Speak Out August 2019 Digital Edition

Talking Culture A health promotion resource for hearing health and early Communication Development in Young Aboriginal Children in the Northern Territory

Northern Territory

are light-hearted in design, they represent crucial primary health messages specific to the target population (e.g. nose blowing to keep ears healthy). Each message is presented through a number of small visual stories about a topic, to promote two-way sharing of ideas, strategies, expertise and personal stories. There is no written language on the front of the cards to distract from the illustrations and to ensure all participants can partake regardless of literacy abilities. There is a written message on the back of each card, with the key message the card is designed to convey. The resource is a teaching tool (not a diagnostic tool) with a focus on visual prompts and oral language to support knowledge sharing and learning. The resource is ready to be disseminated and implemented across the NT. To ensure the resource is culturally appropriate and effective, outcomes will be closely monitored and evaluated. At this time, it is proposed two urban and one remote early learning child centres across Central Australia and the Top End will be involved in this process. In response to evaluation and feedback, the resource will be modified to ensure it remains appropriate to the target audience and meets outcomes. Currently, an instruction manual is being developed on how to use the resource to ensure it is implemented as intended.

In 2008 a culturally relevant resource called Talking Culture was launched. The resource was designed to identify Aboriginal children aged 3 years and under who were at risk of hearing, speech and language difficulties; raise family and community awareness of the relationship between ear health and communication; and to empower families and carers in the provision of family orientated speech and language stimulation strategies. Community consultation and engagement enabled the resource to be developed specific to cultural and linguistic needs across geographical areas and language groups. Importantly, it also provided an environment in which communities could share their ideas and expertise with respect to their children’s hearing, speech and language development, and to express how their hearing health and communication stories were told, to ensure they were culturally meaningful to their community audiences. Australia. While the updated resource continues to target the key objectives of the original resource, a new approach to service delivery utilises specifically designed illustration cards. The new resource also extends the population reach to include young children up to 5 years of age. Although images In 2018, the Talking Culture resource was updated by Hearing Health Services Central

NT 68 members as at June 2019

The resource will soon be available to share. In the meanwhile, if you would like to use the resource please email me at tanya.wright@nt.gov.au or Rebecca Allnutt at rebecca.allnutt@nt.gov.au for further information. By Tanya Wright Tanya Wright is a speech pathologist for Hearing Health Services Central Australia and is based in Alice Springs. Tanya has worked in remote regions of the Northern Territory for the past six years.

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August 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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