Australian indigenous children with low cognitive ability: Family and cultural participation

Abstract

Family and cultural inclusion are essential for the healthy development of young Australian Indigenous peoples with low cognitive ability. To date, this issue has received limited research attention. A secondary analysis of data collected in Wave 4 of Footprints in Time, Australia's Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, was conducted to help address this research gap. The study results indicated that in some areas, Indigenous children with low cognitive ability are at a higher risk of social exclusion than their peers. We discuss the policy implications of these findings with regards to addressing Indigenous disadvantage. IntroductionIn Western societyThere is considerable evidence to suggest that , children with low cognitive ability, along with children and young people with a disability in general, are at increased risk of often exclusionded from participating in family events, significant cultural practices, political engagement and education and community-based activities (UNICEF, 2007; World Health Organization and UNICEF, 2012; World Health Organization and World Bank, 2011). This is potentially a of major concern for Indigenous children, as research shows that engagement and participation in Indigenous culture and kinship systems play an integral role to the healthy development of children (Kelly, Dudgeon, Gee, & Glaskin, 2009;Lohoar, Butera, & Kennedy, 2014;Maher, 1999; Wise, 2013).The World Health Organization (WHO) (Alderete, 1999) has identified how European colonisation and colonialism have had a drastic effect on the health and welfare of millions of Indigenous peoples around the world. European colonisation attempted to destroy Indigenous cultural identity through Euro-centric assimilationist policies and practices (Hollinsworth, 2013). These Page 3 of 30 assaults on Indigenous cultural heritage and family/community solidarity are considered root causes of Indigenous communities around the world reporting higher rates of ill-health, disease and disability than their non-Indigenous counterparts

Inclusion, acceptance, shame and isolation: Attitudes to autism in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia

“…Everybody has a place in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities because relationships of mutual care are prioritised, enacted within the framework of kinship obligations (Ariotti, 1999). This inclusivity has been noted by other scholars (Gilroy & Emerson, 2016; O’Neill et al, 2004). Avery (2018), for example, has described a widespread Aboriginal ‘culture of inclusion’ in relation to people with disabilities.…”

“…Gilroy and Emerson (2016) have reported that Indigenous children with low cognitive ability may be at a higher risk of social exclusion than their peers. This finding is concerning because research has suggested that cultural experiences play an integral role in positive health and wellbeing outcomes for Australian Indigenous peoples (MacLean et al, 2017).…”

“…In general, the sociocultural factors shaping experiences of impairment and disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been under-researched (Gilroy & Emerson, 2016). Discrepancies between Aboriginal and Western biomedical conceptualisations of disability appear to contribute to low rates of participation in disability services (Ravindran et al, 2017).…”

Policy Mobilities of Exclusion: Implications of Australian Disability Pension Retraction for Indigenous Australians

“…In the meantime, other fields of social provisioning that have become increasingly important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing have received little critical attention (Soldatic, 2017). Yet, outside a few studies focusing on local models of Indigenous–disability care and support (Gilroy and Emerson, 2016; Gilroy et al ., 2016), there is almost no research examining changing disability income regimes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As the data suggests, fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are the beneficiaries of disability income regimes.…”

Emplacing Indigeneity and rurality in neoliberal disability welfare reform: The lived experience of Aboriginal people with disabilities in the West Kimberley, Australia

“…Similarly, we consider it a serious omission of the research documenting disability pension restructuring in Australia to not address its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly given that population data suggest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience the highest rate of disability of all groups, including people residing in rural and remote landscapes (see Productivity Commission, 2011). High rates of disability are only likely to compound the structural position of absolute poverty for Indigenous Australians (see Gilroy and Emerson, 2016;Soldatic and Sykes, 2017) and strongly suggest the importance of disability supports and services for Indigenous Australians living with disability. This also raises questions about how Indigenous Australians will fare under Australia's new individualised support scheme (the National Disability Insurance Scheme), which has so far fallen short in terms of Indigenous participation (Gilroy, 2016).…”