title: The Impact of Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury on the Transition to School

authors: Hannah, Jessica Shirley

subjects: childhood TBI

abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of pervasive and long lasting disability and injury. The outcomes of TBI in young children can be particularly detrimental, due to the impact on both current functioning and the ability to acquire new skills. Preschool children are at heightened risk of sustaining TBI. The impact of TBI can cause difficulties across a many domains including: cognitive and intellectual ability; academic achievement; executive function (EF); adaptive and behavioural functioning; and social competence. Deficits in any of these areas can place a child at increased risk of difficulties across their transition to formal schooling, which can subsequently lead to problems in later school performance. The first aim of this study was to examine the impact of TBI on cognitive and behavioural functioning in preschool children, at 12 and 24 months post-TBI. A second aim was to compare functional outcomes for children 24 months post-TBI, compared to a control group. 
	A population-based sample of 15 children, who sustained TBI at the age of 4 years old, were followed up over 24 months post-injury. The vast proportion of these children had sustained mild TBI. Parent ratings of behaviour, along with child performance measures of cognitive functioning were explored at 12 and 24 months post-TBI. The children with TBI were then compared to a community recruited, age-matched group of children (n = 15) at 24 months post-TBI. Parent and teacher reports of behavioural and adaptive functioning, EF, and social competence were examined, along with the children’s self-report of behavioural functioning. Child performance measures of cognitive, intellectual and academic performance were also compared across the two groups.
	The results showed that both behavioural and adaptive difficulties decreased from 12 to 24 months after TBI, with internalising problems showing the greatest decline. Cognitive functioning remained stable and within the average range over this time. Comparisons between the TBI and Control group at 24 months post-TBI found comparable mean scores across nearly all measures and domains. The TBI group obtained lower scores (marginally significant) on measures of estimated IQ compared to the control group. While not statistically significant, a high proportion of the TBI group had elevated scores for externalising behaviours, peer problems and overall social difficulties. This highlights the need to screen for behavioural and social difficulties, with early intervention where necessary, to reduce the risk of difficulties during the school transition. Further longitudinal research on early TBI is recommended to explore these areas further.

text: The Impact of Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury on the Transition to School Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of pervasive and long lasting disability and injury. The outcomes of TBI in young children can be particularly detrimental, due to the impact on both current functioning and the ability to acquire new skills. Preschool children are at heightened risk of sustaining TBI. The impact of TBI can cause difficulties across a many domains including: cognitive and intellectual ability; academic achievement; executive function (EF); adaptive and behavioural functioning; and social competence. Deficits in any of these areas can place a child at increased risk of difficulties across their transition to formal schooling, which can subsequently lead to problems in later school performance. The first aim of this study was to examine the impact of TBI on cognitive and behavioural functioning in preschool children, at 12 and 24 months post-TBI. A second aim was to compare functional outcomes for children 24 months post-TBI, compared to a control group. 
	A population-based sample of 15 children, who sustained TBI at the age of 4 years old, were followed up over 24 months post-injury. The vast proportion of these children had sustained mild TBI. Parent ratings of behaviour, along with child performance measures of cognitive functioning were explored at 12 and 24 months post-TBI. The children with TBI were then compared to a community recruited, age-matched group of children (n = 15) at 24 months post-TBI. Parent and teacher reports of behavioural and adaptive functioning, EF, and social competence were examined, along with the children’s self-report of behavioural functioning. Child performance measures of cognitive, intellectual and academic performance were also compared across the two groups.
	The results showed that both behavioural and adaptive difficulties decreased from 12 to 24 months after TBI, with internalising problems showing the greatest decline. Cognitive functioning remained stable and within the average range over this time. Comparisons between the TBI and Control group at 24 months post-TBI found comparable mean scores across nearly all measures and domains. The TBI group obtained lower scores (marginally significant) on measures of estimated IQ compared to the control group. While not statistically significant, a high proportion of the TBI group had elevated scores for externalising behaviours, peer problems and overall social difficulties. This highlights the need to screen for behavioural and social difficulties, with early intervention where necessary, to reduce the risk of difficulties during the school transition. Further longitudinal research on early TBI is recommended to explore these areas further.

year: 2014

title: Agricultural intensification: Whither indigenous biodiversity?

authors: Lee, William G.

subjects: agricultural sustainability

abstract: A new wave of agricultural intensification in New Zealand is causing increasing pressure on natural resources. Moller et al. (2008) suggest that the agricultural intensification is inevitable, that negative environmental impacts have only been demonstrated for aquatic systems, and that a new paradigm based on integrating indigenous biodiversity and agriculture offers the best way forward. We question all these assertions. Recent agricultural intensification is increasingly driven by international economic opportunities for agricorporates to maximise returns. Intensification over the last two decades is causing loss of habitat for indigenous species and homogenisation of landscapes at scales unprecedented since deforestation by colonial farmers. Regional and district councils appear ill prepared for a formative role requiring sustainable land and resource use, while current patterns of local consumption and offshore resource subsidisation for agribusinesses are probably unsustainable. Irrespective of the drivers of agricultural intensification, residual indigenous biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in New Zealand is on an extinction pathway. The challenge for agro-industry is to demonstrate that it can, in the absence of regulation, use natural resources and at the same time facilitate persistence of indigenous biodiversity components at scales that contribute to national biodiversity goals.

text: Agricultural intensification: Whither indigenous biodiversity? A new wave of agricultural intensification in New Zealand is causing increasing pressure on natural resources. Moller et al. (2008) suggest that the agricultural intensification is inevitable, that negative environmental impacts have only been demonstrated for aquatic systems, and that a new paradigm based on integrating indigenous biodiversity and agriculture offers the best way forward. We question all these assertions. Recent agricultural intensification is increasingly driven by international economic opportunities for agricorporates to maximise returns. Intensification over the last two decades is causing loss of habitat for indigenous species and homogenisation of landscapes at scales unprecedented since deforestation by colonial farmers. Regional and district councils appear ill prepared for a formative role requiring sustainable land and resource use, while current patterns of local consumption and offshore resource subsidisation for agribusinesses are probably unsustainable. Irrespective of the drivers of agricultural intensification, residual indigenous biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in New Zealand is on an extinction pathway. The challenge for agro-industry is to demonstrate that it can, in the absence of regulation, use natural resources and at the same time facilitate persistence of indigenous biodiversity components at scales that contribute to national biodiversity goals.

year: 2008

title: Patricia Grace's Tu: Reading the novel of indigenous insight

authors: Mahuika, Joel Rupert

subjects: Patricia

abstract: This thesis centres on Patricia Grace’s novel Tu, which is a fictional story based on historical facts, namely 1940s New Zealand and Italy, the 28th Māori Battalion and World War Two. The title of the thesis research is Patricia Grace’s Tu: Reading the novel for indigenous insight. Therefore, the major research question is what are the indigenous insights portrayed in Patricia Grace’s novel Tu?
Analysis of Grace’s Tu seeks to flesh out indigenous insights of, for example, the novel’s characters, a sense of place like land and identity, inner conflict in the form of psychological and emotional issues, trauma and many other aspects that portray Māori (the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand) perspectives.

Grace’s novel Tu was produced with, among other resources, the aid of a memoir manuscript written by a 28th Māori Battalion captain, called Aku Korero. Together with Grace’s most recent and biographical book Ned and Katina: A True Love Story, are the two primary sources. Ned and Katina: A True Love Story is the journal account of a 28th Māori Battalion soldier’s experience on the island of Crete during World War Two.

Selected renowned Native American authors of fiction and non-fiction will have their stories compared with Grace’s novel to check for similarities or differences of aboriginal nations’ perspectives with those of Māori. One aspect of this thesis is to research what impacts indigenous insight may have on Māori and autochthonous American peoples’ identities and culture in countries colonised by hegemonic European settlers.

Major themes conveyed in Grace’s Tu and Ned and Katina: A True Love Story will include whānau (family) and whenua (land). Their importance to indigenous insight will be revealed in this thesis.

An interview with author, Patricia Grace, will determine what Māori perceptions she portrayed in her fictional novel. A conclusion will be formed based on evidence the data shows about indigenous insight in Grace’s Tu.

text: Patricia Grace's Tu: Reading the novel of indigenous insight This thesis centres on Patricia Grace’s novel Tu, which is a fictional story based on historical facts, namely 1940s New Zealand and Italy, the 28th Māori Battalion and World War Two. The title of the thesis research is Patricia Grace’s Tu: Reading the novel for indigenous insight. Therefore, the major research question is what are the indigenous insights portrayed in Patricia Grace’s novel Tu?
Analysis of Grace’s Tu seeks to flesh out indigenous insights of, for example, the novel’s characters, a sense of place like land and identity, inner conflict in the form of psychological and emotional issues, trauma and many other aspects that portray Māori (the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand) perspectives.

Grace’s novel Tu was produced with, among other resources, the aid of a memoir manuscript written by a 28th Māori Battalion captain, called Aku Korero. Together with Grace’s most recent and biographical book Ned and Katina: A True Love Story, are the two primary sources. Ned and Katina: A True Love Story is the journal account of a 28th Māori Battalion soldier’s experience on the island of Crete during World War Two.

Selected renowned Native American authors of fiction and non-fiction will have their stories compared with Grace’s novel to check for similarities or differences of aboriginal nations’ perspectives with those of Māori. One aspect of this thesis is to research what impacts indigenous insight may have on Māori and autochthonous American peoples’ identities and culture in countries colonised by hegemonic European settlers.

Major themes conveyed in Grace’s Tu and Ned and Katina: A True Love Story will include whānau (family) and whenua (land). Their importance to indigenous insight will be revealed in this thesis.

An interview with author, Patricia Grace, will determine what Māori perceptions she portrayed in her fictional novel. A conclusion will be formed based on evidence the data shows about indigenous insight in Grace’s Tu.

year: 2015