Research Projects

Scope is active in disability research. Our aim is to better the lives of the people we support. Find out more about our current and past research projects.

Current research

Recently completed research

Measuring child outcomes in disability services

Outcomes for children and young people using disability services: A survey for carers The aim of this research was to adapt an outcomes survey that was originally designed for adults so that it can be used by carers of children/ young people with disability. It is a survey that was… Read More

Evaluation of Decision-Making Support Training for Disability Support Workers

The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate an online training course about decision-making support for direct support workers. Specifically, the research explored whether training had an impact on support workers’ knowledge and attitudes about decision-making support, and the opportunities that they provided to people with cognitive disability… Read More

The Scope Outcomes Project

Measuring outcomes associated with disability services is becoming increasingly important in the disability sector, especially in light of the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). While there is an increased emphasis on outcomes, there is a lack of surveys relating to this area that are appropriate for use in the disability… Read More

Identifying Pain

Pain in people with intellectual disability and limited communication is often not recognised and, in turn, left untreated. The aim of the Keeping Pain in Check project was to determine if a checklist, the Non-Communicating Adult Pain Checklist, helped disability support workers to identify pain in people with intellectual disability… Read More

Decision-making support: Building Capacity within Victoria

The aim of the Supported Decision Making Project was to build knowledge on how people with cognitive impairment can be supported to make major life decisions, such as post-school options and accommodation. The research, conducted by La Trobe University, explored the processes and dilemmas associated with supporting people with cognitive disability in decision making. The… Read More

The 1 in 4 Poll

The 1 in 4 Poll is a national survey on the issues of importance to people with a disability and their families, undertaken in partnership with Deakin University. Separate polls were conducted on the topics of social inclusion and negative attitudes from others experienced by people with disability. The poll… Read More

Effective Communication in Behaviour Support

This research was designed to build enduring foundations to help Victorians with behaviours of concern (subject to restrictive interventions) communicate effectively. The Effective Communication in Behaviour Support project aimed to: Develop a resource kit to support assessment and intervention in relation to communication and behaviours of concern Increase the capacity of speech… Read More

Collaboration in the Development of Behavioural Social Stories

This research examined the effectiveness of behavioural social stories to reduce behaviours of concern and restrictive practices. Social stories are commonly used to describe and explain social situations or concepts to individuals in a supportive, clear and easily understood manner. The project examined the extent to which behaviour support plans… Read More

Listening to Those Rarely Heard

The aim of the Listening to Those Rarely Heard research was to develop an approach to supported decision making for people who do not communicate formally. It also aimed to develop robustly tested resources that could be used to facilitate best practice in supported decision making. In particular, the project… Read More

Communicating Pain

Communicating Pain was a project that examined the issues facing people who are unable to use speech to express their experience of pain. The research identified how existing pain identification tools can be modified to be relevant to people who do not communicate formally. The research also provided information about the reliability… Read More

The Bridging Project

The Bridging Project focused on ‘building bridges’ between specialist and community providers of mental health services in relation to people with complex communication needs. The project has produced a number of resources including the following: counselling guidelines for community counselling practitioners an accessible booklet on grief and loss accessible fact sheets covering… Read More