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New Otitis Media CD-ROM by Education Department of Western Australia
Otitis media, a middle-ear infection which affects nearly every
child in Western Australia at some time, is being targeted in a
technology-driven information and intervention campaign by the Education
Department. Otitis media could lead to impaired hearing which could
affect a child's language development and result in problems at
school. Research had shown that up to 30 per cent of children in
Australian classrooms had impaired hearing. It was common for up
to 80 per cent of Aboriginal students to be experiencing otitis
media at any given time.
Launching a new tool to assist in identification and prevention
of otitis media, Education Minister, Mr Colin Barnett said a reduction
in impaired hearing associated with the disease would dramatically
improve educational outcomes for individual children. The otitis
media CD-rom, Do You Hear What I Hear, is part of an important strategy
to help schools, parents, caregivers, health workers, speech pathologists,
audiologists and other community members to identify and treat children
with otitis media as early as possible,
This CD-rom has been developed by the Education Department of Western
Australia, health care professionals and Aboriginal community members.
The CD-rom reflects the enthusiasm and expertise of people who are
world leaders in the field of conductive hearing loss. Medical and
education authorities, including the World Health Organization,
have previewed Do You Hear What I Hear and expressed great interest
in the project. They have also commended the Education Department
for its vision and leadership in responding to the needs of children
worldwide.
The CD-rom will allow anybody to learn what they want to know about
otitis media at an appropriate level and at their own pace. It consists
of three parts - the 'OM and me' section specifically for students,
the helpers' section for parents, caregivers, teachers and health
workers, and the resources section discussing teaching ideas, screening
tests and other reference publications. 'It will be provided free
to all State Government primary schools and early childhood education
centres.' Mr Barnett said the Education Department would work closely
with Professor Fiona Stanley from the TVW Telethon Institute for
Child Health, the Health Department of Western Australia, the Aboriginal
Medical Service and the WA Institute for Deaf Education to provide
a better co-ordinated service to all children.
The new CD-rom would be supported by an otitis media website currently
under development and would be available to the general community
for purchase after October 1998.
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