Ethnic variation in service utilisation among children with intellectual disability.
South Asian children with ID in the UK are far less likely to receive CAMHS or respite care, so BCBAs must actively probe for unmet need.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lambrechts et al. (2009) asked London special-school parents how often their children used mental-health and respite services.
They compared South Asian, White British, and Black families of kids with intellectual disability.
A short survey plus school records gave the uptake numbers.
What they found
South Asian children saw CAMHS and used respite care far less than White British and Black peers.
Family structure and ethnicity predicted who got help.
White British and Black groups used similar amounts; the gap sat with South Asian families.
How this fits with other research
Horner-Johnson et al. (2002) saw the same gap in Leicestershire adults with ID, showing the pattern starts early and lasts.
McGeown et al. (2013) later interviewed South Asian carers of teens and heard language and cultural barriers during transition planning, echoing the access problem.
Malik et al. (2017) flipped the lens: British South Asian women who did get social care praised it for building identity, hinting the service itself works once reached.
Together the four papers trace a line: need is high, uptake is low, but quality is valued when barriers fall.
Why it matters
If you coordinate care for a child with ID, ask South Asian carers directly about CAMHS and respite. Offer translated flyers, link with community mosques or temples, and schedule flexible times. One extra check can turn an unmet need into active support.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: This study examined whether service utilisation among children with intellectual disability (ID) varied by ethnic cultural group. METHOD: Survey carried out in four special schools in London. Information was provided by school teachers using case files, and 242 children aged 7 to 17 years with mild and moderate ID were identified. Ethnic categories were derived from self-reported main categories. Service utilisation categorised as use of: child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), social services, physical health and education services. RESULTS: Child and adolescent mental health services uptake was lower for South Asians than for White British (P = 0.0487). There were statistically significant differences among ethnic groups for community-based social services uptake (being the highest for the Black groups and the lowest for South Asians, P = 0.015) and respite care uptake (being the highest for the Black and White European groups and the lowest for South Asians, P = 0.009). In regression analysis family structure predicted CAMHS service utilisation and social service community support. Ethnicity predicted use of respite care. CONCLUSIONS: Significant ethnic differences in service utilisation among children with ID were found for both CAMHS and social service contact. There was particularly low service use for the South Asian group. These differences might arise because of differences in family organisation, as more South Asian children lived in two-parent families, which may have been better able to provide care than single-parent families. Other factors such as variation in parental belief systems and variation in psychopathology may be relevant. Implications are discussed.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2009 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01214.x