University research themes: Healthy people, families and communities; Social change and equity
Neurodivergent children and young people in the United Kingdom (UK) face significant barriers to healthcare access, disparities in education outcomes, increased involvement in the criminal justice system, and lengthy referral waitlists.
In 2019, Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM was (one of 26) invited as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Autism (2019-21), resulting in a landmark paper – The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in Autism.
Impact
The UK Parliament POST research briefing: Support for Neurodivergent Children and Young People, which informs government policy discussions on multidisciplinary care, system navigation for families, and reducing barriers to timely intervention, referenced this paper.
UK Parliament Research Briefings cite this briefing in 4 subsequent briefing documents:
- Supporting neurodivergent people into employment
- Autism policy and services: Education
- Children’s wellbeing in schools
- Children and young people’s health and social care.
The research briefing highlights key findings from the Lancet Commission, reinforcing the need for an integrated approach to supporting neurodivergent young people.
United Nations Sustainability Goals
