Mental health in children with disabilities and their families: red flags, services' impact, facilitators, barriers, and proposed solutions.

Background: Children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) and their caregivers are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges, that in turn can significantly affect their functioning, productivity, and quality of life. In this already vulnerable population, mental health difficulties are now more frequently reported and pronounced secondary to the isolation and uncertainties experienced during the pandemic. Our previous work has shown important mental health services' gaps for children/youth with NDDs and their families, highlighting the need to optimize and tailor existing practices.

Mental health services and resources for children with developmental disabilities and their families: scan of local practices, gaps, and opportunities created.

Background: Mental health concerns in children with disabilities are common and have a significant and negative impact. Clinicians have reported high demand for this population to receive early, targeted, and family-centred mental health interventions.

Objective: We sought to map out and describe existing pediatric mental health services/resources for children with disabilities and their families across clinical sites and local and online communities.