A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
We are researchers who coach parents to communicate with children with disabilities. Here are five strategies families can use to help children with autism spectrum disorder build their communication skills, along with examples of how to use them. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children nationwide. 1. Motivate the child to communicate Create opportunities [...]
Schools in NSW are facing "unprecedented pressure" due to soaring disability rates, with the number of students with autism increasing by almost 15 per cent per year and those with mental health needs growing by more than five per cent. Yet there are fewer staff trained to support them as the number of special education [...]
Almost half of the poorer mental health we see in teenagers with a disability is due to bullying, our new research shows. If we could stop the high levels of bullying that adolescents with a disability experience, we could make a big difference to their health, learning and wellbeing. So school anti-bullying programs need to [...]
This is a longer read at just over 1,300 words. Enjoy! A new school year can be daunting for any parent, prompting many questions: will my child settle in, make friends and progress academically? If your child has a disability these worries can seem too big to overcome. In Australia, teachers often feel unprepared to [...]
They call themselves the King Stones after their home suburb in Logan — Kingston. Get it? Like all teenagers, they love listening to music. But these teens from Logan, south of Brisbane, face a whole lot more than just the usual adolescent angst. Aged from 17 to 19, the members of the King Stones all [...]
On July 1, 2016, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) moved from a trial phase to a full national roll-out. In this series on Understanding the NDIS, we explore how the scheme works, why Australia needs it, and the issues to be addressed before eligible Australians, such as many Indigenous people with disability, can receive [...]
Myra Hamilton, UNSW The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) began a full national rollout in July 2016 with a fundamental objective to give those with a disability choice and control over their daily lives. Participants can use funds to purchase services that reflect their lifestyle and aspirations. Two years on, how is the scheme faring? [...]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with severe disability face many barriers to fully accessing the support offered by the NDIS. This group of people has already experienced long-standing isolation and are particularly vulnerable to being left behind, again. The prevalence of disability among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is twice that experienced by [...]
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is required by law to provide “reasonable and necessary supports” to help eligible people with a disability live more independently. Determining what supports are reasonable and necessary involves subjective assessments by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which administers the scheme, or its contractors. This makes for a tricky process. The [...]
Almost half of the poorer mental health we see in teenagers with a disability is due to bullying, our new research shows. If we could stop the high levels of bullying that adolescents with a disability experience, we could make a big difference to their health, learning and wellbeing. So school anti-bullying programs need to [...]
