Outcomes

77% of young people are experiencing body image distress, making them 24 times more likely to develop depression and putting them at higher risk of developing an eating disorder. However, the resources to educate young people about fuelling their bodies — without triggering shame — are severely lacking, particularly for Years 7 through 10, where the gap is greatest. This project will create two tailored programs for Year 7-10 students, and will be delivered by teachers as five interactive online…

Delivered in partnership with Raising Literacy Australia, this inaugural project is aimed at supporting and improving literacy outcomes for Aboriginal children, because while 23.8% of children in South Australia start school developmentally vulnerable, this figure rises to 42.5% for Aboriginal children – a gap that the project seeks to address in culturally meaningful ways. (Australian Early Development Census) The project will build on the successful early childhood development campaign, Words Grow Minds – a universal program that demonstrates how everyday…

Incensed in his early 20s when he finally realised just how cool science was, Todd Norton determined he would become a teacher so no other student would miss out. “It just didn’t come across how cool science was in school. And I thought I’d become a teacher to show (students) just how cool it can be,” the now Dr Norton says.  However, a teacher friend steered him away from the profession, suggesting he should “have a go at actual science”,…

Dr Ryan Balzan hopes the smartphone app he is co-designing will one day make his role as a clinical psychologist obsolete. Only half joking, he says the goal of the “Thinking About Thinking” app is to intervene early before young people develop an eating disorder. Supported by the Firefly Children’s Foundation, the app targets key risk factors including perfectionism, rigid thinking and body image concerns – traits known to increase vulnerability in adolescents. Eating disorders are among the leading causes…

A superhero belt, a hearty dose of time in nature and a bit of dirt are helping shape a new approach to improving children’s health and development. Early career researcher Dr Kylie Dankiw drew on her childhood exploring creeks and their leafy surrounds in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs. “I was really, always really passionate about the environment and fascinated in the natural world and how things worked, and our connection to nature,” she said. “All I did was explore and find…

Immersive virtual reality could open up a whole new world for people with intellectual disability, enabling them to learn practical life skills much faster without relying on caregivers, according to a new study.  Australian researchers compared the effectiveness of immersive VR headsets and non-immersive virtual environments to teach 36 adults with an intellectual disability how to separate general waste from recycling, garden, and food organics. The study, undertaken by University of South Australia and UNSW Sydney researchers, involved 12 virtual…

Australian children aged between 10 and 12 recently took part in a small, feasibility study focusing on the easily accessible video game, Minecraft. The off-the-shelf game encourages players to work together to build 3D worlds from digital blocks. Consumers with lived experience, including autistic Minecraft players and parents of autistic Minecraft players, were involved in informing the design and implementation of the program. Participants had the opportunity to play the game in both online and face-to-face settings. The low intensity…

Children reap enormous rewards from participating in organised sport or physical activities. These include physical and social benefits, and assistance building emotional control, resilience and self-esteem – while providing a healthy outlet from life’s daily pressures. Every Australian state has its version of an incentive program that focuses on getting more children participating in organised physical activities. In South Australia, the State Government’s Sports Vouchers program has disbursed more than $48 million since it launched in 2015, helping ease the…