Citation
Background
The socioeconomic and health disparities between Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal Australians are strongly linked to the history of colonisation. Solutions to Closing the Gap and protecting and promoting Aboriginal health and well-being are likely to be found in more progressive policy responses which value cultural identity, Aboriginal self-determination, kinship and community, and connection to Country. Intellectual disability is more prevalent in children whose mothers are Aboriginal, are single, teenaged or socioeconomically disadvantaged, or when parents experienced psychosis or substance misuse.
What we did
A descriptive overview was provided for the Aboriginal child cohort (5,289 WAACHS children) contacts across the health, education, child protection and justice systems together with the proportions that had been identified through the IDEA and the WA Register of Developmental Anomalies databases.
What we found
Nearly 10% of children were registered with one of the disability databases including 5.1% of the cohort who have an intellectual disability or autism, identified through linkage to the IDEA database. Ascertainment for IDEA was through either the Department of Communities (Disability Services Commission) or the Education Department.
What it means
The proportion of Aboriginal children with intellectual disability in the survey cohort was similar to population-based estimates using IDEA data (4.4% with intellectual disability, 1.4% with autism including with and without intellectual disability). Linking population survey data to the IDEA database allows for investigation of family circumstances, co-morbidities and life course outcomes for Aboriginal children related to intellectual disability or autism. Linked IDEA data for non-Aboriginal control groups allows for questions that seek to explain differential outcomes.