walking . is . overrated

A Nelson child psychotherapist has spoken up, claiming he sees a handful of children referred to him each year for behavioural and mental health problems, when in reality, it turns out they have an undiagnosed intellectual disability.

The doctor, Joe Babinski, spoke at the recent New Zealand Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists conference, which aimed to identify gaps in current services. He says the kids he sees each year with unrecognised disabilities is just ‘the tip of the iceberg’ in terms of numbers, reckoning that many disabled children were in fact never identified as such.

Interestingly, he also believes the current system of help for kids with intellectual disabilities, which requires assessment and diagnosis by a clinician, can sometimes put the child at a disadvantage, as families are unwilling to admit that their child might be disabled, instead preferring to attribute it to mental health, or behavioural issues. Intellectually disabled children are not eligible for child and adolescent mental health services.

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