Helping parents with the diagnosis of disability

Abstract

Abstract The impact on parents and the wider family of caring for a disabled child depends on many factors, including the child's behaviours, available resources and the families' coping strategies. Optimal care requires careful management of every stage from diagnosis onwards. How the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disability is communicated to the family has long-lasting effects. When clarification of the diagnosis takes a long time, this is particularly hard for child health professionals to manage well, and a joint understanding of the process with the family is important. This short review offers guidance for the conduct of the diagnostic consultation referring to the current best evidence and drawing from personal experience. It also explains how current theory and evidence can facilitate better understanding of families' reactions to a diagnosis, moving beyond a simple bereavement adjustment model towards a nuanced appreciation of parental reaction.