This pilot initiative has been established to equip communities with the necessary tools to navigate their children's neurodevelopmental health.
About the pilot
The Commission is partnering with Griffith University and investing more than $1.6 million to identify and support those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), sooner. The pilot will also demonstrate how the Tracking Cube can create a central coordinating system within communities, integrating early learning, education, child safety, and youth justice sectors with healthcare.
The two-year pilot will be implemented in Mount Isa, Townsville, and the Gold Coast.
What is the Tracking Cube?
FASD is a neurodevelopmental condition resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure, affecting people across Australia. It is estimated that over 2 per cent of Australian babies may be born with a form of FASD. Early support can improve the health, developmental and social outcomes for children with FASD.
Yet, it has been underdiagnosed because limited specialists can complete the assessment. This makes assessment and diagnosis time consuming, expensive, and difficult to access—particularly in rural, regional, and remote communities, where specialists are not readily available.
The Tracking Cube is designed to help communities monitor children’s neurodevelopmental health locally and to assist non-specialists in community organisations working across early learning, education, child safety, and youth justice settings to identify and support children living with FASD sooner.
How does it work?
The Tracking Cube model involves a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment, which is broken down into six manageable parts (or tiers).
Tier 1: Informed consent
Tier 2: History taking
Tier 3: Rapid assessment
Tier 4: Collaborative information
Tier 5: Feedback and support
Tier 6: Specialist assessment
Tiers 1-5 can be completed by community providers who can access the digital tracking system to use evidence-based tools and workflows. Providers can monitor, track and support children’s neurodevelopment within their own services.
When concerns are flagged that require specialist opinion or support, the digital system helps simplify the referral process and shares information between service providers, increasing coordination of care for children and families.
Wait times for specialist FASD clinics can be 2-3 years long. The Tracking Cube helps services work better together, cutting wait times to 6 months and enabling community-based support services to provide timely care.
Background
The Tracking Cube model has been built on 5 years of co-design with a remote First Nations community and was born from the story You Are You and I Love You, written by Dr. Marjad Page, from the Kalkadoon, Waanyi, and Ganggalidda nation groups, and a rural GP. The story is beautifully illustrated by Ms. Shirley Dawson, an artist from the Eastern Aranda nation group.
The story follows a boy and his carer on a journey, meeting animals who help him rediscover himself. Beyond the story, it highlights the importance of tracking and supporting neurodevelopment. Using the structure of a Dreamtime story, the tale conveys essential health information in a culturally meaningful way, weaving art and story into the family’s healthcare journey.
Why is this important?
FASD is a significantly underdiagnosed condition in children throughout Queensland. The health and developmental problems associated with this condition impact not only the affected individuals but their families and the wider community.
Early support is the key. Identifying and diagnosing issues early allows for timely support, which can reduce the risk of challenges developing in adolescence and adulthood, such as difficulties in schooling, justice involvement, and harmful use of alcohol and other drugs. With the Tracking Cube model, children receive the most appropriate and effective level of support as early as possible in their care journey.
Achieving balance
Achieving balance: The Queensland Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategic Plan 2022-2027 (Achieving balance) recognises the importance of prevention and awareness. Under ‘Strategic priority 1 – Prevention and early intervention’, the Queensland Government has a direct action to:
- increase risk-awareness and support options for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder across communities and within workforces.
Prevention and early intervention are important public health strategies designed to prevent alcohol and other drug (AOD) related harms. They aim to reduce the effect of risk factors and enhance protective factors.
The Expanding the Tracking Cube across sectors pilot, progresses this action.
Further information
For more information about the project and the Tracking Cube, please contact the project lead, Dr Erinn Hawkins (e.hawkins@griffith.ed.au) or visit https://yourtrack.org/.
