Uptake of the culturally appropriate ASQ‐TRAK developmental screening tool in the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander context

Anita D'Aprano (Corresponding Author), Isabel Brookes, Linda Browne , Claire Bartlett

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Abstract

Recently in Australia, access to culturally safe developmental practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families has been enhanced by the availability of a culturally appropriate developmental screening tool, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire -Talking about Raising Aboriginal Kids (ASQ-TRAK). This paper aims: (i) To describe the uptake of the ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and mainstream services in Australia and (ii) to explore the extent to which organisations using the ASQ-TRAK have engaged training for staff. Methods: A retrospective review of ASQ-TRAK sales and training records from January 2015 to May 2020 to determine the ASQ-TRAK distribution by jurisdiction and service type and the number of services that have engaged training. Results: 500 ASQ-TRAK kits have been distributed across 77 agencies. Of those, 100 kits (20%) have been purchased by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. Most have been distributed in the Northern Territory (178, 36%), Western Australia (165, 33%) and South Australia (64, 13%). Of the 15 ASQ-TRAK training workshops, nine have been in the NT. Of the 196 practitioners trained, 25 were identified as facilitators for their organisation. Conclusion: Despite substantive research translation across Australia, with evidence of its acceptability in different contexts, most Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations have not yet accessed the ASQ-TRAK and most organisations have not participated in training. There is an imperative to progress knowledge translation to improve quality and accessibility of culturally appropriate developmental care. Adequately resourced ASQ-TRAK implementation support is needed to ensure sustainable implementation at scale.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)54-61
Number of pages8
JournalChild: Care, Health and Development
Volume49
Issue number1
Early online date19 Mar 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

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