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Yarning Together: Developing a culturally secure rehabilitation approach for Aboriginal Australians after brain injury

Yarning Together (completed in 2019) was a project that worked with Aboriginal Australians with an acquired communication disorder (ACD) following brain injury, from stroke and traumatic brain injury. The project extended our team’s innovative Wangi (talking) study and looked at further developing our culturally secure model of speech pathology treatment that incorporates diagnostic assessment with a piloted culturally sensitive assessment tool. The treatment protocol included sessions conducted by a Speech Pathologist and an Aboriginal co-worker and integrated a ‘yarning’ framework.  We also looked at testing the feasibility of delivering the protocol via telehealth.

The research

The aims of the project were to:

  • Develop an understanding of the perceptions of rehabilitation services that Aboriginal Australians with an acquired brain injury currently have.
  • Test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally tailored model of rehabilitation delivered via one of two modes: face-to-face or using telehealth technology.

Incorporation of in-depth interviews with Aboriginal brain injury survivors, their family members, and the study based Aboriginal co-workers directly investigated values and knowledges regarding our model.  This has informed future development of the approach and its clinical translation and has shed light on Aboriginal brain injury survivors’ journeys towards recovery.

Funding body

The Lowitja Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC (Lowitja Institute CRC)

Team

Associate Professor Natalie Ciccone
Professor Beth Armstrong
Dr Mick Adams
Professor Dawn Bessarab, University of Western Australia
Associate Professor Deborah Hersh
Ms Meaghan McAllister
Associate Professor Erin Godecke
Professor Juli Coffin, Notre Dame University

For further information about the project, please click here.

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