboration quality did not differ. Parent-son dyads differed in the clinical cohort, exhibiting significantly lower emotion resolution than the community cohort, or parent-daughter dyads when discussing past events. These findings suggest that discussing anticipated negative events may be a relevant point of family-based intervention for anxious children. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of parent-son emotional discussion.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how knowledge of giftedness impacts self-concept of gifted adolescents. Guided by Sirgy's (1997) Self Congruity Theory and Shavelson et al.'s (1976) multidimensional hierarchical self-concept model, data collection was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with 11 Australian gifted adolescents and their parents. The collected data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged: (a) expectations from self and others, (b) the source and solutions to challenges, (c) the stigma of giftedness, and (d) parental involvement. In the findings, advanced knowledge of giftedness was associated with a more intense experience of stigma and a more internal locus of control. In addition, understanding giftedness was found to empower the parents of gifted students for more efficacious advocacy and support to cater to the needs of their gifted children.

This paper provides insight into working-class parents' views of the structural and systemic injustices shaping post-school options and opportunities in contemporary Australia, drawing on interview data with a group of mothers living in growth corridor suburbs in the outer west of Melbourne. Illustrating aspects of Berlant's (2011) notion of "cruel optimism", the paper examines the concepts of diminished society and collective community afforded by success through education, an aspiration and achievement unequal among young Australians. As Reay (2017) argues, an ideological narrative that positions individuals as being responsible for their own achievement through education sets many up to fail. This paper gives voice to the lived experiences of this individual responsibilitisation. We draw on elements of Marxist analysis, a subset of critical theory, whereby economic circumstances are the basis upon which political and ideological realities are built, critiquing the ways in which neoliberal social and economic policy and ideology are normalised (Tyson, 2015).

The Australian government funded the West Australian project 'Reporting Values to Parents' as part of 'The Values in Action Schools Project' (2009). The two aims of the qualitative study were to develop a common values language supported by observable behaviours and an appreciation that values education is fundamental to schooling. Teachers used an action research process to create authentic values activities and involve parents in the assessment process. Parents shifted their perspectives to ratify teachers' role to teach values explicitly. Students experienced a deeper sense of connection and belonging at school. Educators can adapt the activities in this paper to infuse values into their teaching. Future research is warranted to support and retain preservice teachers by examining the 'hidden curriculum' and personal biases to create inclusive classrooms. All students have a right to access an education that reflects their interests and values and teachers need urgent support for this quest.

The transition to school is a sensitive developmental period for young children. Although children born very/extremely preterm have increased risk of health and developmental concerns, predictors of their school readiness and adjustment remain largely unexamined. Parents of very/extremely preterm-born children (aged 3-7 years; pre-transition n = 114, post-transition n = 112) completed an online survey assessing their perceptions of children's school readiness (pre-transition) or adjustment (post-transition), support needs, child behaviour, parent distress, and parent confidence. Poorer school readiness and adjustment and greater needs for support correlated with child health/developmental condition/s; hyperactivity, peer problems, conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and less prosocial behaviour; and lower parent confidence. Using hierarchical linear regression, parent confidence emerged as the strongest common predictor of school readiness (pre-transition) and school adjustment (post-transition), followed by low hyperactivity, high parent education (tertiary), and no diagnosed child health/developmental condition/s. Results will be used to identify families needing support and develop tailored support strategies.

In Australia, an increasing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are educated in inclusive classrooms. Research shows that teachers' self-efficacy beliefs impact the implementation of inclusionary practices. Eight pre-service teachers and eight recent teacher graduates were interviewed to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions of the inclusion of students with ASD. Specifically, this study explored the types of preparation: (1) university education, (2) experiences with students with ASD, and (3) support from school administration and its impact on participants' self-efficacy beliefs. Results indicated that participants who had more education, training, and previous experiences of engagements with individuals with ASD showed a higher level of self-efficacy. Participants' self-efficacy was linked to hands-on experience, guidance from mentor teachers, ongoing support from teacher-aides and school administration, frequent liaison with parents and professionals, building rapport with students, and undertaking ASD-specific coursework. Extending Bandura's theoretical self-efficacy framework, this study contributes to collective self-efficacy characterised by supportive administrations, colleagues, parents, health experts (e.g. psychologists) and educational authorities. Implications for policy, teacher education programmes and ongoing professional development for teachers are presented, including recommendations on considering wider avenues to increase teacher efficacy.

This article presents the findings from interviews with thirteen parents of students with severe vision impairment who attend mainstream schools in Queensland, Australia. Participants were interviewed about their experiences in advocating for their children in a range of educational contexts. These experiences varied greatly depending on a number of factors, such as attitudes to inclusivity and ableism, perceptions of vision impairment, school culture, teacher-parent communication, and competing agendas. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the authors provide illuminating data on three broad themes: parents' experiences of advocating for their children, parents' experiences of utilising support networks and funding, and parents' suggestions for schools and teachers. Important recommendations for teachers, schools, parents, students, and service providers are offered, with specific advice to develop a community of care, collaboration, and high expectations for students with vision impairment.

Background: Many governments worldwide have established guidelines regarding children's physical activity and sedentary behaviors linked to positive health outcomes. While research has established low adherence to these guideline levels, it is unclear whether parents' knowledge, perceptions, and support around these behaviors might be barriers to adherence. Aims: This study examines parents' knowledge and agreement with guideline levels of physical activity, screen time, and sleep time, as well as their support for these behaviors. Methods: Parents of 5-12-year-old children who presented to a regional general practitioner (GP) office in New South Wales (NSW) responded to a survey regarding their child's physical activity, screen, and sleep time, as well as what they believed to be guideline levels, their perceived ideal levels, and the levels of support they provide for each of these behaviors. Results: Parents' perceived ideal levels for their child's physical activity and screen time were more ambitious than government levels and were consistent with sleep time guidelines. There were, however, few associations between parent support levels and children's actual or perceived ideal levels of these behaviors. Discussion: The findings suggest that parents' perceptions of ideal levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior may not hinder adherence to government guidelines. However, inconsistent, or ineffective support strategies can constrain adherence and thus be a viable intervention target.

This investigation examined the role of students' social-emotional need satisfaction in relation to academic engagement and social-emotional skills. Among a sample of 501 secondary school students (and their parents/carers), several need satisfaction variables were examined: perceived social-emotional autonomy, perceived social competence, perceived emotional competence, perceived relatedness with students, and perceived relatedness with teachers. The hypothesised outcomes were student-reported behavioural disaffection, and parent reports of students' homework practices, expressive skill, and perspective-taking skill. Results demonstrated that perceived social competence was associated with lower behavioural disaffection. Perceived emotional competence was associated with more positive homework practices, greater expressive skill, and greater perspective-taking skill. Perceived relatedness with teachers was associated with lower behavioural disaffection and more positive homework practices. Findings have implications for supporting students' positive adjustment in school and beyond.

Parents of dyslexic children often take on additional parental responsibilities as they seek to ensure fair and equitable access to education for their children. Often framed as advocacy, this paper explores the ways in which the term allyship may be well placed to represent the complex primary adjacent and vicarious disability experiences parents of dyslexic children have within schools. Drawing on interviews with 10 Australian parents, this study found that parents of dyslexic children felt they took on additional responsibilities to support their children within the school context and externally. This paper contributes a conceptual lens for viewing these activities as a form of allyship, rather than traditional understandings of advocacy. Findings highlight the need for greater recognition and understanding of the extensive responsibilities assumed by parents of dyslexic children and the ways in which their allyship roles within school settings can impact them.

Internationally, recent population movements due to conflict, climate change and global inequality have resulted in increased cultural and linguistic diversity in many societies. As a result, education systems are increasingly grappling with how to adapt practice to provide educational access and opportunities with increasingly diverse student cohorts. Here we present the analysis of qualitative data from interviews in a mixed-methods study that explored these processes of inclusion for refugee background youth in Australian high schools. Using a social capital and cultural wealth framework, we discuss the ways in which refugee background students access education and work towards aspirations in Australian high schools, and how the education system contributes to this process. Analysis suggests that young people and families develop cultural wealth partially in response to their refugee and resettlement experiences. Social connections are a core element of young people's resettlement process in terms of feeling valued and in terms of accessing supports and opportunities. School systems can enable positive education outcomes by working with students and families to further develop social capital networks that connect to, recognise, and promote the value of community cultural wealth.

This paper shares findings from a project that examined how schools serving marginalised communities facilitated students' substantive engagement. Through interviews with students, parents, teachers and school leaders, we determined that substantive engagement was supported by formal and informal strategies that enabled access to rich learning opportunities, the provision of welcoming school and classroom climates, and the enactment of pedagogies of care and school-wide programmes focused on substantive engagement. There were four key areas of substantive engagement: engaging curriculum and pedagogy, engaging school climate, engaging with learners, and engaging with communities. Strategies to support engagement included the removal of barriers to learning, such as assistance with breakfast or public transport, nurturing a positive school climate, providing support for ethnic groups and the delivery of alternative or flexible programmes. Drawing on the findings from five case studies, we propose four principles for substantive student engagement in complex contexts, which will be useful for school leaders and teachers who work in schools that serve marginalised communities.

School inclusion of students with disabilities relies on reasonable adjustments to curriculum and class activities. The Reasonable Adjustments for Inclusive Education (RAIE) was designed to elicit reasonable adjustments from stakeholders in mainstream school inclusion for three contrived students with varied learning needs. We evaluated a scale for rating the quality of elicited reasonable adjustments across five dimensions: Agency, Authenticity, Real Learning, Strengths Based, and Inclusion. A trial (n = 5 participants) led to refinement of the scale, which was tested for inter-rater reliability with data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention to improve the quality of reasonable adjustments. RCT participants (10 parents, 10 educators, nine allied health professionals) provided 596 reasonable adjustments, rated for each dimension by two independent raters (n = 2980 ratings). Overall agreement was 75.3%; intraclass correlation (ICC) was 0.778. ICCs were moderate-good (0.612-0.816). Further refinement and testing with multiple raters are recommended.

Background: The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has transformed the Australian funding landscape for individuals with disability and their families. This study examined whether the profiles of autistic children and their families accessing an early intervention (EI) setting have changed following its introduction. Methods: The cognition and behavioural profiles of children funded under the NDIS (n = 58) were compared to children who had received block government funding (n = 58). Parental mental health and quality of life (QoL) outcomes were compared. Results: Children presented with similar baseline cognition, functional abilities and autism behaviours at intake into EI irrespective of funding type. While parental QoL was similar across groups, parents funded by the NDIS reported significantly higher stress and depression levels. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that modifications to the NDIS framework may be necessary to extend benefits beyond the individual living with disability to foster the health and wellbeing of their primary carers.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated public health restrictions created unprecedented challenges for parents and their young dependent children. While psycho-social impacts of natural disasters on families are well studied, a typography of parent specific concerns in the COVID-19 context was yet to be articulated. Objective: Using a bioecological systems framework, we adopted a mixed-methods research design to examine parents' core concerns about the impacts of the pandemic on themselves and their children, testing for differences in concern foci of mothers compared with fathers. Method: Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 (ATPG3) study, a prospective study of children born to a 40-year population-based cohort. During enforced COVID-19 lockdown restrictions between May to September 2020, ATPG3 parents (n = 516) were surveyed about their own and their children's functioning in the context of the pandemic. Subject of qualitative content analysis, parents (n = 192) experiencing wellbeing concerns offered additional free-text responses about the nature of stress impacting themselves and their child/ren. Results: Parents reported far-reaching impacts for themselves and their children across multiple bioecological systems. Core concerns were for emotional rather than physical health, specifically, for parents this was represented by increased levels of anxiety and stress, and for children, these impacts were notable from a developmental perspective. Greater frequency of parenting related concern was expressed by mothers in comparison to fathers. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the complex and interrelated nature of multi-systemic and gendered stressors impacting parents during the pandemic, and importantly point to modifiable risk factors which may inform early risk detection efforts.

A range of structural, interpersonal and individual factors contribute to the extent to which people can access higher education and experience inclusion and equity once there. This paper considers the experiences of parents in higher education settings, and examines the extent to which universities in two countries support parents' inclusion through the facilities and services evident on their campus maps. The inclusion of such parent-related facilities and services on campus maps reflects not only a commitment to providing support infrastructure, but importantly to making them visible, promoting a culture of normalisation of parents and parenting in higher education. We used manifest content analysis to examine the campus maps of Australia's n = 37 and New Zealand's n = 8 public universities, with a total of 281 distinct physical sites identified. Childcare services, parents' rooms, baby change tables, nursing areas and parking-related services were identified, although the prevalence within and across sites varied greatly. A lack of clarity in labelling and inconsistency across different modes of maps pose barriers to access and visibility in some cases, and overall, reporting of parenting-related infrastructure was limited. Our analysis indicates that parents attending university campuses may face ongoing challenges as they navigate their dual academic and parenting responsibilities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify whether the coping strategy of active self-care, and the coping resource of employment flexibility were moderators of the relationships between parental distress and parenting practices, and parental experience and parenting practices, in parents of adolescents. Method: This research was part of a larger study conducted by the Parenting Research Centre who surveyed a representative sample of 2600 Victorian parents on their parental concerns, approaches, and experiences using computer-assisted telephone interviews. Results: Results demonstrated that employment flexibility and active self-care significantly moderated the relationship between a demanding parental experience and autonomy-supportive parent-child communication, and that active self-care moderated the relationship between the belief parenting comes naturally and negative parenting. It was concluded that both coping indicators had protective effects on parenting practices, through interacting with parental experience. Conclusions: Practical implications of this research include enhancement of parental interventions by lending evidence that both self-care and employment flexibility promote parent-child communication and protect against more aversive parenting behaviours.

Interoceptive awareness refers to the way in which we perceive and interpret our body signals. It has links to sensory processing and how we understand and respond to emotion. Current research lacks evidence as to whether gender influences interoceptive awareness in children. In occupational therapy practice, clinicians use a family-centered approach to understand both child and parent perspectives to support participation, yet there is a gap in the literature that speaks to any differences in child- and parent-reports of child interoceptive awareness. This exploratory study investigated comparisons of gender and child- and parent-reported child interoceptive awareness. Twenty-seven pairs of typically developing school-aged Australian children, and one of their parents participated in the study by completing the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness - Youth (MAIA-y). Independent-samples t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences in child interoceptive awareness between boys and girls. Comparing child-report (M = 3.837, SD = 0.509) and parent-report (M = 3.326, SD = 0.785) of child interoceptive awareness elicited one statistically significant difference on the MAIA-y "Emotional Awareness" subscale (t(52) = -2.840, p = 0.006). This exploratory study provides preliminary evidence relating to gender differences regarding interoceptive awareness in children and for using both a child- and family-centered practice approach in pediatric occupational therapy practice.

There is little research regarding autistic adult, parent and professional perspectives on support goals for young autistic children. A total of 87 autistic adults, 159 parents of autistic children, and 80 clinical professionals living in New Zealand and Australia completed a survey about the appropriateness and importance of common support goals for young autistic children. Goals related to the adult supporting the child, the reduction and replacement of harmful behaviours, and improving child quality of life were the highest priority across participant groups, while goals related to child autism characteristics, play and academic skills were the lowest priority. Compared to parents and/or professionals, autistic adults gave lower priority ratings for play skills, autism characteristics and participation goals and were more likely to rate these goal domains as inappropriate. More research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for these similarities and differences.

Definitions of adulthood for people with intellectual disability are often complicated, with milestones being markedly different for this population. This is then associated with difficulties for both the people with intellectual disability and their parents, who are closely involved in this transitional period. This paper aims to report on parents' perception and experience of adulthood for their son or daughter with an Intellectual Disability (ID). Qualitative data were collected through 30-60-minute phone interviews with eight parents of a person with an intellectual disability aged 15 or older (mean parent age = 60; mean child age = 23). Thematic analysis found that Perception of Adulthood encompassed themes of Independence and Normality. Experiences of Adulthood were categorised under Government Services, Responsibility and Social Supports. Findings of this research provide information for the growing literature around adulthood for people with intellectual disability, as well as how to amend policies and procedures for services that cater to people with intellectual disability and their parents during this transition.

Parent-teacher partnerships involve open and frequent communications. Successful partnerships are important contributors to the learning outcomes of students with diverse needs. However, parents and teachers often have limited opportunities to develop a shared understanding of the student on the autism spectrum and to have conversations about strategies to support the child's learning at home and school. This article evaluates a combined parent-teacher training program, held in Australia before the COVID-19 pandemic, that built and strengthened the parent-teacher partnership. Nine parents and nine teachers were interviewed one month after attending the training workshop. Parents and teachers reported improved communications and a strengthened partnership as an outcome of the training program through an improved understanding of the needs of the student on the autism spectrum.

Learning with technology is increasingly understood to be a social process involving unique and telling discourses. An emerging research agenda has resulted, investigating the links between 'talk' and student technological practices but is yet to include home-education. Preliminary evidence exists of a relationship between particular types of 'talk' and success with particular online activities, namely online search. This may prove especially pertinent to home-educators who report that their most prolific online activities are those reliant upon search engines like Google. This paper presents select findings from a study into online search and the associated discursive practices among early primary students and their parent-educators in Australia. Data from observations, tests and interviews with five home-educating families were analysed recursively using a system guided by Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis. Specifically, this paper seeks to investigate: which discursive practices are privileged in these sites during online search; the extent to which these practices contribute to relations of power and the extent to which these practices are found alongside effective online search. Findings revealed a prevalence of inequitable discursive practices, those that either inhibited the equal conversational power of speakers or which naturalised inequitable power relations more generally. These discursive practices were found alongside ineffective online searches. Notwithstanding, participants continued to speak positively about search engines and their educational power. This rhetoric-reality gap is theorized in the paper as the work of dominant ideologies surrounding technology in education. Findings can assist the growing number of home-educators and their students to use online search more effectively. Insights regarding links between discursive practice and search practice may also help ensure that discourse helps to maximise the educational benefits associated with online search.

Background: Fathers' mental health, parenting practices and co-parenting relationships have a powerful effect on child development. The paucity of research on the parenting strengths and support needs of fathers of children across childhood and adolescence compels the current study addressing the parenting experiences of a large sample of fathers of birth to 18-year-old children. Objective: The study aims address: (1) differences in the views of mothers and fathers regarding their parenting practices, sense of parenting efficacy, mental health and the co-parenting relationship; (2) investigation of factors affecting fathers' mental health; (3) exploration of fathers' views about the co-parenting relationship; and (4) examination of influences on fathers' parenting. Methods: The study involves secondary analysis of data collected from the first wave of the Australian "Parenting Today in Victoria" study, conducted in 2016 (N = 2600 mothers and fathers) involving 1044 fathers (40% of the sample) recruited through random dialling of landline and mobile numbers to produce a representative sample of parents of children 0-18 years. Results: Results demonstrate a positive picture of fathering at a population level -- most reported (a) high levels of parenting self-efficacy, (b) using positive parenting strategies, (c) talking to their children directly when their children experience problems, and (d) feeling supported by their parenting partner in their role as fathers. Nevertheless, important areas of need are identified. Fathers' reports of mental health challenges were associated with reduced parenting sense of efficacy and reduced opportunities for positive father-child interactions. While most fathers reported good partner support, this was often in contrast to mothers' views. Conclusions: These results from one of the largest surveys of fathers of its kind provide credible insights into the experiences and support needs of fathers, with clear implications for policy makers and service providers responsible for designing and delivering supports for fathers.

This study examined whether parent-reported atypical development in their child's first year was associated with age of diagnosis and age when parents first needed to consult a specialist about their child's development. It involved 423 children who participated in the Australian Autism Biobank. Most parents retrospectively identified [greater or equal to] 1 domain of atypical child development. Atypical development in most domains was associated with an earlier age when parents felt specialist consultation was needed. Atypical development in the "gaze abnormalities", "lack of response to social stimuli", and "no social communication" subdomains within the social domain was associated with an earlier age of diagnosis, as was atypical development in the "hypo/hypersensitivity" and "preoccupation with parts of objects" subdomains within the stereotyped/restricted behavior domain.

Background: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) parents of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) in health and early learning systems are largely understudied. Inclusive, affirming services are critical to timely identification and intervention for DDs. This literature review aimed to establish whether LGBTQ parents experience structural bias and discrimination when accessing care for their children in health and early learning systems. Methods: PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus were searched for empirical research from 1990 to 2020 on: LGBTQ; parents, children, families; bias, disparities, discrimination; and health and early learning services. Themes were analyzed by conceptual model bias levels, participant type, and setting. Results: The search yielded 1,872 unduplicated records (three through hand search). Twenty-nine articles representing 26 studies in health and early learning in eight countries met the inclusion criteria. Biases common across sectors included challenges surrounding LGBTQ status disclosures; lack of acknowledgment of non-biological parents; and heterosexist forms. Knowledge gaps and negative attitudes about LGBTQ families were found among some professionals and students. Conclusion: Some LGBTQ parents experienced bias and discrimination while accessing care for their children in health and early learning systems. Policies and programs to implement and monitor LGBTQ-inclusive health education and evaluate practice changes are recommended to improve professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Multilevel workforce development (e.g., accreditation standards, organizational audits, and training) is needed to create and sustain LGBTQ-affirming health and education environments. Honoring LGBTQ family diversity and reducing health and early learning inequities are critical for improving children's health and education outcomes.

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a "one size fits all" approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.

Limited access to screening and evaluation for autism spectrum disorder in children is a major barrier to improving outcomes for marginalized families. To identify and evaluate available digital autism spectrum disorder screening resources, we simulated web and mobile app searches by a parent concerned about their child's likelihood of autism spectrum disorder. Included digital autism spectrum disorder screening tools (a) were on Internet or mobile app; (b) were in English; (c) had a parent user inputting data; (d) assigned likelihood category to child <9 years; and (e) screened for autism spectrum disorder. Ten search terms, developed using Google Search and parent panel recommendations, were used to search web and app tools in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and Canada using Virtual Private Networks. Results were examined for attributes likely to benefit parents in marginalized communities, such as ease of searching, language versions, and reading level. The four terms most likely to identify any tools were "autism quiz," "autism screening tool," "does my child have autism," and "autism toddler." Three out of five searches contained autism spectrum disorder screening tools, as did one of 10 links or apps. Searches identified a total of 1475 websites and 919 apps, which yielded 23 unique tools. Most tools required continuous Internet access or offered only English, and many had high reading levels. In conclusion, screening tools are available, but they are not easily found. Barriers include inaccessibility to parents with limited literacy or limited English proficiency, and frequent encounters with games, advertisements, and user fees.

Male teachers are a minority in both primary teacher training courses and in primary schools around the world. Education research has identified numerous gender-related challenges faced by male primary teachers during their initial teacher training and later when teaching in schools. Despite noting that many males leave teacher training because of these challenges, researchers have spent much less time investigating strategies to assist men cope with them and persist in the profession. This paper aims to help address this gap through an investigation of the challenges pre-service male primary teachers face during their teacher training and identifying practical coping strategies. Findings revealed that the most difficult challenges faced by participants were those concerning physical contact and social isolation. Participants appeared to use a range of functional and dysfunctional coping strategies to deal with these challenges.

Migrant women encounter new environments, opportunities, human behaviors, communication manners, traditions-customs and limitations in the country they migrate to, which may be completely different from their own countries. All these new situations create the need for employment, integration, education and social reintegration. Education of migrant women, however, has a strategic importance for the reasons such as being productive, more sensitive to society, more adaptable, and taking first-degree responsibility in the care and education of children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the views of migrant women about their lives in terms of employment, adaptation, education and social reintegration. The study adopted phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The data were collected through the "Sustainable Personal Development-Lifelong Learning Form". The participants were selected using the snowball sampling method and comprised 96 immigrant women in such countries as Turkey, Australia, Greece, Switzerland, France, Germany, Netherlands, and the USA. The data covered information about the reasons for their migration such as marriage, refuge, work and education have participated in the research. The data were analyzed via the content analysis method. The results revealed that the migrant women were in need of feeling safe and free, success religion, access education for their children, and lead sustainable life as an average human.

Parents of children with hearing loss (HL) often navigate an unfamiliar and uncertain path. This qualitative study investigated the nature of parental uncertainty: (1) immediately after a child's HL was identified; (2) prior to primary school entry; and (3) during primary school. Open-ended questions in online surveys were completed by participants (N = 61) with: (a) personal experience as a parent of a child with HL (n = 35); (b) professional experience with children who have HL (n = 19); or (c) a combination of both parental and professional experience (n = 7). Six major themes were abstracted using thematic analysis, including uncertainty about: (1) the Pervasive Impact of HL, (2) the Nature and Causes of HL, (3) Developmental Impacts, (4) Family Life, (5) Family Decision-Making, and (6) Education and Support Services. The salience of these depended on the stage in time following identification.

This article describes the professional development program, Baby Playspace Learning (BPL), and evaluates its capacity to build close relationships between educators, parents, their infants and infant peers during the morning transitions in ECEC settings. Using a pre-post design, video recordings of 20 (10 pre and 10 post) morning transitions were collected across a 12-month period and analysed for developing closeness, by measuring the frequency of triangular interactions, educators' use of relational language and physical availability (sitting down, being still and holding infants in a curled position to relax). All measures of closeness increased significantly post-test, indicating that BPL created more opportunities for building closeness between all parties. BPL can enhance educator professionalism by showing educators how to engage in practices that help them to realise close relationships in a group setting. This gives parents, infants and infant peers the experience of belonging to a secure base culture where closeness is valued.

This study explored how early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals could support the development of secure attachment in children with developmental delay or disability (DD) within the context of ECI in Australia. Secure parent--child attachment is conducive to the aims of ECI to enhance the development, well-being, and participation of children with DD. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied to collect and analyze data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with three parents and 18 professionals. Seven conceptual categories were selected: (a) Importance; (b) Challenges; (c) The System; (d) The Key Worker; (e) Assessment; (f) Strategies; and (g) Outcomes. Two dominant themes were identified: the quality of the relationship between the ECI professional and the family and self-regulation. An attachment-focused ECI framework is proposed, aligned with the ecological system model.

In this paper we contribute to the emerging literature on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gender gap in research productivity. We extend previous studies by considering men and women academics from science and non-science disciplines through an analysis of data from academics at 14 universities across two countries (seven in Australia and seven in Canada) and focusing on the role of primary caregiving. Our empirical approach used logistic regressions and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique. The latter enabled us to ask: 'How much of the gender gap in perceived productivity during the pandemic is due to gender differences in primary care responsibilities?' Within the sample (N = 2,817) of academics, 33% of women and 25% of men reported that their perceived publication ability decreased a lot during the pandemic. This is an eight percentage-point gender gap in perceived publication ability. Statistical analysis revealed that two-fifths (40%) of this gap may be explained by gender differences in having primary responsibility for the care of children. Gender differences in other characteristics such as age, discipline, and increased teaching and administrative work were not, as a group, significant. There were also no differences between Australia and Canada. The findings are important, particularly for the pursuit of gender equality within academia. In the absence of specific mitigating interventions, research disruptions in 2020 may have long-lasting career scarring effects (e.g. hiring, promotion, tenure) and, as a result, see women further disadvantaged within the academy.

A deeper understanding of how teachers bridge cultural differences in teacher-student relationships provides insights into the cultural, social and emotional capabilities needed in teachers. This phenomenographic study investigated the experiences and conceptions of Anglophonic Western trained teachers who worked in non-Western institutions with the aim of understanding how teachers working in cross-cultural contexts bridge cultural differences to engage students in learning. Findings show that teacher humility and compassion were antecedents to confidence in students. Further, findings reveal a need for systems administrators and teacher educators to make investments into teachers' and pre-service teachers' cultural, social and emotional capabilities for the sake of student confidence and engagement in learning. The study further revealed that student confidence is often evidence of a teacher's cultural capability.

This study examines how parents' mental health symptoms, emotion regulation and mindfulness relate to parent-child reminiscing conversations about past emotional events. Fifty-four children aged 8-12 years and their parents were recruited from a child psychology clinic (n = 28) and local schools (n = 26). Dyad's reminiscing conversations were recorded, transcribed, and coded for elaboration style, emotion content and emotion closure. Child language ability and mental health symptoms were measured, as was parent mindfulness, emotion regulation and mental health symptoms. Mindfulness acting with awareness was a unique predictor of dyad emotion closure. Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were not directly related to elaborative reminiscing, however, moderation by clinical status revealed a negative relationship for the community children only. These findings suggest a more complex relationship at play between parent and child mental health in reminiscing within clinical populations. Implications of these findings for a growing body of reminiscing interventions are discussed.

Striking a balance between being a parent and being a student can place heavy demands on time and energy. Many students who are parents have employment obligations and financial concerns which create additional barriers to success. Despite these difficulties, institutional support for students who are parents is often limited. Common challenges include accessing adequate on-campus childcare and parenting rooms, and scheduling study around care commitments. A distinct recognition of student parents has been largely missing from the Australian student equity space. To address this gap, we captured the first-hand accounts of 578 student parents through a national survey of their motivations, challenges, and strengths. Findings are analysed within the four stages of the Critical Interventions Framework--pre-access, access, participation, and attainment/transition out. Our article recommends new avenues of intervention to foster the success of student parents.

Purpose: This article examines the educational decision-making of hearing parents for their deaf children born during a period (1970-1990s) before the introduction of new-born hearing screening in New South Wales, where the study was conducted, and prior to the now near-universal adoption of cochlear implants in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: We present findings from an oral history study in which parents were invited to recall how they planned for the education of their deaf children. Findings: We propose that these oral histories shed light on how the concept, early intervention--a child development principle that became axiomatic from about the 1960s--significantly shaped the conduct of parents of deaf children, constituting both hope and burden, and intensifying a focus on early decision-making. They also illustrate ways in which parenting was shaped by two key structural shifts, one, being the increasing enrolment of deaf children in mainstream rather than separate classrooms and the other being the transformation of deafness itself by developments in hearing assistance technology. Originality/value: The paper contributes to a sociological/historical literature of "parenting for education" that almost entirely lacks deaf perspectives and a specialist literature of parental decision-making for deaf children that is almost entirely focussed on the post cochlear implant generation. The paper is distinctive in its treatment of the concept of "early intervention" as a historical phenomenon rather than a "common sense" truth, and proposes that parents of deaf children were at the leading edge of late-20th and early-21st century parenting intensification.

Background and aims: Participatory research involves academic partners working together with the community that is affected by research to make decisions about that research. Such approaches often result in research that is more respectful of, and responsive to, community preferences -- and is vital in the context of autism research with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Whilst participatory approaches are becoming more commonplace within CALD autism research, no studies have explored the experiences of being involved in autism research from the perspectives of CALD community partners over the course of a study. This paper intended to address this gap by reporting on the experiences of CALD parents of autistic children who were community partners in a 1-year Australian research project exploring home-school partnerships for CALD parents of autistic children. We aimed to: (1) report on how parents' involvement in the research process shaped the home-school partnerships study over time and (2) understand their experiences of being community partners on the home-school partnerships project. Methods: Using key principles of participatory approaches, we established Chinese and Vietnamese parent advisory groups to contribute to a project exploring home-school partnerships for parents of autistic children from CALD backgrounds in Australia. Advisory groups included parents of autistic children from Chinese/Vietnamese backgrounds, as well as interpreters, professionals and researchers. We documented how parents' participation as community partners shaped the home-school partnerships study over the course of the project. We also elicited parents' own views and experiences of being community partners through informal, open-ended questions at the beginning and end of the study. Results: We found that parents' input fundamentally shaped the broader home-school partnership study, from meaningful, accurate translation of interview schedules through to making decisions regarding community-specific recommendations and dissemination plans. Parents themselves reported being keen to collaborate and to hear and share opinions for the purpose of the home-school partnership study -- although they noted how emotionally difficult sharing their stories could be. While they initially had some concerns about combining being involved as a community partner with their existing responsibilities, ultimately, parents were surprised by the scope of the home-school partnership study and their level of involvement as community partners. Through hearing others' stories and sharing their own in advisory group meetings, parents reported ancillary benefits of their involvement, including increased self-advocacy and well-being. Conclusions: These findings show how research that is conducted in partnership "with" diverse members of the autism community has the capacity to improve the quality of the research and benefit community partners. Implications: This study clearly documents the benefits and potential challenges of participatory approaches with CALD communities. These findings emphasise to researchers and funders the importance of including extra time and money within budgets in order to produce meaningful research that is respectful and responsive to communities.

Backgrounds and aims: Echolalia, the repetition of previous speech, is highly prevalent in Autism. Research into echolalia has historically assumed a clinical standpoint, with two opposing paradigms, behaviourism and developmentalism, offering differing support and intervention programs. These paradigms offer a multitude of clinical operationalised definitions; despite attempts, there continue to be challenges regarding how echolalia is to be defined. Stepping out of the dichotomous clinically orientated literature, we examined how parents summarise and formalise their understanding of echolalia as a communication partner. The objectives of this study were three-fold: (1) to investigate how echolalia is described and defined by parents; (2) to examine if existing clinical definitions align with those of parents; and (3) to begin to consider the implications of such findings for a collaborative approach between clinical perspectives and the parent experience. We bring to the fore the voices of parents, who have historically remained absent from echolalia literature. That is to say, we step outside of the clinical realm and listen to parents: something which has been previously unconsidered but represents a new vital addition to the echolalia literature. Methods: We employed a Grounded Theory approach to document the definitions of 133 parents. Results: We found that parents reported a multiplicity of important elements that are key to their understanding of echolalia. Conclusions and implications: Additionally, we found that clinical definitions do not resonate within the parent experience; parents experience echolalia in a different way to that of clinicians and parents can offer insight into our understanding of the phenomena. Our findings show that while some parents might align themselves with either a behavioural or developmental positionality, sometimes there is an overlap depending upon the context in which their child repeats and some parents advance interpretations that are not readily aligned with either of the traditional clinical schools of thought. We present implications for both clinicians and parents in ways that point towards a collaborative approach to support the person with echolalia.

Objects in early childhood education (ECEC) experiences have begun to receive a great deal more attention than ever before. Although much of this attention has emerged recently from new materialism, in this paper we turn to Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological concern with the (in)visibility of 'things' to illuminate the presence of objects within infant transitions. Drawing on notions of "écart" and "reversibility," we explore the relational perceptions objects are bestowed with on the lead up to, and first day of, infant transitions. Recognizing the intertwining subjectivities that perceive the object, a series of videos and interviews with teachers and parents across three ECEC sites in Australia and New Zealand provided a rich source of phenomenological insight. Our analysis reveals objects as deeply imbued anchoring links that enable relational possibilities for transitions between home and ECEC service. Visible and yet invisible to adults (parents and/or teachers) who readily engage with objects during earliest transitions, the significance of things facilitates opportunities to forge new relationships, create boundaries and facilitate connections. As such, our paper concludes that objects are far more than mediating tools, or conceptual agents; they provide an explicit route to understanding with potential to play a vital role in supporting effective early transitions when granted visibility within this important phenomenon.

This qualitative comparative case study investigates the links between parental motivations and young (aged 4-12) heritage language learners' heritage language school attendance. The study aimed to understand parental motivations, drawing on the instrumental and integrative motivation framework. The study addresses two research questions: 1) Why do parents send their children to heritage language schools? 2) How best can we explain parental motivations in heritage language school participation? An analysis of semi-structured interviews with 15 Marathi and 15 Japanese parents revealed that both groups prefer heritage language schooling for their young children. Findings indicate that rather than instrumental motivation, it is Marathi and Japanese parents' strong integrative-affective motivations that contribute to children's heritage language schooling. This research suggests that parental motivation can more effectively be explained in terms of a continuum between instrumental and integrative-affective motivation instead of a mutually exclusive binary state. The study underlines the importance of parental motivations in the case of young learners' access to heritage language schools and provides empirical evidence on parents' role in heritage language schooling.

Students from regional and remote areas remain significantly under-represented in higher education despite decades of equity policy designed to encourage participation. One explanation is that policy initiatives often overlook the realities in local rural contexts that can make higher education less desirable. Applying the theoretical lens of 'doxic' and 'habituated' aspirations, this paper analyzes interviews with 13 students, 10 parents/carers, and 4 teachers from one regional and one remote community in NSW, Australia. We document the emotional and material realities shaping young people's imagined futures in these communities, highlighting the commitment to a rural lifestyle in one, and the desire to escape the other community in decline. We argue that developing successful initiatives to address equitable participation in higher education requires a departure from hegemonic discourses of 'rurality' and greater recognition of and respect for the diverse needs and desires of regional and remote students.

Mounting evidence finds that early life environmental factors increased the probability of autism spectrum disorder. We estimated prospective associations between early life environmental factors and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children at the age of 2 years in a population-derived birth cohort, the Barwon Infant Study. Autism spectrum disorder symptoms at the age of 2 years strongly predicted autism spectrum disorder diagnosis by the age of 4 years (area under curve = 0.93; 95% CI (0.82, 1.00)). After adjusting for child's sex and age at the time of behavioural assessment, markers of socioeconomic disadvantage, such as lower household income and lone parental status; maternal health factors, including younger maternal age, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, higher gestational weight gain and prenatal maternal stress; prenatal alcohol; environmental air pollutant exposures, including particulate matter < 2.5 [mu]m at birth, child secondhand tobacco smoke exposure at 12 months, dampness/mould and home heating with oil, kerosene or diesel heaters at 2 years postnatal. Lower socioeconomic indexes for area, later birth order, higher maternal prenatal depression, and maternal smoking frequency had a dose-response relationship with autism spectrum disorder symptoms. Future studies on environmental factors and autism spectrum disorder should consider the reasons for the socioeconomic disparity and the combined impact of multiple environmental factors through common mechanistic pathways. [Written with the Barwon Infant Study Investigator Group.]

Purpose: Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), their parents, Teachers of the Deaf, and other community stakeholders were involved in co-designing a web-based resource to support students' social-emotional well-being. The resource was designed to provide families and teachers with strategies to enhance the social and emotional well-being of Grade 4-6 students who are DHH. This study reports outcomes of a pilot study of the web-based resource intervention. Method: A pre-post pilot study was conducted to quantitatively examine reported anxiety, well-being, social relationships, school experience, student-teacher relationship, and parent and teacher self-efficacy. A total of 37 students, their parents (n = 37), and their classroom teachers (n = 40) participated in the intervention program and were provided access to the resource. Results: In total, 19 students, 22 parents, and 17 teachers completed both pre-and post-survey measures. Paired t tests revealed that there was a statistically significant increase in parents' self-efficacy scores from pre- to post-test. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a significant association between parent use of the website and student-reported improved peer support and reduced school loneliness. No other statistically significant differences were found. Conclusions: The use of a web-based resource codeveloped with students who are DHH, their parents, and teachers could potentially be beneficial for the well-being of students who are DHH as well as parents' self-efficacy. Further research is needed to confirm the benefits.

Intergenerational playgroups purposively bring older people, young children and their caregivers together to engage in play and develop reciprocal relationships. Intergenerational research focuses on the benefits for participants, with much less known about how these programmes sustain. This paper discusses and explores programme sustainability through the examination of two playgroups established through Playgroup Queensland's Ageless Play programme. Through qualitative interviewing with playgroup practitioners and participants we aimed to understand how each of these playgroups had sustained beyond 3 years. The findings included the importance of mutual benefit for stakeholders, knowledge and skills of the playgroup facilitator and use of strategies to ensure ongoing interaction and engagement within the group. These findings are important for ensuring the continuation of intergenerational playgroup programmes.

The role of parental expectations in determining children's higher education participation is important in understanding both participation and potential policy responses. Using a nationally representative longitudinal survey of Australian households, providing repeat observations on expectations for individual children, this study extends the literature in several respects. First, it examines the adaptation of parental expectations over a 4-year time frame. Second, it looks at how parental expectations for school children are associated with actual higher education outcomes in the future. Third, the longitudinal aspect of the dataset permits more robust analyses of factors that shape parental expectations. The findings indicate that parental expectations of their children's attendance at university are generally stable across time. Perceptions of children's academic achievement at school are shown to be the key influence in shaping parents' expectations, and behavioural issues at school adversely affect expectations. Australian parents from non-English-speaking backgrounds were more likely to form positive expectations of university participation by their children, consistent with studies from other countries. A more nuanced picture of the formation of expectations for sole-parent mothers is also presented. Positive effects of parental education and children's enrolment in a private school on parents' expectations, over and above any effect on school achievement, highlight these socioeconomic factors as potential causal channels for the intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic outcomes.