Disclosure of developmental disability: a study of paediatricians' practices

To investigate paediatricians' practices in disclosure of disability and the influences on their practices, including attitude to people with disabilities.

Interviews were conducted with 26 paediatricians regarding their disclosure practices and their experience, training, contact with children with significant disabilities and influences on practices. Anonymous self-report questionnaires to the same group of practitioners relating to attitude to disability were also employed.

Paediatricians' practices in the disclosure process scored relatively low on an index based upon recommended practices. No significant relationships were found between index scores and the experience or training of the paediatrician or the amount of contact of the paediatrician with children with disabilities. However, more experienced paediatricians were found to be more likely to mention the practice of informing both parents together and the presence of a support person at the time of disclosure. Paediatricians having more contact with children with disabilities were more likely to mention that they would disclose disability in a child as soon as possible. The major modifying influences on disclosure practices were reported to be the intelligence of the parents and their emotional state of at the time of disclosure. Time was the most frequently reported constraint upon disclosure practices.

The low 'disclosure practice index' scores in this study are not necessarily an indication that practices are poor, as there are challenges to the validity of the advocated practices. There were few significant associations found between the practices of paediatricians in disclosure and their experience, training, contact with children with disabilities and attitude to people with disabilities.