The Government Has Provided Funding for Us to Undertake a Research Project in Partnership

DearParent

The Government has provided funding for us to undertake a Research Project in partnership with Monash University to look at how effective our Travelling Teacher Service is.

Part of our Research requires us to seek comments from Families who have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and who have received a service or visits from our Travelling Teacher Service.

We are hoping you can assist us by being part of a ”Focus Group”.The focus groups will be facilitated by Avril Brereton and Kerry Bull from Monash University.

We will be holding small focus groups of parents (about 10 families in each group) who have children with an ASD. The groups will meet at various locations for about an 1 ½ hour for a group discussion about the Mansfield travelling teacher service and your responses and experiences with it.

The information you provide us with will be confidential & anonymous, and used only as part of this research.

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated and will help us to improve and possibly expand our capacity to deliver Travelling Teacher services to more families across Rural Victoria.

We encourage you to come along and give your feedback as future planning and resources may depend on the outcome of this research.

THANKYOU

Jenny Cleeland – Director, Mansfield Autism Statewide Services

6th May 2010

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION FROM MONASH UNIVERSITY ATTACHED BELOW.

Contact details and a schedule of dates and venues are included in the letter below

MONASH UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY

Evaluation of the Mansfield Autism Statewide Services Travelling Teacher Service

conducted by:Prof Bruce Tonge, Dr Avril BreretonMs Kerry Bull

Parent Information Sheet

Mansfield Autism Statewide Services(MASS) has received funding from the Victorian Government Dept of Disability Services to evaluate the Travelling Teacher Service. Dr Avril Brereton, Prof Bruce Tonge and Ms Kerry Bull from the Monash University School of Psychology and Psychiatry will be undertaking part of this study. MASS is inviting participants who areregistered with them and are currently receiving or have in the past received travelling teacher services.

What is this research project going to do?

The project will evaluate the Travelling Teacher Service (TTS) Model that was started by Mansfield Autism Statewide Services (MASS) throughout rural Victoria more than 40 years ago. In all these years the model of service has not been formally evaluated.

The project will:

measure the impact of the TTS model on families
identify the key TTS success factors for families
compare these factors with the best practice literature
make recommendations for improving current practice

Demands/Risks: You may participate in thisresearch in a number of ways. You may choose one or all of these options.

1. Parent questionnaire package. You will be required to complete the consent form and return it to the researchers. You will then be mailed a package of research questionnaires describing your child’s development and behaviour and your own reactions to these problems for you to complete (this takes about 30 minutes). You then return the questionnaires to the researchers in the self addressed envelope provided.

2. Individual parent interview. You will be required to complete the consent form and give it to the researcher before the interview begins. You will be required to meet with research staff at your local DHS office for a 1 hour interview to discuss your involvement with the Mansfield Travelling Teacher Service and how that has been for your family.

3. Focus Group. You will be required to complete the consent form and give it to the researchers before the group discussion begins. We will be holding small focus groups of parents (about 10 families in each group) who have children with an ASD. The groups will meet at the locations outlined on the attached sheet for a 1 ½ hour group discussion about the Mansfield travelling teacher service and your responses and experiences with it.

There should be no risk of physical or enduring psychological harm from the study. If during completion of the questionnaires or participation in the interviews you become aware that you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health problems we will be able to advise you about local counselling and support services. Counselling for young people with ASDs and their families is also available through Autism Victoria or telephone 9885 0533.

We will audiotape focus group sessions for accurate documentation of the content of these discussions. These tapes will be transcribed then destroyed.

Confidentiality: You will be required to provide written consent for your participation in the study. If you choose to attend a focus groupwe will ask for your written consent for any audio taping when we first meet with you. We will safeguard the confidentiality of all files and tapes.

There will be nothing in any project reports that could identify individual children or families.

All records shall be securely stored in locked filing cabinets in the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology offices for a period of 5 years after publications arising from the project, and then destroyed. The research staff directly involved with data collection are the only people who have access to these files. You may access the file containing information collected about you by contacting Dr Avril Brereton.

Voluntary Participation: Participation in the project is voluntary. You are free to withdraw from the project at any time.

Ethical Guidelines: This project will be carried out according to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (2007) produced by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. This research project has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Monash University, Clayton.

Publication of results: The researchers will write a report for the Dept of Human Services at the end of the project. You may access this by contacting Prof Bruce Tonge or viewing it on the DHS website at: at the Autism State Plan reports page. We anticipate that this report will be available by May 2011.

Contacts:

If you wish to participate in this project please contact:

Ms Kerry Bull (03)54273852

Dr Avril Brereton (03) 99051402

Should you have any concerns about the project please do not hesitate to contact:

Prof Bruce Tonge

Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology

Monash Medical Centre

246 Clayton Rd. CLAYTON Vic. 3168

Tel: 0395941300

Complaints: Should you have any complaints, you may contact theDr Souheir Houssami

Executive Officer - Human Research Ethics on (03) 9905 2052.

Evaluation of the Mansfield Autism Statewide Services Travelling Teacher Service

PARENT FOCUS GROUPS

DATE / VENUE / TIME
Thursday 6th May / Mansfield Autism Statewide Services
81 Highett Street
Mansfield / 11.00am-12.pm
Monday 17th May / Bendigo Autism Assessment Centre
8 Wallace Avenue
Flora Hill / 1.30-3.00pm
Monday 17th May / Bendigo Autism Assessment Centre
8 Wallace Avenue
Flora Hill / 6.00-7.30pm
Tuesday 18th May / Time for a Future Centre
56 High Street
Woodend / 10.00-11.30am
Tuesday 18th May / Time for a Future Centre
56 High Street
Woodend / 7.00-8.30pm
Thursday 20th May / Hamilton Special Developmental School
Kerr Street
Hamilton / 12.30-2.00pm
Wednesday 26th May / The Rise Centre
38 Packham street
Shepparton / 11.00-12.30
Wednesday 26th May / The Rise Centre
38 Packham street
Shepparton / 6.00-7.30pm
Thursday 27th May / SCOPE Office
66 Smythes Street
Benalla / 1.30-3.00pm
Thursday 27th May / SCOPE Office
66 Smythes Street
Benalla / 6.00-7.30pm
Thursday 10th June / Seymour and District Community House
47a Anglesey Street, (enter through Heywood Cres)
Seymour / 12.30-2.00pm
Monday 21st June / St Mary’s Parish Centre
Nicholson Street (entrance off McDonalds carpark)
Bairnsdale / 7.00-8.30pm
Tuesday 22nd June / Gippsland Lakes Community Health
281 Main Road
Bairnsdale / 9.30-11.00am
Tuesday 22nd June / Department of Human Services Offices
64 Church Street
Traralgon / 1.30-3.00pm
Thursday 22nd July / Noah’s Ark & SCOPE Offices
Cnr Burke & White street
Wangaratta / 1.30 -3.00pm
Thursday 22nd July / Noah’s Ark & SCOPE Offices
Cnr Burke & White street
Wangaratta / 7.00-8.30pm
Thursday 29th July / The LEAP Centre
23 Moorefield Park Road
Wodonga / 1.30-3.00pm
Thursday 29th July / The LEAP Centre
23 Moorefield Park Road
Wodonga / 6.00-7.30pm

RSVP:

Kerry Bull (03) 54273852

Avril Brereton (03) 99051402