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Compared with most other Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries, information about the patterns of health service use for children from immigrant families in Australia is currently limited, and internationally, data on unmet healthcare needs are scarce. This study aims to examine the distribution of health service utilisation and unmet healthcare needs for immigrant children aged 10–11 years in Australia. We drew on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Birth (B; n = 5,107) and Kindergarten (K; n = 4,983) cohorts. The exposure was family immigration background collected at 0–1 (B‐cohort) and 4–5 (K‐cohort) years. Outcomes were parent‐reported child health service use and unmet healthcare needs (defined as the difference between services needed and services received) at 10–11 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between family immigration background and health service use/unmet healthcare needs, adjusting for potential confounders. Results showed that one‐third of Australian children (B‐cohort: 29.0%; K‐cohort: 33.4%) came from immigrant families. There were similar patterns of health service use and unmet healthcare needs between children from English‐speaking immigrant and Australian‐born families. However, children from non‐English‐speaking immigrant families used fewer health services, including paediatric, dental, mental health and emergency ward services. There was a disparity between the services used when considering children's health needs, particularly for paediatric specialist services (B‐cohort: OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.11–5.31; K‐cohort: OR = 2.72, 95% CI 1.32–5.58). Findings indicate that Australian children from non‐English‐speaking immigrant families experience more unmet healthcare needs and face more barriers in accessing health services. Further effort is needed to ensure that the healthcare system meets the needs of all families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Many children start school with additional health and developmental needs (AHDN), yet how best to support these children for optimal outcomes in the school setting is a complex challenge. This study aims to determine the views of education experts on what differentiates the most effective primary schools. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine senior leaders across the education system responsible for managing or improving practice across a range of schools or school regions in Victoria. Using a positive deviance approach, which investigates strategies already implemented in organizations achieving desired outcomes, the semi‐structured interviews aimed to elicit instances of perceived good practice that already exists within the school system. Interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: All education experts reported high variability across schools and suggested a number of factors differentiating those that were most effective at supporting children with AHDN. They included the presence of strong teacher support by the school leadership team; explicit and documented processes to guide the practice of teachers and ensure consistency at a whole school level; inclusive relationships and environments; participation and knowledge sharing between medical, allied health and other stakeholders in the care team; and an evidenced‐based approach to allocating resources to programmes and strategies. Conclusion: This exploration of instances of good practice can generate novel insights into a complex problem. Current findings suggest a number of potential opportunities for enhancing practice that can be tested in future research. Improving outcomes for this vulnerable and significant group of children will require collaboration across health and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A fifth of children enter school with special health care needs (SHCN) impacting on their physical, psychosocial or educational development, including many with emerging SHCN who often do not qualify for additional supports. This study aimed to compare the perceptions of parents and teachers on children's emerging SHCN, and explore correlates of conflicting reports.Methods: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) is a nationally representative study of Australian children, which includes the abbreviated Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener. Data were analysed from a subsample of n = 720 children from the LSAC Kindergarten cohort (n = 4983) for whom teachers also completed the Australian Early Development Index checklist, a measure of early childhood development that includes teacher reported SHCN.Results: Teachers (n = 120, 17.34%) identified more emerging SHCN than parents (n = 74, 10.74%), and reports were often discrepant. Children were more likely to have consistent reports of emerging SHCN when their parents had high levels of involvement at school (OR 4.86; 95% CI 1.08-21.80; P < 0.05), whereas children who came from disadvantaged family backgrounds were more likely to have teacher-only identified difficulties (OR 3.66; 95% CI 1.17-11.50; P < 0.05).Conclusion: Parents and teachers bring different perspectives to children's development and additional support needs, each of which is valuable. Greater attention should be given to ensuring that common understandings about a child's needs at school are established early in children's educational pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Outcomes for children with special health care needs (SHCN) can vary by their patterns and persistence over time. We aimed to empirically establish typical SHCN trajectories throughout childhood and their predictive relationships with child and parent outcomes. METHODS: The 2 cohorts of the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were recruited in 2004 at ages 0 to 1 (n = 5107, B cohort) and 4 to 5 years (n = 4983, K cohort). The parent-reported Children With SHCN Screener (Short Form) was completed at each of 4 biennial waves. Wave 4 outcomes were parent-reported behavior and health-related quality of life, teacher-reported learning, and directly assessed cognition. Both parents self-reported mental distress. We derived intracohort trajectories by using latent class analysis in Mplus. We compared mean outcome scores across trajectories by using linear regression, adjusting for socioeconomic position. RESULTS: Four distinct SHCN trajectories were replicated in both cohorts: persistent (B 6.8%, K 8.7%), emerging (B 4.1%, K 11.5%), transient (B 7.9%, K 4.2%), and none (B 81.3%, K 75.6%). Every outcome was adversely affected except fathers' mental health. From infancy to age 6 to 7 years, the persistent and emerging groups had similarly poor outcomes. From age 4 and 5 to 10 and 11 years, outcomes were incrementally poorer on moving from none to transient to emerging and to persistent SHCN. Effect sizes were largest for behavior, learning, and psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse outcomes are shaped more by cumulative burden than point prevalence of SHCNs. In addition to providing care according to a child's need at any given time, prioritizing care toward persistent SHCNs may have the biggest benefits for children and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]