A ‘girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)’ action research project is taking place on the Mornington Peninsula. Girls (11-14 and 14-17) with a diagnosis of autism are invited to participate in a specific group intervention based on resilience, self-identity, strengths and aspirations. Girls with ASD present differently to boys which often means a delayed diagnosis as they are perceived to not meet the criteria. This then tends to delay specific intervention and support leaving girls with ASD experiencing significant difficulties in a particularly challenging time of their life. This project aims to offer support to girls with ASD and minimise risk factors in adolescence and later in life. The methodology aiming to measure the effectiveness of this intervention is also presented. This presentation aims to outline the current and ongoing action research project intending to support girls with ASD social and emotional needs and raise awareness about needs of girls with ASD by presenting relevant literature to inform professional practice.

Supported playgroups are a common feature of Australian early education. Some research has demonstrated that parents/carers who attend supported playgroups report increased social support, reduced isolation and improved parental self-efficacy (PSE). However, most of this research has been qualitative and utilised small samples. This study extends the literature by using both qualitative methods and longitudinal quantitative measures to examine whether supported playgroups represent a practical intervention to provide migrant parents/carers with social resources. 35 playgroup attendees completed the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSCS). 16 parents/carers completed the measures again 15 weeks later. 9 parents/carers and 2 playgroup staff participated in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and six themes emerged: lack of connections and support, relationships, sense of community, support, parental confidence and benefits for children. The qualitative data demonstrated that most parents/carers felt more supported and less isolated due to playgroup and just over half stated that playgroup had improved their parental confidence. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests indicated that apart from tangible support which had increased after 15 weeks, there were no significant quantitative changes in support, isolation or PSE over time. The study highlights the need to consider families social resources when planning and delivering services. It encourages capacity building to enhance the abilities of playgroup operators to evaluate their own services. Participatory action research methodologies are recommended in future.

The BASE program [Baby-watching to decrease aggression and anxiety, and increase sensitivity and empathy] is now being delivered for the first time in Australia. This program involves school children observing the development of a secure attachment between a carer and their baby once a week for a year. Research conducted in Germany and Austria shows that this program has an impact on decreasing aggression and anxiety, and increasing empathy and sensitivity. This paper reviews the need for the BASE program in Australian schools and explores how brain function seems to be shifted from the limbic system's response of aggression and anxiety to the higher level neural networks of empathy and sensitivity. This paper suggests that observing a baby/carer dyad consistently, repeatedly and in a safe environment with appropriate facilitation affects the observer's brain function and neurobiology. The conclusion is that the BASE program can therefore positively impact the neurobiology of its participants allowing for increased empathy and decreased aggression and anxiety. This finding has implications for the neuroscience of attachment and the possible efficacy of secondary attachment interventions in schools.

Questions central to the concept of knowledge, including what it means to know something and how we come to know and justify it, have long been studied and debated by philosophers and educational psychologists. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the meaning of experiences of knowing from the perspective of the layperson, that is, the individual “knower”. This study reports on the experiences of knowing of six Australians over the age of 50; each participated in a semi-structured interview that explored their experiences of knowing in relation to topics such as work, environmental and social concerns, and personal interests. The interview data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) which identified themes related to how they source and justify knowledge; the factors which impact on knowing; and their personal perspectives on knowing. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed, including a consideration of how the source of knowledge and way it is presented can impact on whether or not adults attempt to assimilate or reject such knowledge.

In thinking of groups the outlook is influenced in many ways by political forces. The limitations of Better Access Services is well known when it comes to participant numbers and insufficient numbers of treatment sessions in Better Access group treatment. For this presentation I would like to widen the field of view. I would like to explore an appreciation of how members cope in the face of developmental issues that can aid the therapist in formulating interventions that are specific to the developmental stage of the group. The approach is practise – based and respects the strong empirical research supporting the role of common factors in the practise of psychotherapy.