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Diagnostic status, functional status and complexity among Canadian children with neurodevelopmental disorders and

Anton R Miller1, Louise C Mâsse, Jane Shen

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. amiller@cw.bc.ca

Disability and Rehabilitation
|July 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study analyzed Canadian data to characterize children with neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities (NDD/D). Findings highlight the complexity of NDD/D, emphasizing the need for both diagnostic and functional information for accurate assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Disability Research
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities (NDD/D) represent a significant public health concern.
  • Accurate identification and characterization of NDD/D are crucial for effective intervention and support.
  • Population-based research on NDD/D faces challenges in ascertainment and classification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and describe key characteristics of children with NDD/D using a national disability survey.
  • To analyze the prevalence and subtypes of NDD/D in children aged 5-14 years.
  • To explore the complexity of NDD/D, including diagnostic and functional limitations.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of the Canadian Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) data.
  • Ascertainment of NDD/D using ICD-10 diagnoses refined with functional limitation data.
  • Classification of NDD/D into six subtypes by expert evaluators.

Main Results:

  • Children with NDD/D constituted 73.5% of children with disabilities in the survey.
  • Cognition-Learning was the most prevalent single NDD/D subtype (28.8%), followed by Psychological (22.2%) and Social interactive (19.9%).
  • Diagnostic and functional complexity was common, with significant discrepancies between parent-reported limitations and researcher-assigned NDD/D subgroups.

Conclusions:

  • Population-based research on NDD/D is impacted by conceptual, definitional, and terminology issues.
  • Effective ascertainment of NDD/D requires integrating both diagnostic and functional information.
  • Relying solely on diagnostic data may underestimate the complexity and needs of children with NDD/D and their families.
Abstract

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