Transition of care for young people with childhood-onset disability to adult services

Abstract

There is an urgent need in Ireland to develop adult rehabilitation services for young people with childhood-onset disabilities to ensure continuity of care and reduce adverse outcomes. Ireland must work towards fulfilling its obligations to provide appropriate healthcare to this growing population, as mandated under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.

The Government’s Action Plan for Disability 2024-2026 acknowledges there are up to 60,000 children in Ireland receiving or waiting for disability services. Approximately 10% experience motor impairment, often alongside cognitive impairment, sensory impairment and medical complexity. Conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury and many rare diseases contribute to childhood-onset disability, with rehabilitation identified as a key need in the National Rare Disease Strategy. Improved survival over recent decades has led to a growing of adults with childhood-onset disabilities in Ireland who require ongoing rehabilitation into adulthood...