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Addressing the challenges of intellectual disability identification for health policy and research in Australia

This article discusses the important issue of the need for a stable definition of intellectual disability in order to allow comparisons by place and over time such as in the monitoring of this population's health needs and utilization. The aim of the new Australian National Centre for Intellectual Disability Health, established in 2023, is to ensure that all Australian children and adults with intellectual disability receive high-quality healthcare that meets their needs.

Functional characterization of the MED12 p.Arg1138Trp variant in females: implications for neural development and disease mechanism

Seven female individuals with multiple congenital anomalies, developmental delay and/or intellectual disability have been found to have a genetic variant of uncertain significance in the mediator complex subunit 12 gene. The functional consequence of this genetic variant in disease is undetermined, and insight into disease mechanism is required.

Psychometric validation of the quality of life Inventory − Disability (QI-Disability) among patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Quality of Life Inventory -Disability (QI-Disability) for individuals with Dravet syndrome (DS) or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), two rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy conditions.

What is it like living with X-linked hypophosphatemia?: results from an Australian consumer survey

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare, X-linked dominant condition with a high burden of both physical and psychosocial disease. This study aimed to describe the experience and burden of disease for children and adults living with XLH in Australia by inviting affected individuals and their carers to complete an online questionnaire. Of the 46 responses, half were completed by a person with XLH, and half by carers. Thirty percent were male, 33% were aged less than 18 yr.

‘Feeling like you can't do anything because you don't know where to start’—Parents' Perspectives of Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Early Detection for Children at Risk of CP

Early detection of cerebral palsy (CP) risk is possible from 12 weeks corrected gestational age (CGA) using standardised assessments; however, up to half of children at risk are not referred early, missing out on early intervention. We investigated the barriers and facilitators to accessing early intervention from the perspective of parents of children who did not receive services by 6 months CGA.

What Parents, Teachers and Clinicians Know About the Features of Developmental Dyslexia and Its Intervention: A Scoping Review

Despite decades of research, misconceptions about developmental dyslexia remain widespread among those responsible for identifying and supporting affected children. Identifying the nature and persistence of these beliefs is essential to improving practice and policy. We conducted a scoping review to map the understanding of developmental dyslexia among teachers, parents and clinicians by identifying their beliefs about its features and interventions.

The Feasibility of Personalized Endpoints in Assessing Treatment Outcomes for Rare Diseases: A Pilot Study of Goal Attainment Scaling in SCN2A-Associated

For individuals living with rare neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly those who are at the most severe end of the spectrum, standardized outcome measures may lack the sensitivity to capture small but meaningful changes. 

Six cases of ENPP1 pathogenic variants causing autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets type 2 and generalized arterial calcification of infancy

Autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets type 2 (ARHR2) and generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) occur secondary to biallelic ectonucleotide pyrophosphate/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) loss-of-function pathogenic variants. GACI is a life-threatening condition, often presenting in the neonatal period with heart failure and hypertension, caused by calcification of the media in large- and medium-sized arteries.

Content Validation of the Communication Inventory Disability–Observer Reported CID-OR

CDKL5 deficiency disorder is a rare and severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy that has profound effects on communication. It is essential that communication be measured accurately for upcoming gene therapy trials. The Communication Inventory Disability-Observer Reported was developed from a framework of communication derived from parent/caregiver interview data in consultation with disability and communication experts, and after reviewing concepts in existing measures.

A pilot implementation study of a chronic pain core outcome set and decision tree for children and young people with cerebral palsy

This study aimed to (i) develop a decision tree to guide clinicians to use a core outcome set (COS) of chronic pain assessment tools specific to children and young people with cerebral palsy and (ii) pilot test the implementation of the decision tree and core set in clinical practice.