Role Description:

The activities in which children engage, the inherent qualities of these activities and the people with whom they participate when undertaking these activities all influence children’s developmental trajectories. This research group addresses issues around healthful occupational engagement, physical activity, and psychosocial wellbeing for children, their families and community.  Its members are concerned with mechanisms for optimizing child-occupation-environment fit and operate in a multidisciplinary team to achieve these goals.

Group leader:
 
Team Members:
Academic Staff Members:

Dr Laura Desha
Dr Anne Poulsen 

RHD Candidates:
Ms Yolanda Fernandez
Ms Rachel Feeney
Mrs Rachel Brough
 
Collaborations:
  • Professor Doune Macdonald, UQ Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
  • Associate Professor Geoff Marks, UQ, Public Health
  • Professor Jan Nicholson, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne
  • Dr Gary Leong, Mater Children Hospital , Brisbane
  • Dr David Wadley, Geographical Sciences, Planning and Architecture, UQ
  • Professor Anita Bundy, Sydney University
  • Associate Professor Monica Cuskelly, School of Education UQ
  • Dr Karina Pont, Southern Cross University
  • Dr Mong Lin Yu, Monash University
Projects and activities: 
  • Children with developmental difficulties: positive engagement in leisure activities and implications for physical and psychosocial wellbeing
  • Evaluating the impact of enhanced physical activity on children’s learning behaviour.
  • Children’s time use and their psychosocial well being. Interrogation of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).
  • Examining play participation in the context of everyday activities for children.
  • Examining the impact of speech and language difficulties on young children’s participation and well being.
  • Examining the role of environment and family in children’s non motorised community travel