Background: Perceptual, cognitive and previous clinical experience may influence a novice Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) analyst's trajectory towards competency. Understanding these factors may allow trainees to be better prepared for VFSS training and may allow training to be developed to accommodate differences between trainees. Aims:…

This is the first qualitative study to investigate experiences of, and attitudes towards, autism in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. Understanding the complexity of these attitudes is crucial because they influence the recognition of autism as well as the ways in which individuals and families are supported. Twelve…

While autism spectrum disorder screening tools provide a useful resource for practitioners, the reality is they are underused. The justifications often provided include the time required for administration and the training involved. A brief tool with good psychometric properties that require minimal training is required. This study examined the…

A study in an Australian university investigated 150 pre-service teachers' responses to and participation in discourses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Interesting data surfaced around the notion of "labelling" children with ADHD. It seemed that the pre-service teachers did not believe "ADHD" to be a label.…

Prevalence statistics for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) vary widely across geographical boundaries. Some variation can be explained by diagnostic methods, case ascertainment and age at diagnosis. This study compared prevalence statistics for two distinct geographical regions, Denmark and Western Australia, both of which have had population-based…

This study examines whether self-concept scores of deaf students vary according to age at diagnosis of deafness, the degree of deafness and the number of visits students receive from a teacher of the deaf. Thirty-seven deaf students between the ages of 12 and 18 attending inclusive educational settings in Western Australia participated in the…

Background: Parent report instruments are frequently used for the identification of both "at-risk" children and to support the diagnosis of communication delay. Whilst the evidence is strong for the accuracy of parent report of vocabulary between 2 and 3 years, there are fewer studies that have considered the ability of parents to report…

This paper reviews the history of the recognition of borderline personality disorder as a clinical disorder, followed by a review of the contemporary practice of diagnosing borderline personality disorder in psychiatric settings. Many researchers have cautioned against the conflation of difficult patients with the diagnostic category of borderline…

For many years there has been debate over Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and whether this condition, which commonly afflicts adolescent children, is a medical or social condition and whether it is exclusively an American phenomenon. This article reviews the basis of ADHD's definition, diagnosis, treatment, and educational…

Background: In Australia, diagnosis and management of depression in adults with intellectual disability (ID) often occurs within the primary care setting. Few tools are available to assist general practitioners (GPs) in the diagnostic process. The study aim was to assess properties of carer and GP checklists developed to address this problem.…

Tests often are used to assist in assessing common childhood disabilities and disorders (e.g., mental retardation). Learning disabilities and difficulties (LD) constitute the plurality, even the majority, of school-related disorders in many countries. However, tests and other assessment methods to assess LD are not available universally and, among…

This paper investigates whether there is a correlation between a poor Visual Attention Span (VAS) and the child's optometric status. Convergence excess impacts most upon a male achieving a VAS-3 more than 75 per cent of the time. Fifty per cent of females with eye-teaming problems are unlikely to achieve a VAS-3 more than 25 per cent of the time.…

An Australian psychiatrist reviews the history of child abuse, especially trends in the last 20 years. Issues addressed include a lack of standards for the diagnosis of maltreatment, lack of knowledge concerning effective prevention, high rates of worker burnout and turnover, and decision making by unqualified workers. (DB)