“I'm always up against a brick wall with them”: Parents' experiences of accessing support for their child with a newly recognised developmental disorder

McCarthy, Robyn and Blackburn, Carolyn and Mukherjee, Raja and Fleming, Kate and Allely, Lauren and Cook, Penny A. (2022) “I'm always up against a brick wall with them”: Parents' experiences of accessing support for their child with a newly recognised developmental disorder. British Journal of Special Education. ISSN 0952-3383

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Abstract

Three of the most prevalent developmental disorders (DDs) include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). As part of a study screening for DDs in Greater Manchester, UK, a unique opportunity was taken to explore parents’ experiences of receiving reports about their child’s previously unrecognised DD. Six parents out of a possible 16 took part in interviews, which were analysed thematically. Findings revealed a number of barriers to accessing support for their child's additional needs, including resistance from school especially for quiet, well-behaved girls, and difficulty accessing assessment or referrals. There needs to be greater awareness of additional needs in children without externalising behaviours; the presence of gender-specific differences in presentation of DDs; and FASD as a commonly occurring DD. Ultimately, better support for these children would reduce the burden of unmet needs for the children, their families and wider services.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12398
Dates:
DateEvent
24 January 2022Accepted
1 March 2022Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords: SEND; ASD; ADHD; FASD; developmental disorders; EHCP
Subjects: CAH00 - multidisciplinary > CAH00-00 - multidisciplinary > CAH00-00-00 - multidisciplinary
CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-06 - allied health > CAH02-06-04 - environmental and public health
CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific)
CAH22 - education and teaching > CAH22-01 - education and teaching > CAH22-01-01 - education
CAH22 - education and teaching > CAH22-01 - education and teaching > CAH22-01-02 - teacher training
Divisions: Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > Centre for Study of Practice and Culture in Education (C-SPACE)
Depositing User: Carolyn Blackburn
Date Deposited: 26 Jan 2022 11:07
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2022 15:01
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12697

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