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Autism has been associated with increased mortality risk among adult populations, but little is known about the mortality risk among children and young people (0-24 years). We used a 15-year nationwide birth cohort study using linked health and non-health administrative data to estimate the mortality risk among Autistic children and young people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Time-to-event analysis was used to determine the association between autism and mortality, controlling for sex, age, ethnicity, deprivation and rurality of residence. The participant population included 895,707 children of whom 11,919 (1.4%) were identified as Autistic. Autism was associated with a significantly higher mortality risk (hazard ratio = 2.35; 95% confidence interval = 1.80-3.06) compared to the general population. In addition, using stratified analyses, we found that this risk was significantly higher among females (hazard ratio = 5.40; 95% confidence interval = 3.42-8.52) compared to males (hazard ratio = 1.82; 95% confidence int

In Aotearoa New Zealand, technology education is a means for teachers to introduce students to future-focused contexts and innovative approaches to learning. When viewed from this lens, there are opportunities for pedagogical practice to be responsive to student interests by developing creative and critical thinking in a variety of technological areas (e.g., Digital Technologies, Design & Visual Communication, Materials and Processing). Recent media coverage in Aotearoa New Zealand promoted the need for increased attention on innovation in New Zealand schools and implied that for such a focus, there were natural associations being made with the use of digital tools for teaching and learning - rather than technology education. The COVID-19 climate has seen an observable change in learning, which has further highlighted that all teachers should have the necessary knowledge and skills to enact curriculum policy - in a range of different ways. The technology education curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand has an increasing focus on the role of digital technologies and this article reports findings from research, which explored how secondary technology teachers' curriculum practice was impacted by lockdowns during the global pandemic. Semi-structured online interviews and teachers' resources offered insight into three significant stages of transition - before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns, which had implications for their teaching and learning.

This invited article comprises three parts that document the history of distance and flexible learning in New Zealand and the professional association DEANZ/FLANZ (Distance Education Association of New Zealand, later known as the Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand), which serves this community. The first part was originally published in the "DEANZ Magazine" in July 2015 as "DEANZ: A Brief History". The second part was originally published in the "FLANZ Magazine" in July 2016 as "DEANZ Foundation". The third, newly written, part brings the history of DEANZ/FLANZ up to date, and is published for the first time here. FLANZ (formerly DEANZ) is a professional association. The "Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning" is the Association's flagship journal.

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.

Calls for enhancing the digital interface for teaching and learning within tertiary institutions have played out in one School of Education, with variable results. Online learning tasks were added in 2018 to regular classes to provide more flexibility for student engagement. A team of lecturers developed a questionnaire for students to be completed after the first semester pilot. Data and findings indicated that one-third of students identified online learning as an enhancement to their learning. A second survey was conducted one year later to assess changes made and analyse the longer-term impacts. During the COVID-19 lockdown, fully online pedagogy was required; anecdotal observation indicated an improvement in satisfaction and engagement, but perhaps only because online was the only way possible to complete assessments. The conclusion contains recommendations and a cautionary tale, when introducing online learning across existing courses.

The series of responses in this article were gathered as part of an online mini conference held in September 2021 that sought to explore different ideas and articulations of school autonomy reform across the world (Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the USA, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand). It centred upon an important question: what needs to happen for school autonomy to be mobilised to create more equitable public schools and systems of education? There was consensus across the group that school autonomy reform creates further inequities at school and system levels when driven by the logics of marketisation, competition, economic efficiency and public accountability. Against the backdrop of these themes, the conference generated discussion and debate where provocations and points of agreement and disagreement about issues of social justice and the mobilisation of school autonomy reform were raised. As an important output of this discussion, we asked participants to write a short response to the guiding conference question. The following are these responses which range from philosophical considerations, systems and governance perspectives, national particularities and teacher and principal perspectives.

How well classmates communicate support with each other may significantly influence how well they learn and their commitment to learning. This study asked students which aspects of supportive communication they use with each other and which aspects they regard as most important for successful study. One hundred polytechnic students participated in this study. They rated how frequently they experienced and how influential they considered 18 aspects of supportive communication between classmates for study success. The students regarded many aspects of supportive communication influential but few aspects were present in most instances. They experienced and valued able and motivated supporters, and supportive relationships with classmates the most. Students in similar years of study experienced and valued similar aspects of supportive communication. Training a whole class in supportive communication may develop positive shared values among the students and a climate that encourages mutual support. Courses that provide ongoing activities and opportunities for students to develop their skills in communicating support may produce more successful students.

In order to compensate for a demise in New Zealand's pre-service teacher training, particularly in health and physical education (HPE), a work-integrated learning (WIL) course was added to a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise curriculum. This exploratory research provides insights into the outcomes of twenty-nine final year undergraduate PE students' involvement in teaching, coaching and management of school sports events and activities. The impact of initiatives resulted in enhanced participation, opportunities and engagement in physical education and sport activity for a range of children. Themes emerged from content analysis of student perceptions of individual's learning outcomes. WIL opportunities enabled students to build self-efficacy and career capability despite the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. Findings indicated that from the students' perspectives, school-based initiatives enriched career capability, whilst also requiring adaptability, flexibility and resilience. The WIL experience enabled development of transferable skills and attributes in preparation for pre-service teacher training.

This study is a conceptual replication of a widely cited study by Moffitt et al. (2011) which found that attention and behavior problems in childhood (a composite of impulsive hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive-aggressive behaviors labeled "self-control") predicted adult financial status, health, and criminal activity. Using data from longitudinal cohort studies in the United States (n = 1,168) and the United Kingdom (n = 16,506), we largely reproduced their pattern of findings that attention and behavior problems measured across the course of childhood predicted a range of adult outcomes including educational attainment ([beta][subscript U.S.] = -0.22, [beta][subscript U.K.] = -0.13) and spending time in jail (OR[subscript U.S.] = 1.74, OR[subscript U.K.] = 1.48). We found that associations with outcomes in education, work, and finances diminished in the presence of additional covariates for children's home environment and achievement but associations for other outcomes were more robust. We also found that attention and behavior problems across distinct periods of childhood were associated with adult outcomes. Specific attention and behavior problems showed some differences in predicting outcomes in the U.S. cohort, with attention problems predicting lower educational attainment and hyperactivity/impulsivity predicting ever spending time in jail. Together with the findings from Moffitt et al., our study makes clear that childhood attention and behavior problems are associated with a range of outcomes in adulthood for cohorts born in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s across three countries.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire--Elementary Version with families in Belize. Participants were 185 primary caregivers of children in primary education settings in Belize. Caregivers were given the Family Involvement Questionnaire--Elementary Version to measure their educational involvement in their children's schooling. Findings indicated the factor structure of the Family Involvement Questionnaire--Elementary Version in Belize was not congruent with the factor structures with samples from the United States and New Zealand. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a five-factor solution: (a) home-school communication, (b) home expectations and monitoring, (c) educational support, (d) school and community involvement, and (e) school attendance. In light of similar measurement studies in the literature, these data indicate that family educational involvement varies across geographic and cultural contexts. This suggests that interventions and policies to improve education outcomes via family involvement ought to consider the unique structure of families' involvement in the educational system. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED605729.]

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are recognised as significantly immunocompromised. Yet their voices regarding their lived experiences of pandemic lockdowns have not been sought or heard. Aim: This study aims to describe the lived experiences of people with Down syndrome during the pandemic lockdowns in Aotearoa New Zealand to add evidence in order to inform systemic advocacy. Method: A mixed-methods approach positioned within an inclusive research paradigm was used, in which a group of self-advocates with Down syndrome co-designed a structured interview schedule and conducted 40 face-to-face interviews. Key themes were identified by using content analysis. Results: Despite the difficulties associated with lockdowns and participants not receiving their usual supports and having to make significant adjustments, they remained positive, adapted well, and demonstrated a high level of resilience and adaptability. Conclusions: The findings add to the limited research on the lived experiences of people with Down syndrome during pandemic lockdowns. This research has given them a voice to contribute to policy, government initiatives, and service providers; particularly on issues around support during lockdown and staying connected with others.

One impact of the global pandemic of 2020 was a rapid shift in the delivery of work-integrated learning (WIL) to remote activity among WIL practitioners, students and educators alike. Along with professional practice research in higher degrees, WIL practice, including placements and non-placements, responded actively and sometimes reactively to the challenges of sudden transition to online environments. What strategies - pivots and pirouettes - did WIL practitioners use to weather the storm of Covid-19? What does this tell us about the nature of WIL? This paper captures the seemingly overnight response to shifting work-based learning to online and other spaces. With change came the opportunity to reflect on the varying areas of WIL: from the practical processes of ensuring students are cared for to pivoting to the learning opportunities it presented in building digital literacies and adapting to the global future of work. This study is a Trans-Tasman collaboration of four WIL practitioners exploring their responsiveness to disruption in WIL contexts. We present collective autoethnographic responses to such themes as disruption, becoming resilient, pivoting to change, changing perceptions of WIL and the legacies of the pandemic. These themes apply to learners and educators alike, and our words embody the experiences of both groups. Our responses to phenomena highlighted this need for resilience and agility. Methodologically, the researchers' micro-narrative responses to key themes structure themselves into a macro-narrative that demonstrates the lived experiences of the researchers as educators in the WIL space and explores implications for ongoing and future practice.

At a time of transition into adulthood, tertiary study places additional stresses on the mental wellbeing of students. The continual assessment, long teaching hours, and expectation of professionalism that is expected from students within clinical programmes places even more burden on these students. Then in 2020, with the COVID-19 lockdown, there were significant changes to how these programs were delivered. We surveyed the mental wellbeing of our undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Optometry and Bachelor of Pharmacy programmes at the University of Auckland in 2019 and 2020. Using validated screening questionnaires, we found a high level of anxiety and depression in both years, however, in 2020 following the lockdown, anxiety levels in our students decreased. We found that the leading stressor was academic stress, and levels of anxiety were inversely correlated with perceived academic success. Therefore, we believe the lockdown, which provided both a break from clinical stresses and a change in teaching modality to online delivery, provided a period of relief, despite the potential stressful environment regarding COVID-19. To help alleviate the high level of distress in our students, lessons could be learned to decrease the stress levels in our students by continuing with alternative teaching and assessment styles.

Early childhood education and care (ECE) type (e.g., center-based care, home-based care, informal care) and quantity (i.e., time spent in ECE) have been linked to observed behavioral challenges in children. However, there is a dearth of research on this association in New Zealand. Using data from 6,536 children from the "Growing Up in New Zealand" longitudinal birth cohort, the current study investigated whether the type of ECE and weekly hours of attendance at 24 months of age was associated with behavioral outcomes at 54 months. Behavioral outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Research Findings: Compared to children who did not attend ECE, adjusted analyses showed that children in center-based care and children who spent 20 to <30 hours a week in ECE had a lower odds of mother-rated peer challenges at 54 months. Spending 20 to <30 hours a week in ECE was also protective against the development of later mother-rated emotional challenges. Practice or Policy: Future research should investigate whether structural and process quality contributes to the beneficial impact of ECE in New Zealand, particularly center-based care.

Young people in physical isolation because of significant illness experience disconnection from social and educational contexts. A ground-breaking intervention in New Zealand aimed to foster social inclusion for young people who are hospital-or-home-bound due to cancer treatment. A formative assessment of five young people aged 13-18, their parents, and their teachers was undertaken to determine the efficacy of telepresence technology to connect young persons to a chosen educational environment. Results indicate that the use of this technology enabled young people to experience being there in familiar educational environments and provided early evidence of the effectiveness of this intervention in helping to disrupt isolation, increase connectedness, and lift participants' moods. This paper highlights the implications for teachers, social workers, and counsellors.

A key role of universities is the credentialing of student learning by awarding degrees and diplomas. This requires universities to have confidence in the integrity of their assessment processes and in turn, external stakeholders to have the same confidence. This study investigates the following research question: 'Has COVID-19 had an impact on the assessment and invigilation of accounting courses in Australia and New Zealand and, if so, how?' This is a critical issue for accounting faculty in many countries as COVID-19 has forced a shift in the way assessments are administered -- from face to face to online. The study involved a survey of accounting faculty in Australia and New Zealand and found changes occurred to how students were assessed because of COVID-19 and a variety of institutional responses to this. The paper makes recommendations for accounting educators, universities, and the professional accounting bodies.

At a time when universities internationally participate in continual processes of restructuring, repositioning and reprioritising, calls for 'voluntary' redundancy among teaching and learning staff become frequent events. Australian and New Zealand academics, whose stories inform this study, have, particularly, been made subject to severance, voluntary or otherwise, at a time when the modernised university has become the managed, neoliberalised university and, over time, the 'ruined' or 'toxic' university. This study is a narrative enquiry aiming to capture, re-present and examine the stories of mid- and late-career higher education teaching professionals during this unsettling period of disturbance and flux. In the light of studies on 'voluntary' redundancy and scholarship critiquing the mechanisms of power and repression of the corporatised university, this researcher asked 12 mid-career academics why they really took redundancy packages with a view to exposing the experienced truth behind the official institutional story that academic professionals 'chose' voluntary redundancy packages.

The premise of this brief opinion piece is that the fundamental paradigm of education appeared with Plato. It is that there is a co-location in time and space of learners, teachers, and resources. The absence of any of these elements can lead to shortcomings in the meaning of the term "to be educated". Recent events such as COVID-19 demonstrate that the paradigm is subject to challenge but that its premises are firmly established. It is recognised that there are complex philosophical and theoretical arguments surrounding distance education debates. It is not possible in a short article like this to canvass all the possible philosophical positions that affect education. Pointers to these debates are referenced in the article. For the purpose of this article, "philosophy" is taken to mean that department of knowledge or study that deals with ultimate reality, or with the general causes and principles of things. More narrowly, it is the study of general principles of some particular branch of knowledge, experience, or activity--in this case, distance education or flexible learning. "Theory" is taken to mean a scheme or system of ideas or statements held as an explanation or account of a group of facts or phenomena.

Universities globally have continued to strategically increase work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for students to enhance graduate employability. However, meeting the needs of the increasing number of placements in industry settings places challenges on employers and academic programme coordinators. This paper examines an innovative teaching and learning initiative demonstrating non-placement WIL practice on-campus and online through an exercise prescription clinic (EPC). The benefits provided by these opportunities have not only been for student learning, but for clients, in particular those impacted by neurological and/or muscular skeletal problems. The development of the on-campus EPC has focused on key elements of good practice in WIL highlighted by Agnew, Pill and Orrell (2017). The recent Covid-19 pandemic and the related government restrictions have resulted in the on-campus EPC being flipped online, requiring adaptability and flexibility of both students and clients. This paper reinforces the importance of developing WIL experiences that enhance the learning outcomes for both the student and the client. It also highlights the transferability of authentic industry non-placement WIL clinical experiences for future health professionals to both on-campus and online settings, which enable students the opportunity to engage with a range of clients in a safe environment, enhancing both personal and professional learning outcomes.

This research is based on the T-shaped professional model (Gardner, 2017), which advocates developing a breadth of knowledge and skills, and exhibiting boundary-spanning competencies such as teamwork, communication, organizational perspective and networks. This paper describes a thematic content analysis of 271 students' reflections about their main tasks during their sport management and coaching work-integrated learning (WIL) placements. The findings highlight a breadth and depth of WIL activity, which reinforces the notion of developing T-shaped professionals (Gardner, 2017), who are characterized by their deep disciplinary knowledge in at least one area (e.g., event management), and their ability to function as 'adaptive innovators' across boundaries between disciplines (e.g., various business activities). In developing students as 'reflective practitioners', a key finding is the importance of the WIL learning process that facilitates reflective work-based experiences. It provides an ideal environment for encouraging the individual student to develop self-efficacy, analytical, systems and critical thinking skills, and a problem-solving mind-set/approach.

This article reports of a study of workplace supervision and student experiences and outcomes through insights from semi-structured interviews with 21 graduates who had previously supervised work placement students. The study focused on questions framed from the perspective of the interviewees' work placement experiences as a student and then as a supervisor (e.g., impact, motivation, insights for future students/supervisors, and graduate attributes). The findings from this study indicate importance of workplace supervisors setting expectations and engaging in initial planning and organizing for effective management of the work placement. Findings also suggest that the supervising can usefully take the form of mentoring, and that this provides the supervisor with professional development in self-management, effective communication and leadership. Implications for future WIL practice include utilizing workplace supervisors, particularly those who are themselves WIL graduates, to help further enhance student WIL experiences, learning outcomes, and legacies.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has attracted considerable attention as an instrument for enhancing professional practice and developing work-readiness in graduates. It is widely considered as a point of difference in developing graduate employability by enhancing skill outcomes through an authentic learning experience. This paper focuses on student insights of the added value of WIL and their development of personal and professional graduate attributes. Thematic content analysis was undertaken of students' reflections (n=271) of their perceived learning outcomes and overall experiences from their sport management and coaching WIL experiences at Massey University, New Zealand. The findings show that enjoyment, achievement and reinforcing career decisions added value to the student's experiences. Gratitude for the support and mentoring of workplace and academic supervisors was also evident. Development of personal attributes involving self-management, enterprise, and effective communication were important learning outcomes. Professional development of a community of practice and leadership responsibilities were also highlighted.

The diagnostic experiences of autistic adults in New Zealand have not been investigated and little is known globally about autistic adults' satisfaction with the autism diagnostic process. This study describes the diagnostic experiences of 70 autistic adults living in New Zealand and explores how these experiences are related to satisfaction during three stages of the diagnostic process. The results show that autistic adults were reasonably satisfied with the early query and diagnostic assessment stages, but were dissatisfied with the post-diagnostic support stage, with significant unmet needs. Dissatisfaction during the post-diagnostic support stage was also related to satisfaction during previous stages and poor coordination of supports. Suggestions are made on how to improve the autism diagnostic pathway for autistic adults in New Zealand.

This review aims to address the major sources of stress experienced by international students, the role of individual differences, the chronology of their stress levels and wellbeing over time, and gaps in the existing literature. Two electronic databases (PubMed and Psych Info) were searched for English peer-reviewed articles using eight search terms. Thirty-eight studies were included in this paper and divided into themes and sub-themes including sources of stress, individual differences and mental health including stress, depression and wellbeing. The findings highlight major stressors and show mixed results in some areas due to the lack of homogenous samples based on country of origin or ethnicity and sometimes context differences concerning the country or university social dynamics. Limitations were identified in the methodology, and several recommendations for future research are included.

Recent studies of autism diagnosis in New Zealand have revealed inconsistent implementation of best practice standards in autism assessment and high rates of parental dissatisfaction with the diagnostic process. These findings have arisen despite the development and dissemination of the New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (the Guideline). In this study, we investigated current diagnostic processes, and adherence to the Guideline in New Zealand, for an opportunity sample of 117 health professionals who practice across a wide range of diagnostic services, health professionals and geographic regions in New Zealand. The results show considerable variability in practice, and suggest specific areas for improvement. These include the robustness of diagnostic evaluations conducted in private settings, the provision of specialist assessment services for youth and adults presenting for autism diagnosis, and the uniformity of post-diagnostic supports and services. These findings have implications for further implementation of the Guideline in New Zealand.