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McKenzie K, Murray KR, Thompson J, Horridge K, Greenwell K, Murray AL. The characteristics of users of an online screening tool for children and adolescents with intellectual disability and of those being screened. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES : JOID 2024:17446295241272698. [PMID: 39118221 DOI: 10.1177/17446295241272698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Screening tools can help with the identification of intellectual disability, but little is known about who uses them. This study analysed anonymous information from 2691 users of an evidence-based, online, intellectual disability screening questionnaire for children and adolescents (CAIDS-Q) to explore the characteristics of the users and of those being screened. The users were split almost equally between parents/family members (48.6%) and professionals (49.9%), with the majority (63.8%) of the latter group being health staff. Significant differences in the characteristics of the children being screened were found, according to whether the user was a parent/family member or a professional, with the overall pattern suggesting that professionals screened children with greater complexity of needs, but about whom less was known. The screened children had a range of areas of difficulties that are common to those with intellectual disability. Implications for practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Aja L Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
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Bentley SE, Garg P, Gudes O, Hurwitz R, Vivekanandarajah S, So LYL. Access to child developmental assessment services in culturally and linguistically diverse metropolitan Sydney: a retrospective cohort analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:342. [PMID: 38486262 PMCID: PMC10941404 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10800-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the increasing prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), data regarding access to child development services have remained limited globally. Long wait times are a major barrier to developmental assessments, impacting on care and outcomes. The aim is to retrospectively analyse the demographic profile and prioritisation of patients seen at a child developmental assessment service (CDAS) in a vulnerable region of Sydney, and explore factors affecting wait times. METHODS Data was collated and analysed for 2354 patients from 2018 to 2022. Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) were collated from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic data and various statistical methods were used to analyse the relationships and impact of factors likely to affect wait lists. RESULTS The median age was 51 months (IQR41-61) and males comprised 73.7% of the cohort. 64% of children were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) and 47% lived in the most disadvantaged suburbs. The median wait time was 302.5 days (IQR175-379) and 70% of children were seen within 12 months. CALD patients and children over 5-years had shorter wait times. Most children with Global Developmental Delay (GDD) were from the lowest four SEIFA deciles and waited longer for an appointment. 42.6% were seen within the priority allocated time or sooner. Children with ASD and/or severe GDD were prioritised to be seen earlier. Overall, the study could not demonstrate any difference in the wait times according to the prioritisation groups. CONCLUSION This study provides insights into the profile, prioritisation processes and wait lists of children seen by CDAS in South Western Sydney with high rates of social vulnerability and presents an argument to discuss benchmarking targets with service providers. It identifies the need to prioritise children living in suburbs with socioeconomic disadvantage and refine prioritisation and data collection processes to improve wait times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibella E Bentley
- The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Corner Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
- University of Notre Dame Australia School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Pankaj Garg
- Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District Health Services Building Level 3, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia
- Department of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ori Gudes
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Romy Hurwitz
- Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District Health Services Building Level 3, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia
| | - Sinthu Vivekanandarajah
- Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District Health Services Building Level 3, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia
| | - Lydia Y L So
- Department of Community Paediatrics, South Western Sydney Local Health District Health Services Building Level 3, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia
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Rivard M, Mello C, Patel S, Morin M, Morin D. A Window into the Use of Post-diagnostic Services for Autism and Parents' Perspective on the Quality of Early Childhood Services Trajectory in a Canadian Province. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06265-x. [PMID: 38367101 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06265-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The pathway for post-diagnostic services for autism tends to be complex, heterogeneous, and fraught with delays. This situation has repercussions for families' experience with care systems, the quality of early interventions, and family adjustment. To date, studies of parents' point of view on autism services have predominantly focused on the diagnostic phase of the services trajectory. The goal of the present study was to investigate the perspective of parents on autism early childhood services within a public healthcare and social services system in a Canadian province (Québec). Participants were 91 parents who completed a structured framework for the evaluation of the quality of services trajectories, the Evaluation of the services Trajectory in Autism by Parents (ETAP; Mello et al., in Research in Developmental Disabilities 133, 2023). Approximately three-quarters of families received interim services (e.g., punctual speech therapy interventions) for which they had overall neutral-to-positive appraisals but viewed as having comparably low validity and continuity. Although all children diagnosed with autism are entitled to receive early behavioral intervention (EBI) dispensed by the public health and social services system, approximately a quarter of families did not receive this service. Families who received EBI evaluated this service positively on all ETAP dimensions. The empathy (i.e., parent-provider relationships) dimension was rated highest for both interim and EBI services. Some systemic, family, and child-related factors were associated with the perceived quality of services for both interim and early childhood services. Our results emphasize the need for services for children and families as soon as possible, both during assessment and after diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Rivard
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada.
| | - Catherine Mello
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University - Berks, State College, USA
| | - Shaneha Patel
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Marjorie Morin
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Diane Morin
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
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Fisher AP, Lynch JD. Differences Between Black and White Caregivers in the Association Between Autism Diagnostic Process Satisfaction and Service Use. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-023-06233-x. [PMID: 38231381 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06233-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black families of children with autism spectrum disorder have less access to high quality, culturally responsive care for their children. METHOD We assessed satisfaction and service utilization among fifty (29%) Black caregivers and 124 (71%) White caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. We also examined whether race moderated the association between satisfaction and service utilization. RESULTS We did not identify racial differences in satisfaction or service utilization. Race moderated the association between satisfaction and total service use, F(170) = 5.29, p =.02, therapy service use, F(163) = 3.59, p =.046, and community service use, F(169) = 4.76, p =.046. For Black families, there was a positive association between satisfaction and service use. There was no association between satisfaction and service use among White families. DISCUSSION Satisfaction may be particularly important among Black families, who have been mistreated by the healthcare system and frequently face discrimination. Our results suggest the importance of culturally responsive care for Black families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison P Fisher
- Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, 45 W. Corry Blvd, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - James D Lynch
- Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, 45 W. Corry Blvd, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Horridge KA, Bretnall G, Fraser LK. Hospital admissions of school-age children with an intellectual disability: A population-based survey. Dev Med Child Neurol 2023; 65:1511-1519. [PMID: 37132257 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
AIM To describe the profiles of hospital admissions of school-age children identified with a learning disability (ICD-11 intellectual developmental disorder) and/or safeguarding needs compared to children without learning disability, in a population where proactive identification of learning disabilities in children is embedded in practice. METHOD Data were collected about the reasons for and duration of hospital admissions of school-age children living in the study catchment area between April 2017 and March 2019; the presence (or absence) of learning disability and/or safeguarding flags in the medical record was also noted. The impact of the presence of flags on the outcomes was explored using negative binomial regression modelling. RESULTS Of 46 295 children in the local population, 1171 (2.53%) had a learning disability flag. The admissions of 4057 children were analysed (1956 females; age range 5-16 years, mean 10 years 6 months, SD 3 years 8 months). Of these, 221 out of 4057 (5.5%) had a learning disability, 443 out of 4057 (10.9%) had safeguarding flags, 43 out of 4057 (1.1%) had both, and 3436 out of 4057 (84.7%) had neither. There was a significantly increased incidence of hospital admissions and length of stay in children with either or both flags, compared to children with neither. INTERPRETATION Children with learning disabilities and/or safeguarding needs have higher rates of hospital admissions than children without. Robust identification of learning disabilities in childhood is required to make the needs of this group visible in routinely collected data as the first step towards needs being appropriately addressed. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Children with learning disabilities must be consistently identified in populations so that their needs are made visible. Information about these needs must be collected from educational, health, and social care sources and scrutinized systematically. Children with learning disabilities and safeguarding needs have an increased incidence of hospital admissions and length of stay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Horridge
- Paediatric Disability Department, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK
- Department of Education, University of Sunderland, UK
| | - Grace Bretnall
- Paediatric Disability Department, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK
| | - Lorna K Fraser
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
- Cicely Saunders Institute and Department of Women's and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
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Rivard M, Mestari Z, Coulombe P, Morin D, Mello C, Morin M. Developmental and behavioral groupings can predict changes in adaptive behavior over time in young children with neurodevelopmental disorders. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 132:104390. [PMID: 36481713 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The heterogeneity within, and the overlap between, diagnostic categories for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remain poorly understood. Developmental trajectories may diverge among children with the same diagnosis, who may also respond very differently to treatment. In a previous study, we used statistical clustering methods in a sample of 194 preschoolers who were referred for NDD assessment. We identified three distinct subgroups based on multiple developmental and behavioral variables. The present study aimed to identify: (1) early developmental markers at the surveillance and screening period that are predictive of subgroup membership at the diagnostic period (i.e., around age 5), (2) associations between subgroups and the evolution of adaptive behavior over the course of two years, and (3) predictors of adaptive behavior change. Subgroup membership was the only significant predictor of adaptive behavior change over time, which suggests that a clustering method based on developmental and behavioral profiles may be useful in treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Rivard
- Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada.
| | - Zakaria Mestari
- Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Diane Morin
- Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
| | - Catherine Mello
- The Pennsylvania State University - Berks, Reading, PA 19610, USA
| | - Marjorie Morin
- Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
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