Our LEAP- CP: Learning through Everyday Activities with Parents study, is a unique, collaborative study with First Nations people to reach their physical and mental wellbeing goals through a culturally adpated early support program.
Launch your PhD career in making a meaningful impact with First Nations children with cerebral palsy, with a UQ PhD scholarship.
Why join this study?
The overarching aim of the LEAP-CP Study is to reduce the age of identification of infants at high chance of cerebral palsy, in order to provide earlier support for families through a 30 week peer to peer delivered program in the community. The study seeks to improve motor and cognitive development for infants with a high chance of cerebral palsy, and caregiver mental health in 86 Indigenous infants in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability (1 in 700 Australians), however, CP from post-natal causes may be five times more likely in Indigenous Australians. Indigenous children with CP are more likely to have poorer gross motor function and cognition, 50% more likely to have epilepsy, and more than twice as likely to have visual impairment.
Our research team is internationally recognised for their work on the early identification of infants at high chance of CP (Novak et. al. 2017); and other adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (Luke et. al. 2020).
We have demonstrated that early intervention targeting early active-goal directed training and responsive parenting are effective for both the infant and caregiver and are co-leading 5 current early intervention trials for infants at high chance of CP.
Our international clinical practice guideline has recommended that reliable detection of infants at risk of CP can occur from 13 weeks corrected age (Novak et. al. 2017). Families living in remote locations may not receive diagnosis or intervention until after the child’s second birthday; missing a significant window of neuroplasticity. To identify these infants earlier we have undertaken a program of training on early surveillance (QEDIN network), use of the latest accurate tools (General Movements Assessment), to implement community surveillance and adapt surveillance and interventions to be culturally safe.
The LEAP-CP program (Learning through Everyday Activities with Parents of infants with CP) has been initially tested in urban slums and rural communities in India (Dr Kath Benfer). In the past 2 years the LEAP Chief Investigators (Dr Kath Benfer, Professor Ros Boyd) have undertaken engagement with Aboriginal Researchers, Community leaders in Aboriginal Controlled health services, to commence co-design of culturally safe surveillance and delivery of the LEAP program (led by Indigenous PhD scholar Leeann Mick Ramsamy).
A culturally safe LEAP surveillance program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants has been implemented across Queensland (led by PhD Scholar Carly Luke). We are testing the efficacy of the LEAP program in a randomized control trial (RCT) of this home-based peer-delivered 'best practice' multi-domain intervention compared to a WHO health Advice program. LEAP-CP is a paradigm shift in service delivery, conducted through a culturally sensitive peer to peer model with local Indigenous community change agents. The lay health worker model has been highly effective in Indigenous, cross-cultural and hard to reach contexts, ensuring community empowerment and sustainability.
Information on available scholarships
A number of exciting PhD topics are available on the LEAP-CP study, for both indigenous and non-indigenous candidates. Some key priorities include:
- Cultural adaptation of responsive parenting and caregiver mental health support within an Acceptance Commitment Therapy approach for First Nations communities. This project would also explore how Emotional Availability and maternal mental health outcomes are meaningfully evaluated.
- Exploration of the cultural construct of parent-lead goal setting in First Nations communities for infants with cerebral palsy. It would also seek to understand how goals are understood by First Nations families, and how they can be meaningfully and collaboratively identified, how they can be shared (learning strategies), and how they can be evaluated in a culturally valid way.
- Adult-education in First Nations Communities: how to support caregivers and First Nations Health Workers to learn new content and skills (including training platforms and apps, peer support, and learning strategies).
- Delivery of the LEAP early intervention (including cultural adaptation and testing of engagement and enactment using a coaching approach),
- Effect of LEAP on child outcomes of motor/ cognitive learning,
Potential candidates will have a strong interest in research in any of the following areas:
- A working knowledge of early detection (including the General Movements Assessment, Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) and early disability/ childhood interventions (including goal-directed training, active motor learning, the Abecdarian approach, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), responsive parenting programs) would be of benefit to someone working on this project.
- The applicant will demonstrate academic achievement in the field(s) of allied health (physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology), medicine, nursing, public health, early childhood education, psychology or social science (Indigenous cultural studies) with the potential for scholastic success. A background or knowledge of child health, cerebral palsy/ disability, Indigenous culture, behavioural parenting interventions, telehealth, cultural adaptations of evidence-based programs is highly desirable.
Both Indigenous and non-indigenous student’s are very welcome to apply. The University of Queensland offers a culturally safe and supportive program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with Indigenous co-supervisors, Cultural mentors and specific Indigenous PhD scholarships ($40k per annum over 4 years).
Supervisory team:
Dr Kath Benfer (UQ), Prof. Roslyn Boyd (UQ), Dr Koa Whittingham, PhD, (UQ);Prof Yvette Roe, PhD, Professor in Indigenous Health, Charles Darwin University; Prof Iona Novak, (USydney);Dr Margot Bosanquet, (Townsville Hospital and Health Service); Prof Gulam Khandaker, PhD, Public Health Unit, Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service; A/Prof Tracy Comans, PhD, PT, Health Economist, (UQ) Prof Robert S Ware, PhD, Griffith University.
This study is registered at ANZCTR Number: ACTRN12619000969167p.
This work is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council-European Union Collaborative Research Grant (APP1194128); Cerebral Palsy Alliance Project Grants (PG14017 and PG05318); Children’s Hospital Foundation Project Grant (50276_2018); Perpetual Impact Grant (IPAP2020/0808); Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre Seed Funding (2020); NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (KB), NHMRC Fellowship (RB, NHMRC115038); NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (Australasian Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials Network NHMRC1116442).
This study is approved through the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/20/QCHQ/63906), The Far North Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/2019/QCH/50533), The Townsville Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QTHS/56008), The University of Queensland Human Ethics Research Committee (2020000185). It has also been approved at the Apunipima Cape York Health Council Research Governance Committee, Gidgee Healing Research Review Group, Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Senior Management Team, and the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Leadership Advisory Council.