• Cognitive bias and parental decision-making.

This presentation from Ann Porter will unpack the notion of “unbiased information” through the lens of the research that has been undertaken for patient decision-making in the medical area.

• Working with families

Suzie Robertson is the mother of 14-year-old twins, one of whom is Oliver, a profoundly Deaf child with auditory neuropathy. Suzie is a vocal advocate for Deaf education and the inclusion of people with lived experience of deafness in the lives of deaf children. She promotes bilingualism and has ensured that Oliver is proficient in both English and Auslan, the sign language of the Australian deaf community. Oliver embraces his deaf identity and considers his deafness as a strength and a source of pride. Suzie recognises that parents are the best judges of their children's needs, and that each child should be encouraged and supported in their preferred mode of learning, whether it is through sign language, spoken language, or both. She also emphasises the importance of addressing the holistic needs of the child, and adopting a social model of disability that aims to eliminate barriers and create opportunities for inclusion and participation.