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ERIC Number: ED459024
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2001-Oct
Pages: 62
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Whole Community Approach to Otitis Media--Reducing Its Incidence and Effects. Report.
McSwan, David
Otitis media (OM) is an inflammation of the middle ear that is prevalent in childhood. OM can result in hearing loss, which interferes with learning. In Australia, indigenous children experience OM more often than other populations. Because teachers lack knowledge of OM and its effects on learning, affected children are often mislabeled as problem children and referred to behavior management programs. Medical and health professionals have little contact with educators and are often unaware of learning difficulties. The high turnover of rural health care and education personnel exacerbates the problems. An integrated intervention program was developed to reduce the effects of OM on the learning of Aboriginal children in Queensland. Research conducted in three remote Aboriginal communities in north Queensland yielded the following recommendations: transience at both professional and community levels must be addressed by strategies to maintain awareness of those involved in interventions at the local level; resources need to be more widely available, and users of resources must be skilled in their use; an inclusive approach is urgently needed and should be facilitated by an external agent; and communication is an essential component to reinforce the inclusive approach and validate its success. An appendix describes the resource kit of books, pamphlets, newsletters, posters, and other materials to raise community awareness of OM. (Contains 22 references.) (TD)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: James Cook Univ. of North Queensland, Townsville (Australia). Rural Education, Research and Development Centre.
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A