title: Does Video Priming and Video Modelling help to reduce anxiety and increase social behaviours for adults who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability when starting paid employment?

authors: Humphrey-Rush, Amanda Margaret

subjects: autism

abstract: Employment rates for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) are much lower than the general population. Social skill difficulties and experiences with anxiety are thought to be contributing factors to this low employment rate. This study incorporated two Video-based Interventions (VBI’s), Video Priming (VP) and Video Modelling (VM), to address anxiety and social skill difficulties for 2 adults with disabilities who were starting work in a supported employment service. Both participants
were adult males, one of whom had an ASD diagnosis, and the other who had an ID diagnosis. VP was used to provide a preview of the expected events at the beginning of the first day at work, in an attempt to reduce anxiety associated with starting a new job. Anxiety levels of the participant who did receive VP were compared to those of the participant who did not receive VP. Results showed a decrease in anxiety for the participant who received the VP intervention and suggested that VP may improve experiences of anxiety for people with ID and ASD who are starting a new job. VM was implemented in this study to teach target social behaviours to participants, with an aim of increasing these behaviours. Results for each participant showed increases in many, but not all, of the target social behaviours, but these increases were not maintained over time and returned to baseline levels. Overall, this research provides support for VBI’s as an intervention to reduce challenges such as anxiety and social skill deficits for adults with ASD and ID starting work. Recommendations have been made in regard to conducting further research to continue exploring the use of VP to reduce anxiety relating to starting as this is a developing area of information, and where adjustments can be made to the VM intervention to further evaluate the effectiveness of this.

text: Does Video Priming and Video Modelling help to reduce anxiety and increase social behaviours for adults who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability when starting paid employment? Employment rates for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) are much lower than the general population. Social skill difficulties and experiences with anxiety are thought to be contributing factors to this low employment rate. This study incorporated two Video-based Interventions (VBI’s), Video Priming (VP) and Video Modelling (VM), to address anxiety and social skill difficulties for 2 adults with disabilities who were starting work in a supported employment service. Both participants
were adult males, one of whom had an ASD diagnosis, and the other who had an ID diagnosis. VP was used to provide a preview of the expected events at the beginning of the first day at work, in an attempt to reduce anxiety associated with starting a new job. Anxiety levels of the participant who did receive VP were compared to those of the participant who did not receive VP. Results showed a decrease in anxiety for the participant who received the VP intervention and suggested that VP may improve experiences of anxiety for people with ID and ASD who are starting a new job. VM was implemented in this study to teach target social behaviours to participants, with an aim of increasing these behaviours. Results for each participant showed increases in many, but not all, of the target social behaviours, but these increases were not maintained over time and returned to baseline levels. Overall, this research provides support for VBI’s as an intervention to reduce challenges such as anxiety and social skill deficits for adults with ASD and ID starting work. Recommendations have been made in regard to conducting further research to continue exploring the use of VP to reduce anxiety relating to starting as this is a developing area of information, and where adjustments can be made to the VM intervention to further evaluate the effectiveness of this.

year: 2020

title: On the Matter of Kava: From the Past to the Present to the Future

authors: Māhina, Hūfanga ‘Ōkusitino

abstract: Paradoxically, it is thought that people in Tonga specifically and the Moana Pacific generally walk forward (‘alu ki mu‘a) into the past (kuongamu‘a “age-in-the-front”) and, at the same timespace, walk backward (‘alu ki mui) into the future (kuongamui “age-in-the-back”), both taking place in the present (kuongaloto “age-in-the-middle”), where both the elusive, already-taken-place past and the illusive, yet-to-take-place future are constantly mediated in the ever-changing, conflicting present. 
Historically, it simply means that because the past (kuohili “that-which-has-come-to-pass”) has stood the test of timespace, it must be brought to the front (mu‘a) of people as guidance and because the future (kaha‘u “that-which-is-yet-to-come”) is yet to take place, it must be brought to the back (mui) of people, informed by their refined past knowledge, skills and experiences, both taking place in the present (lotolotonga “that which is the here-and-now”), where they are permanently negotiated in the social process. (Tā-Vā (Time-Space) Philosophy/Theory of Reality).
This paper makes a serious attempt to critically examine the matter of kava in its multifarious dimensions from a tavaist philosophical or theoretical perspective. In doing so, it strictly calls for the systematic adoption of a logical, total rather than an illogical, partial approach to the matter of kava, justly critiquing it in the broader context of the time-space (tā-vā), form-content (fuo-uho) and functional (‘aonga) relationships between the past, present and future. Given that the matter of kava is both physical and social in nature, it therefore requires that it be reflected upon totally and not partially, focusing on the temporal-formal, spatial-substantial and functional relationships between plant (‘akau) and body (sino), specifically those relating to their bio-chemical, molecular biological, and narcotic properties. These are then projected both actually and symbolically beyond the realm of the physical to the domain of the social, where a range of lasting social institutions of immense intellectual, cultural, political, artistic and now economic significance have been established. By broadly situating the matter of kava in the plural, cultural, collectivistic, holistic and circular context of the past, present and future, by virtue of their coexistence and continuity as intersecting or connecting and separating physical and social tendencies, it is hope that we can have a clear sense of its historical and ceaseless transformation over time and space as a human concept and practice. This includes the increasing economic appropriation and exploitation of kava by multinational pharmaceutical companies on a large scale, in view of their total established physical and social attributes in reality as in nature, mind and society, where the truly controversial issue of biological, intellectual and cultural property ownership is introduced into the existing equation, theoretically and practically problematised by a sense of globalism, commercialism and legalism.

text: On the Matter of Kava: From the Past to the Present to the Future Paradoxically, it is thought that people in Tonga specifically and the Moana Pacific generally walk forward (‘alu ki mu‘a) into the past (kuongamu‘a “age-in-the-front”) and, at the same timespace, walk backward (‘alu ki mui) into the future (kuongamui “age-in-the-back”), both taking place in the present (kuongaloto “age-in-the-middle”), where both the elusive, already-taken-place past and the illusive, yet-to-take-place future are constantly mediated in the ever-changing, conflicting present. 
Historically, it simply means that because the past (kuohili “that-which-has-come-to-pass”) has stood the test of timespace, it must be brought to the front (mu‘a) of people as guidance and because the future (kaha‘u “that-which-is-yet-to-come”) is yet to take place, it must be brought to the back (mui) of people, informed by their refined past knowledge, skills and experiences, both taking place in the present (lotolotonga “that which is the here-and-now”), where they are permanently negotiated in the social process. (Tā-Vā (Time-Space) Philosophy/Theory of Reality).
This paper makes a serious attempt to critically examine the matter of kava in its multifarious dimensions from a tavaist philosophical or theoretical perspective. In doing so, it strictly calls for the systematic adoption of a logical, total rather than an illogical, partial approach to the matter of kava, justly critiquing it in the broader context of the time-space (tā-vā), form-content (fuo-uho) and functional (‘aonga) relationships between the past, present and future. Given that the matter of kava is both physical and social in nature, it therefore requires that it be reflected upon totally and not partially, focusing on the temporal-formal, spatial-substantial and functional relationships between plant (‘akau) and body (sino), specifically those relating to their bio-chemical, molecular biological, and narcotic properties. These are then projected both actually and symbolically beyond the realm of the physical to the domain of the social, where a range of lasting social institutions of immense intellectual, cultural, political, artistic and now economic significance have been established. By broadly situating the matter of kava in the plural, cultural, collectivistic, holistic and circular context of the past, present and future, by virtue of their coexistence and continuity as intersecting or connecting and separating physical and social tendencies, it is hope that we can have a clear sense of its historical and ceaseless transformation over time and space as a human concept and practice. This includes the increasing economic appropriation and exploitation of kava by multinational pharmaceutical companies on a large scale, in view of their total established physical and social attributes in reality as in nature, mind and society, where the truly controversial issue of biological, intellectual and cultural property ownership is introduced into the existing equation, theoretically and practically problematised by a sense of globalism, commercialism and legalism.

year: 2017

title: HIV diagnoses in indigenous peoples: comparison of Australia, Canada and New Zealand

authors: Shea, Beverley

subjects: HIV

abstract: In industrial countries, a number of factors put indigenous peoples at increased risk of HIV infection. National surveillance data between 1999 and 2008 provided diagnoses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Australia), First Nations, Inuit and Métis (Canada excluding Ontario and Quebec) and Māori (New Zealand). Each country provided similar data for a non-indigenous comparison population. Direct standardisation used the 2001 Canadian Aboriginal male population for comparison of five-year diagnosis rates in 1999–2003 and 2004–2008. Using the general population as denominators, we report diagnosis ratios for presumed heterosexual transmission, men who have sex with men (MSM) and intravenous drug users (IDU). Age standardised HIV diagnosis rates in indigenous peoples in Canada in 2004–2008 (178.1 and 178.4/100 000 for men and women respectively) were higher than in Australia (48.5 and 12.9/100 000) and New Zealand (41.9 and 4.3/100 000). Higher HIV diagnosis rates related to heterosexual contact among Aboriginal peoples, especially women, in Canada confirm a widening epidemic beyond the conventional risk groups. This potential of a generalised epidemic requires urgent attention in Aboriginal communities; available evidence can inform policy and action by all stakeholders. Although less striking in Australia and New Zealand, these findings may be relevant to indigenous peoples in other countries.

text: HIV diagnoses in indigenous peoples: comparison of Australia, Canada and New Zealand In industrial countries, a number of factors put indigenous peoples at increased risk of HIV infection. National surveillance data between 1999 and 2008 provided diagnoses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Australia), First Nations, Inuit and Métis (Canada excluding Ontario and Quebec) and Māori (New Zealand). Each country provided similar data for a non-indigenous comparison population. Direct standardisation used the 2001 Canadian Aboriginal male population for comparison of five-year diagnosis rates in 1999–2003 and 2004–2008. Using the general population as denominators, we report diagnosis ratios for presumed heterosexual transmission, men who have sex with men (MSM) and intravenous drug users (IDU). Age standardised HIV diagnosis rates in indigenous peoples in Canada in 2004–2008 (178.1 and 178.4/100 000 for men and women respectively) were higher than in Australia (48.5 and 12.9/100 000) and New Zealand (41.9 and 4.3/100 000). Higher HIV diagnosis rates related to heterosexual contact among Aboriginal peoples, especially women, in Canada confirm a widening epidemic beyond the conventional risk groups. This potential of a generalised epidemic requires urgent attention in Aboriginal communities; available evidence can inform policy and action by all stakeholders. Although less striking in Australia and New Zealand, these findings may be relevant to indigenous peoples in other countries.

year: 2011