MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS
MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS
This project is funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in collaboration with Aussie Deaf Kids.
Parents are faced with all kinds of decisions throughout the life of their child. As the parent of a child with a hearing loss or other disability, these decisions may be about choices that are new to you. Most families know little about deafness when their child is diagnosed with a hearing loss. Knowing you are making the right choices at the right time can often be clouded by stress or by the differing views of professionals, family and friends. The amount of information given to you can be either overwhelming or not enough. How can you make the right choices?
Every family is different, and the choices you make should reflect your family’s goals, beliefs and values. Making an informed choice is a process that helps parents decide on the care that best suits the needs of their child and family.
There is, however, always a level of uncertainty when we make any big decisions. When you hold that baby in your arms, you cannot predict what his or her needs will be in the future. You can only make decisions with the best available information you have at that time. Choices that are right when your child is young may no longer be appropriate as they grow. Your circumstances and understanding of your child’s needs might also change over time. Decision-making is an ongoing process.
Researchers have looked at ways of helping people to make logical and rational decisions in the face of uncertainty. This course aims to put the research into action and help you make informed choices.
The course consists of four sessions. Each session can be read on its own. Although the sessions are numbered from one to four, you do not have to work your way through them in that order. You can dip in and out of each session. It is up to you; choose the learning style that works best for you.
Session 1: Goal setting
We make decisions to achieve a goal or solve a problem. Thinking about the goals you have for your son or daughter is the first step in making informed choices about their future. In this session, we guide you through a simple three goal model, showing you how to think about identifying and setting these goals.
Session 2: Decision-making and bias
In this session, we look at how we make decisions in real life and some common mistakes or errors in our thinking that can influence our decision-making.
Session 3: Information gathering
Information is the cornerstone of making an informed choice. When we make informed decisions, we need to be knowledgeable about the issues which are relevant for that decision. In this session, we look at the three primary sources of information for parents and the pros and cons of each.
Session 4: Informed choice
In this session, we bring everything together and discuss the process for making informed decisions. You are an essential part of this process. Making an informed choice is about having meaningful conversations with the professionals in your team, your partner and family before coming to a decision that meets the needs of your child and family.
There is no time limit for you to do this course. Once you are registered, you can take your time and return to sections whenever you feel the need.
This project is funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in collaboration with Aussie Deaf Kids. Please help us by filling out the survey when you have completed the course. We look forward to your feedback.
Ann Porter AM
Founder and CEO of Aussie Deaf Kids
As you go into each page within a session, there are 2 main buttons that you can use to help you navigate through the course, located at the bottom of the page. The ‘Next page’ and ‘Previous page’ buttons. Please note that your progress in the course will be marked completed once you have visited a page but you are able to re-visit the information on these completed pages anytime afterwards also. Refer to the image below.
At the end of each session, there is a short ‘Knowledge Check’ quiz. Each quiz consists of 3-5 multiple choice questions and will only be on the material provided within the session it is allocated. It is not compulsory to take the Knowledge Check and you can have as many attempts as you wish. However, in order to be eligible for a course certificate at the end of the course, you are required to pass all 4 Knowledge Checks by 60% or above in each quiz. Once completed, please be sure to download and save the certificate for your professional or personal use.
For further information or troubleshooting, please contact us via email: info@aussiedeafkids.org.au
Thank you and hope you enjoy this learning experience!Course development
Flora Chan
Master of Public Health
Master of Radiation Therapy
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Ann Porter AM
Master of eHealthcare
B.Sc. (Occupational Therapy)
Funding
The course was funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme in conjunction with Aussie Deaf Kids.
Website development
Integration and development of the learning management system was undertaken by Mindwire (Pty) Ltd.
Video Production
Illustrations and video production were undertaken by Lester Quong.
Special thanks
Our special thanks to:
- Dr Donna McDonald for her assistance in editing and reviewing the course.
- Mr Stephen Pascoe for his guidance and expertise in learning management systems and course development.
- Dr Jill Duncan for her expertise in adult learning principles.
- Dr Chun Chan for his feedback and expertise in reviewing the course.
- The group of willing participants who piloted the course and provided their valuable feedback for improvement.
