Researchers from The University of Queensland are offering parents practical ways to help their kids learn the skills of life.
Fiona Graham, from UQ’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said children sometimes struggled to learn the basic skills and routines essential to managing everyday life, such as getting ready for school or learning to play with peers.
“Being successful at leisure tasks is also important for children’s healthy development but milestones such as learning to ride a bike do not just happen for some children,” Ms Graham said.
“Parents do their best to support their children to learn new skills, but knowing what to do it not always easy.”
Ms Graham said a Parent Coaching study was planned for 2008, investigating an intervention in which parents learned how to recognise their children’s specific learning needs and what to do to help their children build on current skills.
“Parents will very much be ‘partners’ with the therapist in this intervention of discovery and learning,” she said.
“The focus of the study will be on parents with children aged between five and 12 years, who have concerns about their children’s skills in at least one area, but who may or may not have a known disability.”
The study is free and will be run by UQ’s Occupational Therapy Division at St Lucia over eight weeks.
Parents interested in taking part can contact Fiona Graham on 3346 7469 or email f.graham@uq.edu.au.
Media inquiries: Fiona Graham (3346 7469).
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