JCPSLP Vol 22 No 1 2020

All home languages were asked about, as each child was typically multilingual, learning English, a Kriol variety and some traditional language at home, from different relatives. From these individual child word lists, commonalities emerged, and within the scope of 100–150 items, 112 words and 8 hand signs that spanned a range of development from about 8–36 months of age in a typically developing local child, were selected. In 2018, the list – now dubbed ERLI (early remote language inventory) – was trialled with parents of 35 children aged 0–3 years. All parents and children were local contacts of the two Katherine-based researchers, Jaidine Fejo (a local Aboriginal woman, early childhood educator and qualified Kriol interpreter) and Eugenie Collyer (a linguist resident in Katherine), working with Caroline Jones (a linguist in Sydney). In this work Jaidine’s insights as a parent and a language expert were critical in identifying missing words or more local variants for each item. Eugenie Collyer provided crucial knowledge in Kriol spelling. As more words from Aboriginal English emerged, the list was split into a column for English (including Aboriginal ways of using English), a separate column for Kriol, and a space to record the item if it was known in another language. The child is given credit for each item whatever language(s) they know the item in. In 2019 as this initial local norming finished, authorisation was sought and obtained for the ERLI checklist to be recognised as an authorised adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (short form). ERLI is a strengths-based assessment tool, which respects the parent as the expert on their child aged 0–3 years, and which facilitates a two-way conversation between parent and health or education professionals about child speech and language development. The ERLI checklist provides raw scores to measure typical expressive and receptive development in vocabulary and hand signs from just under 12 months through to about 3 years of age, at which age children’s scores (if they have age- appropriate language development) typically approach the test ceiling. Work to date found children produce around 60 items on the checklist and are starting to combine words at two years, so that from about two years of age, ERLI has considerable potential to help identify children with speech or language difficulties. See Jones et al. (2020) for a detailed description on the development of this resource. The research around ERLI is ongoing with an intercultural, interdisciplinary team which now includes SLPs to validate the ERLI as a viable screening tool for children aged 0–3 who are referred to speech pathology services. A copy of the ERLI Checklist is available from https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/babylab/research/ infant_vocabulary_checklist/take_the_erli_checklist_for_ aboriginal_families. Ŋ uthanmaram Djamarrkul- iny’ Märrma’kurr Romgurr: Growing up Children in Two Worlds Yol ŋ u are Aboriginal people of North East Arnhem Land in the NT who have strong culture and languages (over 20 languages and dialects) and their own ways of raising Yol ŋ u children. Growing up Children in Two Worlds (Lowell et al., 2019) is a collaborative research project about Yol ŋ u priorities and knowledge related to early childhood. The project has been conducted by a team of Yol ŋ u and other researchers using culturally responsive methods and guided

an image of an infected middle ear. After a discussion which involved clarifying the purpose of the picture – to help others understand that this is not a healthy ear – it was agreed that the picture was appropriate for the task. The community member then requested the creation of another image that showed the link between an unhealthy ear and runny nose, to further help community members understand middle ear infection. This image was developed and has been one of the most used picture cards to date. Although the resource was designed as a tool to help SLPs and other health providers engage families around effective health strategies, the iterative process of creating and designing the resource with community members was as important as the product. Too often resources are developed with little community input and amended later. Talking Culture was purpose built for task, and as there is ongoing opportunity for feedback and changes, the collaborative process is intrinsic to the final resource. The resulting product is a series of contextually appropriate health promotion illustration cards and activities designed to be used in a yarning style of group conversation. Activities can be presented bilingually, typically in English by non-Aboriginal service providers and in home language(s) by family/community members and local service providers (e.g., Aboriginal health practitioners) to aid understanding, communication and participation. Families are encouraged to share their ideas and expertise with respect to children’s hearing, speech and language development, to ensure cultural knowledge and practices are acknowledged and respected and health stories are told in a way that is meaningful to the individuals involved. The effectiveness of these resources, as well as outcomes, will be evaluated by the Health Promotion Team from Hearing Health Services in collaboration with service providers, families and community members. In response to feedback, the resource will continue to be modified and improved upon, to ensure ongoing relevancy and appropriateness for Aboriginal children and their families. The Early Remote Language Inventory (ERLI) Researchers who have asked Aboriginal caregivers about their perspectives on early communication development have found Aboriginal families to be keen observers and active participants in supporting their children to communicate (Jones & Meakins, 2013). Handsigns are taught to, and used with, preverbal children, and first words are encouraged with local varieties of “babytalk”, defined here as systematic phonological and lexical modifications which can be found in English-contact language varieties as well as in traditional languages. High value is placed on adults using “babytalk” to children as a simpler phonological/lexical target for children as well as a highly affectionate speech style. In recognition of these practices, in 2014 a team of Aboriginal researchers who were mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and language workers, as well as a non- Indigenous linguist, started to design an adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (Fenson et al., 2007) in the Katherine region of the NT (see Jones et al., 2020). The team began by asking 33 Aboriginal parents and grandparents about the words and handsigns that their children aged 0–3 were using, and by asking open-ended questions about the children’s communication in different everyday contexts and domains (e.g., feeding, bathing, seeing relatives, etc.).

Louise Taylor, (top) and Jessica Hodson

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JCPSLP Volume 22, Number 1 2020

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology