Disability
About the pathway
Welcome to the Disability learning pathway. This pathway is for all practitioners to support your understanding of the factors that influence mental health and wellbeing of children living with disability.
Children with disability, like all children, can and do experience positive mental health. But research shows they are also at greater risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.1,2,3 Many aspects of society are not designed for people with disability, which can place additional pressure on children and their families. And certain factors associated with childhood disability can make it harder to spot the signs of mental health concerns.
With around 7% of Australian children aged 0–14 years currently living with a disability,4 it is vital for practitioners in all settings to work in disability-aware ways. This pathway will build your knowledge and confidence, with a focus on the factors that support the mental health and wellbeing of children with disability. You will learn strategies you can use in your work to support children’s individual strengths, interests and abilities, important relationships, and communication needs.
Learning outcomes
As you progress through this learning pathway you will build your understanding and skills across a range of key areas, including:
- the difference between the ‘medical’ and ‘social’ models of disability
- the prevalence of mental health difficulties among children with disability, and the different ways these difficulties may present
- recognising the importance of seeing the ‘whole child’, not just their disability
- identifying the ways in which disability may influence children’s mental health and wellbeing (both positive and negative)
- what is meant by ‘diagnostic overshadowing’ and how this can make it more difficult to understand a child’s needs
- helping children express their hopes, values, concerns and preferences through communication-focused approaches; and
- helping children and their family members develop and maintain strong and nurturing connections through family-focused approaches.
References
- Buckley, N., Glasson, E. J., Chen, W., Epstein, A., Leonard, H., Skoss, R. ... Downs, J. (2020). Prevalence estimates of mental health problems in children and adolescents with intellectual disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 54(10), 970-984. doi:10.1177/0004867420924101.
- Sawyer, M. G., Arney, F. M., Baghurst, P. A., Clark, J. J., Graetz, B. W., Kosky, R. J., ... Zubrick, S. R. (2001). The mental health of young people in Australia: Key findings from the child and adolescent component of the national survey of mental health and well-being. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 806–814.
- Downs, J., Blackmore, A., Epstein, A., Skoss, R., Langdon, K., Jacoby, P., … Glasson, E. (2018). The prevalence of mental health disorders and symptoms in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 60(1), 30-38.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Australia’s children. Canberra: AIHW.