A study, recently published in Academic Pediatrics, has found that children entering school with an unidentified health problem are at risk poorer academic performance in their later primary school years.

The study of 720 children from Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, looked at health needs and school results from the first year of school through to Year 6 and found a significant proportion of children had special health needs when starting school, but only 4 per cent were formally identified and a further 17 per cent had emerging needs.

Lead researcher and CCCH Associate Professor Dr Sharon Goldfeld has called for a coordinated, flexible approach of health and education professionals working together to address young children’s needs, rather than relying on the school system alone.

For more information, read:

• The full paper in Academic Pediatrics (subscription required)
• The media article in The Australian (subscription required)
• The Australian Early Development Census research snapshots:
  • Pathways through school for children with additional needs (PDF 352KB)
  • Factors that help or hinder children with additional needs to succeed at school (PDF 878KB)