Peer-reviewed article
Participation Restrictions in Early Learning and Child Care Among Children With Long-Term Conditions or Disabilities.
Leanage A, Wavrock D, Arim R ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined participation restrictions in early learning and child care for children aged 0-5 with long-term conditions or disabilities. Using data from 1977 children, researchers identified four distinct groups with different support needs and health profiles. Children with disabilities faced greater barriers to accessing child care and were more likely to need extra support, while healthier children faced fewer access challenges. The findings emphasize the need for inclusive and responsive strategies to support diverse groups of children in early education settings.
Key points
- Four distinct classes were identified: Relatively Healthy (48%), Activity Limitations and LTC (14%), LTC only (28%), and Children with Disabilities (10%)
- Children with disabilities were least likely to report excellent or very good health (50%) compared to relatively healthy children (88%)
- 94% of children with disabilities required extra support, compared to 42% of relatively healthy children
- 37% of relatively healthy children had difficulty finding child care, compared to higher rates in other groups
- 50% of children with disabilities were enrolled in school, compared to 34% of relatively healthy children
Limitations
The study uses parent-reported data which may be subject to bias, and the survey appears to be country-specific without clear geographic scope indicated in the document. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causal relationships or identify reasons for participation restrictions.
Abstract
Background Children with long-term conditions (LTC) or disabilities often face participation restrictions in early learning and child care (ELCC), but little is known about their specific challenges. This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify non-categorical profiles of children's disability-related difficulties, capturing the heterogeneity of conditions rather than condition-specific categories, and examined socio-demographic and child care participation characteristics informing common challenges and needs. Methods Data drawn from the 2023 Survey on ELCC Arrangements-Children with LTC and Disabilities included 1977 children aged 0-5 (98% of survey sample). LCA identified groups based on parent-reported difficulties, activity limitations, LTC and disabilities. Child care participation, difficulty finding child care, extra support needs and school participation were compared across the total sample and identified classes. Results A four-class model provided the most meaningful solution. Class 1 (Relatively Healthy, 48%) included children likely to have difficulty learning, remembering, or concentrating sometimes. Class 2 (Activity Limitations and LTC, 14%) included children likely to have activity limitations (90%) and LTC (80%). Class 3 (LTC, 28%) included children most likely to have LTC (95%) but no activity limitations. Class 4 (Children with Disabilities, 10%) included children most likely to have multiple difficulties and disabilities, activity limitations and LTC. Relatively healthy children were most often reported in excellent or very good health (88%), were least likely to require extra support (42%) or have difficulty finding child care (37%) and were less often enrolled in school (34%), whereas children with disabilities were least likely to be in excellent or very good health (50%), most likely to require extra support (94%) and often enrolled in school (50%). Conclusion Children with LTC or disabilities are a diverse group with varying extra support needs and patterns of participation in ELCC and school engagement. These differences highlight the importance of inclusive, responsive strategies to reduce access gaps and promote early educational engagement.