Background Looked after children (LAC) that are placed in either a foster, kinship, residential care setting or transition to adoption continue to develop debilitating disorders that significantly impact their overall health and social well-being. The prevalence of these disorders is often depicted under broad categories such as mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Limited in research is the prevalence of what specific disorders fall under these broad categories. NDDs such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which fall under an umbrella group in the expert field of genetics and neuropsychiatry will be explored. Unsupported, these disorders can lead to suboptimal health and social outcomes for both the child and family. In the general population, the prevalence of these NDDs and impacts on health and social well-being are relatively well documented, but for minority groups such as LAC, research is extremely limited. This review aims to estimate the prevalence of NDDs among LAC and explore how they might impact the health and social well-being of these vulnerable children. If feasible, the review will compare the prevalence rates to those children who are not looked after, to illuminate any differences or similarities between populations. Methods PubMed, ASSIA, IBSS, Web of Science, PsychINFO, Scopus, Psych articles, Social Care Online, secondary, grey literature and government publications will be searched to identify any eligible studies. No restrictions will be placed on country, design or year of publication. Studies must provide primary data on the prevalence or incidence of NDDs for individuals < 25 years of age, supported by either a diagnostic code, standardised diagnostic assessment tool or survey response. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools will be utilised to assess the quality and bias and the random-effects model used to estimate a pooled prevalence of NDDs. Discussion Attaining an estimated prevalence of these NDDs and identifying any impacts on health and social well-being might inform key stakeholders in health, educational and social sectors with important information that might aid in the early identification and intervention to safeguard and meet the unique needs of these children. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD4201913103.

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Background: Looked after children (LAC) placed in either a foster care, kinship, residential or adoption care settings continue to develop debilitating disorders that significantly impact their future overall wellbeing. Prevalence of these disorders are often depicted under broad categories such as mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Limited in research, is the prevalence of specific disorders that fall under these broad categories.NDDs such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which cannot be medically tested for and fall under an umbrella group in the current, expert field of genetics and neuropsychiatry will be explored. Unsupported, these disorders can lead to suboptimal health and social outcomes for both the child and family. In the general population, prevalence of these NDDs and impacts on health and social wellbeing are relatively well documented but for minority groups such as LAC; research is extremely limited. This review will aim to estimate the prevalence of NDDs in LAC and compare to those children who are not looked after. Additionally, it will identify if NDDs have any impact on the health and social wellbeing of this vulnerable group.Methods: This review will report in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. PubMed, ASSIA, IBSS, Web of Science, PsychINFO, Scopus, Psych articles, Social Care Online, secondary, grey literature and government publications will be searched to identify any eligible studies. No restrictions will be placed on age or design of publication. Eligible studies must include participants, 25 years of age or under and have confirmed diagnoses using standardised international diagnostic codes or tools. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals using the random-effects model will be utilised to analyse the data. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools will be utilised to assess quality and bias.Discussion: Attaining an estimated prevalence of these NDDs in the LAC group and identifying any impacts on health and social wellbeing will contribute to the existing but limited LAC literature. From a preventative perspective, the results will inform key stakeholders in health, educational and social sectors with important information to aid in safeguarding and meeting the unique needs of these vulnerable children.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO Registration number: CRD4201913103

Looked after children (LAC) continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups in society with numbers and rates in care increasing year-on-year. The aim of this study was to explore the unique perspectives, perceptions and opinions of experienced social workers on the little explored subject of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in this population. Using purposeful sampling, 10 social work professionals with extensive experience of working with these children were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. A thematic analysis using NVivo software was utilised to analyse, code and identify themes that contributed to the aims of the study. Four overarching themes and sub-themes emerged from the findings: perceptions of NDDs, perceptions of diagnosis, access to service provision and the impact on care settings. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia were the more prominent conditions discussed. Even though these children are embedded in service provision, the findings raise important questions for both health and social care policy. There is a pressing need for research from a nationwide context to further explore areas of prevalence, training, resources, access to relevant specialist support services and the impacts on the already vulnerable LAC with an NDD.

Background: A looked after child (LAC) is defined as a child or young adult, that has been placed in either a foster care, kinship, residential or adoption care setting. While embedded in the care of these services, these children still develop debilitating disorders that significantly impact their future overall wellbeing. Prevalence of these disorders are often depicted under broad, umbrella categories such as mental, behavioural or developmental disorders. What specific disorders fall under these broad categories is limited in research. This review aims to explore the prevalence and early impacts of neurodevelopmental disorders in the LAC and if feasible, compare prevalence with those children who are not looked after (NoN-LAC). Disorders such as dyslexia, bipolar and autism which are classified as neurodevelopmental or associated disorders in the expert field of genetics and neuropsychiatry will be explored. These disorders significantly impact on emotions, memory, ability to learn and socialize and are diagnosed solely based on behaviour. As a result; attaining a diagnosis can take years due to the associated complex behavioural symptomology.With an increasing rate of children entering the care system on a global level; it is an appropriate time to examine the prevalence and impact of these neurodevelopmental disorders in this already, vulnerable population.Methods: A literature search will be conducted using several multiple databases such as PubMed, PsychINFO and Web of Science Core Collection. Secondary literature, grey literature and government publications will also be searched systematically to further identify any eligible studies. Children involved in foster, residential, adopted or kinship care will be identified as a LAC. NoN-LAC will be children who are not placed in the looked after care setting. The age limit is 25 years as the review aims to explore the earlier impacts these disorders may have on the overall wellbeing of these children. Appropriate statistical techniques will be utilised and adapted throughout the review dependent on the research designs of the eligible studies. Discussion: This review could identify gaps in LAC research and potentially contribute to the understanding of the adverse life outcomes that many of these children are predicted to attain. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO Registration number: CRD4201913103