Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

Discover . Prevent . Cure .

Addressing the challenges of intellectual disability identification for health policy and research in Australia

This article discusses the important issue of the need for a stable definition of intellectual disability in order to allow comparisons by place and over time such as in the monitoring of this population's health needs and utilization. The aim of the new Australian National Centre for Intellectual Disability Health, established in 2023, is to ensure that all Australian children and adults with intellectual disability receive high-quality healthcare that meets their needs.

Citation:
Leonard H, Wong K, Liao P, Khan M, Aitken Z, Bourke J, Trollor JN, Downs J, Donovan MA, Kavanagh AM, Srasuebkul P. Addressing the challenges of intellectual disability identification for health policy and research in Australia. Front Psychiatry. 2026;16.

Keywords:
Classification; consistency; data linkage; definition; health outcomes; intellectual disability; multisource; operationalise.

Abstract:
This article discusses the important issue of the need for a stable definition of intellectual disability in order to allow comparisons by place and over time such as in the monitoring of this population's health needs and utilization. The aim of the new Australian National Centre for Intellectual Disability Health, established in 2023, is to ensure that all Australian children and adults with intellectual disability receive high-quality healthcare that meets their needs.