Magdalena Janus' visit to CSU

We have been honoured to have A/Prof Magdalena Janus visiting Charles Sturt University this week from Canada. She has been instrumental in the development of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) used widely in Canada, Australia, USA, Sweden, Brazil, Peru, and Jordan. She is currently developing the Infant and Young Child Development (IYCD) assessment in conjunction with the World Health Organization.

Ben Phạm and Magdalena Janus discussing the Vietnamese EDI

Magdalena Janus, Sharynne and Linda Harrison

Magdalena Janus' visit to CSU

This week Magdalena Janus has been visiting CSU sponsored by RIPPLE. She has been involved in the development of the Early Development Index (EDI) that has been adapted for use throughout Australia as the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). It has been exciting to discuss possibilities for future collaboration.

L-R: Jennifer Sumsion (Director of RIPPLE), Linda Harrison (Acting SubDean Research), Sue Walker (via Skype from Queensland University of Technology), Magdalena Janus, Fran Press, Sharynne McLeod (Kate Williams not in the photo).

Australian Early Development Index workshop

Today Associate Professor Sharon Goldfeld visited Charles Sturt University in Bathurst as a guest of the Collaborative Research Network. Sharon is a paediatrician and public health physician at The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) and a Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Sharon has established a child health equity and policy research group including the Australian Early Development Index Research Program at CCCH with a focus on children with additional health and developmental needs, mental health and children with diverse language backgrounds.

Associate Professor Sharon Goldfeld (left centre) with members of the CRN

The AEDI is a community-based population measure of young children's development in their first year of school, based on questionnaires completed by kindergarten/prep teachers for each child in their class. Five key areas of early childhood development are assessed:

• physical health and wellbeing
• social competence
• emotional maturity
• language and cognitive skills (school-based)
• communication skills and general knowledge 

The AEDI website provides reports and community profiles for these five areas, based on data collected in 2009. Data from the 2012 collection will be made available in 2013. The AEDI information can be found here

(This blog was based on published information about the workshop)