Health care for people with developmental disability

People with developmental disability are often in poor health, and can be vulnerable to abuse and neglect by individuals and service systems. They have higher rates of illness than the general population, and may have additional health concerns specific to their disorder or syndrome. These and other factors contribute to higher mortality rates than the general population; see life expectancy of people with developmental disability.

There are many things practitioners can do to overcome barriers to the provision of quality health care for people with developmental disability. A number of strategies are outlined in Communicating with people with developmental disability and General practice and emergency presentation of a person with developmental disability. A proactive, systematic, multidisciplinary team–based approach is important—this is the framework for care of children and adolescents within paediatric services, and the general practitioner should take a central role as the young person transitions to adult care.

Despite limited evidence for medical management specific to people with developmental disability, many of the common health problems experienced by this group can be recognised and well-managed if practice is adjusted to understand and accommodate individual needs; see advice on reasonable adjustments to care. For advice on consent, capacity and decision making in people with developmental disability, see here.

For a discussion of the role of the general practitioner (GP) in the care of a person with developmental disability, including supports and useful referrals, see here. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds various services to enable people with developmental disability to participate in health care and other aspects of their community; see NDIS.

For advice on managing an acute or emergency presentation of a person with developmental disability in primary care, see here.