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Introduction: Estimates of the prevalence of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may vary depending on the methodology, geographical location, and sources of ascertainment. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia was introduced progressively from 2016 to provide individualized funding for eligible people with a significant and permanent disability. Methods: Its recent inclusion as a source of ascertainment in the populationbased Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers (IDEA) database in Western Australia has allowed comparisons of the prevalence of intellectual disability and ASD before and after its introduction. Results: Prevalence of intellectual disability in 2020 was 22.5 per 1,000 (/1,000) live births compared with previous estimates in 2010 of 17/1,000, and for ASD, the estimate was 20.7/1,000 in 2020 compared with 5.1/1,000 in 2010. Whilst the prevalence of ASD in Aboriginal individuals was about two-thirds that of non-Aboriginals, there was an increased prevalence of ASD in Aboriginal children under 10 years compared with non-Aboriginal children. Discussion: The concurrent relaxation of ASD diagnostic practice standards in Western Australia associated with the administration of access to the NDIS and the release of the National Guidelines empowering single diagnosticians to determine the appropriateness of engaging additional diagnosticians to form a multidisciplinary team on ASD diagnosis, appear to be important factors associated with the increase in ASD diagnoses both with and without intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siblings of children with intellectual disability have unique family experiences, varying by type of disability. Parents of children with Down syndrome (156) or with Rett syndrome (149) completed questionnaires relating to sibling advantages and disadvantages, experiences of holidays and recreation, and perceived availability of parental time. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Positive personality traits, an optimistic outlook, enhanced skills, and rich relationships were strong and consistent parental perceptions for siblings in both disability groups. Parents of children with Rett syndrome were more likely to rank themselves lower on time availability, and to report sibling difficulties with social engagement and family holidays. Parental responses appeared to be influenced by disability type, and reflective of child capabilities. Perceptions of sibling experience should be supplemented by data collected directly from siblings to fully understand their unique perspective, and the ways in which their experiences could be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatric disorders are more common in the mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID) after the birth of their child. We aimed to assess the relationship between women's psychiatric contacts and subsequent offspring with ASD/ID. We linked three Western Australian registers to investigate pre-existing maternal outpatient psychiatric contacts and the odds of ASD/ID in a subsequent child. Women with a previous outpatient psychiatric contact were more than twice as likely to have a child with ASD [OR 2.07 (95 % CI 1.7, 2.6)] or ID [OR 2.31 (2.1, 2.6)]. Further research exploring the effect on pregnancy outcomes of medications prescribed to women with psychiatric disorders is implicated.

Background: Mothers of a child with autism spectrum disorder have more psychiatric disorders after the birth of their child. This might be because they have more psychiatric disorders before the birth, or the increase could be related to the burden of caring for their child. Aims: We aimed to calculate the incidence of a psychiatric diagnosis in women with no psychiatric history after the birth of their eldest child with autism spectrum disorder compared to women with no child with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability and no psychiatric history. Methods: By linking datasets from Western Australian population-based registries, we calculated the incidence of a psychiatric disorder in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and compared to mothers of children with no autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability. Negative binomial regression using STATA 13 was used for all analyses. Results: Apart from "alcohol and substance abuse," mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder had higher incidences of all categories of psychiatric disorders than other mothers. Conclusion and implications: The increase of psychiatric disorders in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and no psychiatric history compared to similar mothers with no child with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability might be due to a pre-existing genetic disposition coupled with an environmental trigger provided by the challenges of raising their children with autism spectrum disorder. In addition, the increased burden borne by the mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder might result in a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders in mothers who are not genetically disposed.

Background: The transition from school to adulthood for young adults with an intellectual disability involves movement from a generally secure and supported school environment to an emerging adult life that may be characterised by a wide variation in adoption of adult roles related to employment, independent living, friendships, and day activities. Method: In this study, we investigated the perspectives of 18 mothers of young adults with either Down syndrome or Rett syndrome through qualitative semistructured interviews. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework was used as a conceptual basis. Results: Themes that emerged included adult roles assumed during the day, accommodation, quality of life, living a "good" life, and family impact. Conclusions: In contrast with Rett syndrome, mothers of young adults with Down syndrome described more difficult pathways to attaining stability in adult roles. Environmental facilitators and barriers emerged in the area of support, relationships, services, systems, and policies.

Prevalence statistics for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) vary widely across geographical boundaries. Some variation can be explained by diagnostic methods, case ascertainment and age at diagnosis. This study compared prevalence statistics for two distinct geographical regions, Denmark and Western Australia, both of which have had population-based registers and consistent classification systems operating over the past decade. Overall ASD prevalence rates were higher in Denmark (68.5 per 10,000 children) compared with Western Australia (51.0 per 10,000 children), while the diagnosis of childhood autism was more prevalent in Western Australia (39.3 per 10,000 children) compared with Denmark (21.8 per 10,000 children). These differences are probably caused by local phenomena affecting case ascertainment but influence from biological or geographical factors may exist.

This study investigated dental hospitalisations in Western Australian (WA) children with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged up to 18 years. Data on WA live births from 1983 to 2004 from the WA Midwives Notification System were linked to the Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers database, the WA Hospital Morbidity Data System, and the Western Australian Birth Defects Registry databases. Children were followed from birth to 2010 and the data grouped into three age-groups. Primary and secondary admissions for relevant dental diagnoses were identified and factors associated with having a dental hospitalisation investigated. There were 1366, 1596, and 780 dental hospitalisations amongst 1122, 1154, and 609 children with ID and/or ASD in the 0–6, >6–12, and >12–18 year age groups, respectively. Children with severe ID were much more likely to be hospitalised than those with mild/moderate ID. More socioeconomically disadvantaged children were less likely to be hospitalised than children whose parents were socially advantaged. There is concern that more vulnerable children in the WA community with ID or ASD are receiving an inadequate level of dental services compared with other groups resulting in potentially preventable hospitalisations, a situation in need of urgent remediation. Little is known about why some children with intellectual disability (ID) or autism are being hospitalised for their dental care and others are not. Children with disability whose families are socioeconomically disadvantaged should have equivalent opportunity to receive optimal dental care. Dental practitioners at all levels need training and confidence in treating children with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]