Hamilton, SharynneReibel, TracyMaslen, SarahWatkins, RochelleJacinta, FreemanPassmore, HayleyMutch, RaewynO’Donnell, MelissaBraithwaite, ValerieBower, Carol2025-03-152025-03-15researchoutputwizard:u5786633xPUB1468Scopus:85074884253WOS:WOS:000496060000001https://dspace-test.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/733717541Undertaking research with young people presents an array of methodological challenges. We report the findings from a qualitative study that took place alongside a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevalence study among detainees in Australia. Of 38 participants, 27 were Aboriginal youth. Interviews were conducted using “social yarning” and “research topic yarning,” an Indigenous research method which allows for data collection in an exploratory, culturally safe way. A complex interplay emerged between social yarning and research topic yarning which provided a space to explore responsively with participants their experiences of FASD assessments. Flexibility, including language adaptation and visual descriptions about assessments, was utilized to assist participants recall and retell their experiences. There were, however, challenges in gathering data on the assessment experiences of some participants. We describe how employing a “yarning” method for collecting data could benefit children and young people undergoing neurodevelopmental assessments in the future.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3057-8992 Hamilton Sharynne 1 Reibel Tracy 1 Maslen Sarah 2 Watkins Rochelle 1 Jacinta Freeman 1 Passmore Hayley 1 Mutch Raewyn 1 O’Donnell Melissa 1 Braithwaite Valerie 3 Bower Carol 1 1 Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2 University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 3 Australian National University College of Asia and the Pacific, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Sharynne Hamilton, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia. Email: sharynne.hamilton@telethonkids.org.au 11 2019 1049732319882910 © The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Undertaking research with young people presents an array of methodological challenges. We report the findings from a qualitative study that took place alongside a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevalence study among detainees in Australia. Of 38 participants, 27 were Aboriginal youth. Interviews were conducted using “social yarning” and “research topic yarning,” an Indigenous research method which allows for data collection in an exploratory, culturally safe way. A complex interplay emerged between social yarning and research topic yarning which provided a space to explore responsively with participants their experiences of FASD assessments. Flexibility, including language adaptation and visual descriptions about assessments, was utilized to assist participants recall and retell their experiences. There were, however, challenges in gathering data on the assessment experiences of some participants. We describe how employing a “yarning” method for collecting data could benefit children and young people undergoing neurodevelopmental assessments in the future. health adolescents youth young adults mental health and illness social services caregivers caretaking disability children culture cultural competence developmental disability disability disabled persons ethics moral perspectives users’ experiences health care prisons prisoners qualitative Yarning, Australia, Western Australia National Health and Medical Research Council https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000925 APP1072072 edited-state corrected-proof The authors thank the young people and staff at Banksia Hill Detention Centre. SLH thanks Professor Dawn Bessarab from the University of WA for expert advice on ‘yarning’. SLH is grateful for the valuable contribution from the Elder Co-researchers with the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) Project, Telethon Kids Institute for sharing their knowledge and wisdom and contribution to the interpretation of the data from this research. Author’s note Any material published or made publicly available by the authors cannot be considered as either endorsed by the Department of Justice or an expression of the policies or the views of the Department. Any errors of omission or commission are the responsibility of the researchers. Declaration of Conflicting Interests The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grant number APP1072072) and supported by the NHMRC Reducing the Effects of Antenatal Alcohol on Child Health Centre of Research Excellence (#1110341). SLH is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, the Peter and Ann Hector Award, the FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence and the Centre of Research Excellence Indigenous Health and Alcohol, University of Sydney. HMP is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Stan and Jean Perron Award for Postgraduate Excellence. ORCID iD Sharynne Hamilton https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3057-8992 Supplemental Material Supplemental Material for this article is available online at journals.sagepub.com/home/qhr . Please enter the article’s DOI, located at the top right hand corner of this article in the search bar, and click on the file folder icon to view. The authors thank the young people and staff at Banksia Hill Detention Centre. SLH thanks Professor Dawn Bessarab from the University of WA for expert advice on ?yarning?. SLH is grateful for the valuable contribution from the Elder Co-researchers with the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) Project, Telethon Kids Institute for sharing their knowledge and wisdom and contribution to the interpretation of the data from this research. The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grant number APP1072072) and supported by the NHMRC Reducing the Effects of Antenatal Alcohol on Child Health Centre of Research Excellence (#1110341). SLH is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, the Peter and Ann Hector Award, the FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence and the Centre of Research Excellence Indigenous Health and Alcohol, University of Sydney. HMP is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Stan and Jean Perron Award for Postgraduate Excellence.14EnglishPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019.adolescentscaregiverscaretakingchildrencultural competenceculturedevelopmental disabilitydisabilitydisabled personsethicshealthhealth caremental health and illnessmoral perspectivesprisonersprisonsqualitative Yarning, Australia, Western Australiasocial servicesusers’ experiencesyoung adultsyouth2020-01-0110.1177/1049732319882910http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074884253&partnerID=8YFLogxK