Search

Background: Emerging research shows that children and young adults (CYAs) with cerebral palsy (CP) are at higher risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, little is known about the clinical and functional characteristics of CYAs with these co-occurring disorders., Aim: To estimate associations between a diagnosis of ADHD among CYAs with CP and clinical and functional characteristics., Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study used data from the electronic health records of CYAs (aged 4-26 years) with CP (n = 1145). We used bivariate and multivariable analyses to estimate associations between an ADHD diagnosis, CP type, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, speech or language disorder, and intellectual disability., Results: 18.1 % of CYAs with CP had a diagnosis of ADHD. CYAs with spastic-bilateral CP had lower odds of ADHD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.58; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.96). Odds of having ADHD were significantly lower for those with GMFCS levels III-V (AOR = 0.10; 95 % CI, 0.06-0.15)., Conclusions: Our study found that a diagnosis of ADHD among CYAs with CP was associated with greater clinical and functional impairments compared to counterparts without ADHD. Findings highlight the need to screen for both conditions because of the high comorbidity rates in this population., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Youth with special healthcare needs have low rates of healthcare transition services, which can affect lifelong functioning and quality of life. This study examines the variations in receipt of healthcare transition services among youth with special healthcare needs., Methods: Data from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (N=102,341) were analyzed in 2021. Receipt of healthcare transition services by youth with select health conditions was compared with youth with other special healthcare needs. Bivariate and multivariable analyses assessed the associations between the receipt of healthcare transition services, sociodemographic characteristics, and health conditions., Results: Among youth with special healthcare needs, the prevalence of receiving healthcare transition services was lowest among youth with speech or other language disorders (8.5%), intellectual disabilities (9.4%), and autism spectrum disorder (11.1%). Low prevalence of receiving healthcare transition services was also observed for youth with developmental delays (12.6%), learning disabilities (14.2%), and behavior or conduct problems (15.5%). Youth with developmental delays (AOR=0.70, 95% CI=0.52, 0.95), intellectual disabilities (AOR=0.45, 95% CI=0.26, 0.78), learning disabilities (AOR=0.77, 95% CI=0.60, 0.99), autism spectrum disorder (AOR=0.60, 95% CI=0.41, 0.86), and speech or other language disorders (AOR=0.48, 95% CI=0.32, 0.72) had lower odds of receiving healthcare transition services than youth with other special healthcare needs., Conclusions: Findings suggest that the receipt of healthcare transition services varies substantially by the type of chronic health condition and highlight the need for increased healthcare transition services for youth with special healthcare needs, especially for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and speech or other language disorders., (Copyright © 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)