Policy context

Disability and chronic health conditions are often inter-related. Long-term health issues and disability can both result in a functional limitation that impacts everyday life for children and young people. People with disabilities are more likely to develop long-term health conditions, and people with long-term health conditions are more likely to develop disability.¹

The most common long-term health issues for children are asthma, diabetes and cancer.²

A disability is defined as any impairment that impacts an individual’s daily tasks or ‘core activities’ (communication, self-care or mobility) and has lasted or is likely to last more than six months.³ Disability encompasses physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory and neurological conditions or a combination of these.³ The severity of a disability can range from mild (needs no help and has no difficulty with core activities but uses aids or has impairments in other areas) to profound (unable to do or always needs help with core activities).⁴

Around two thirds (67%) of Australian children with a disability require assistance with daily activities (e.g. communication, mobility, self-care). Many children with disabilities have learning and social difficulties at school. In addition to challenges faced by the child, disability impacts the entire family unit. The assistance and care (both formal and informal) of a child with a disability often results in parents and/or carers having reduced income, increased expenses, poorer emotional and physical wellbeing and strained relationships. Significant evidence has supported the effectiveness of early intervention for children with developmental disabilities.⁵

Across the lifespan, having a disability is associated with poorer health behaviours and adverse health outcomes.⁶ Further, disability is associated with poorer social engagement and education. These outcomes could be related directly to the disability itself or a result of limited access (due to an individual’s disability) to appropriate information, services and support that foster wellbeing. People with disabilities have higher rates of mental illness, psychological distress, arthritis, smoking and a range of other health conditions than the general population.⁷

Given the challenges and needs of children with disability and their families, understanding the proportion of children with disability in particular geographical regions can assist policy-makers and service providers in decision-making to improve outcomes.