Table 2.

Intervention studies

First Author (year)	Disability/ impairment	Design	Aims	Level of Evidence	TREND Scores	Population	Geographic Setting	Intervention type	Methods	Indigenous involvement	Recruitment	Control group	Language	Content/components	Duration	Evaluation	Key Findings	Conclusions/recommendations	Category
Ryan, B. (2006)	Hearing	Experiment; intervention	To investigate Indigenous Australian children's attitudes of peers wearing hearing aids	VI	13	60 Indigenous Australian children aged 5–12 years (mean age 9)	3 urban schools in Alice Springs	learning- based desensitization program	Experiment (photographs of Aboriginal people with and without hearing aids, attitudes surveyed, 20 min. educational intervention on benefits of hearing aids)	Community Consult	No info	Reverse ordered	English and Tiwi	discussion-based intervention was designed to encourage the participants to reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards people who wear hearing aids; demonstrations; An audio example; scenarios	10 minutes	Survey	Children had negative attitudes towards others with hearing aids; intervention had significant effect on attitudes	Children had more negative attitude towards peers with hearing aids; intervention had significant effect on attitudes; Potential for negative attitudes towards peers w/hearing aids to be changed via learning-based discussion aimed at reducing negative attitudes.	A
Strange, A. (2008)	Hearing	Experimental; intervention	Identify the negative stigmas attached to hearing aids, increase awareness of attitudes	VI	13	62 Indigenous adolescents boarding at high schools Alice Springs aged 12–18 (mean age 14)	Alice Springs	learning- based desensitization program	Experiment (photographs of Aboriginal people with and without hearing aids, attitudes surveyed, 20 min. educational intervention on benefits of hearing aids)	Community Consult	No info	Reverse ordered	English and Tiwi	discussion-based intervention was designed to encourage the participants to reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards people who wear hearing aids; demonstrations; An audio example; scenarios	20-30 minutes	Survey	greater visibility of the hearing aid, is associated with more negative attitudes by adolescents; intervention demonstrated some reduced stigma	Stigma and negative attitudes contribute to the low use of hearing aids in children; Need to develop appropriate strategies to decrease stigma and increase the use of amplification; appropriate attitude changing techniques interventions needed	A
Yonovitz, L. (2000)	Hearing	Intervention	Demonstrate link between hearing loss and low English literacy	VI	10.75	1,032 Indigenous students 4–22 years old representing 106 rural and remote communities	NT (Darwin and Alice Springs)	phonological awareness	Teacher in-service sessions; pre/post PA- EFL criterion- referenced, diagnostic tests	Not reported	No info	None	English	1)two-day workshops for each school for teachers and assistant; 2)provision of amplification systems and hearing aids; 3) ear, hearing, phonological awareness assessment; 4) reading, spelling assessment; (over 1 school year)	12 months	ear, hearing, phonological awareness, reading, and spelling assessments	Teacher training, hearing support services, screening, and phonological awareness intervention documented strong improvements in literacy and contributed to understanding relationship between ear disease and low literacy.	This intervention represents a feasible, adaptive program that can be used in combination with existing ESL curricula and should not cause interference with already published phonics programs.	S, I
Massie, R. (2004)	Hearing	Intervention	Identify effects of sound-field amplification on communication in classrooms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children	VI	11	64 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from 4 classrooms in two rural QLD schools	Rural QLD communities	amplification trial	Classroom observation; teacher questionnaire; assessments, modified Environmental Communication Profile, Screening Identification for Targeting Educational Risk rating scale	None reported	No info	None	English	amplification on/off conditions changed fortnightly	8 weeks	Teacher survey, sensory assessments	Sound-field amplification intervention encouraged the children to interact with teachers and peers in a proactive way.	No clear or enforceable standards for classroom acoustics in Australia exist; amplification may provide rapid, cost effective part of solution to improving the classroom listening environment.	S, I

Queensland (QLD); Category: (R-recognition/awareness; A-Access; S-Solutions; I-Intervention; Q-Sequelae/outcomes); Level of Evidence: I Evidence from a systematic review, meta-analysis of all relevant randomized control trials (RCT) (Strongest); II Evidence from at least one well-designed RCT; III Evidence from well-designed controlled trials without randomization; IV Evidence from well-designed case–control and cohort studies; V Evidence from systematic reviews of descriptive and qualitative studies; VI Evidence from single descriptive or qualitative study; VII Evidence from the opinion of authorities or expert committee reports (Weakest).