Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

The purpose of this research is to generate knowledge that will improve the health, development and quality of life of Aboriginal children (0-5 yrs) who have developmental delays/disabilities. Aboriginal children represent the fastest growing segment of the population and experience significant health inequities. Early intervention therapy programs provided by occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists (PTs) and speech language pathologists (SLPs) have been shown to be highly beneficial for young children in the wider Canadian population. Aboriginal perspectives are largely absent in EIT research and literature, and Aboriginal early childhood care and development (ECCD) leaders have called for programs to be culturally safe and informed by Aboriginal and community knowledge and perspectives. Provincial government, Aboriginal ECCD and EIT stakeholders are questioning (a) why EIT programs are consistently severely under-utilized by Aboriginal families, and (b) how services can be more culturally safe, and responsive towards the strengths and needs of this population. This exploratory, qualitative study will be inclusive of CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People. In-depth interviews, participant observations and document analyses will be used to generate knowledge from multiple perspectives to inform (a) EIT practices and policies that are more culturally safe and responsive to the strengths and needs of Aboriginal children and families, and (b) recommendations for policy and decision-makers. Knowledge translation will be integrated throughout the research process in partnership with all stakeholders.