Publications by authors named "L M Mclay"

Article Synopsis
  • * A study of over 19,000 autistic youth revealed they had higher rates of hospitalization and specialist visits, particularly for mental health medications compared to non-autistic youth.
  • * Autistic youth with intellectual disabilities showed increased physical health service usage but lower mental health service usage, indicating a gap in healthcare meeting the needs of autistic youth that requires further investigation and improvement.
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Background: Within Aotearoa | New Zealand, rates of largely preventable severe caries and dental hospitalisations among children are increasing and inequalities exist. However, little population-based empirical evidence exists describing this oral health burden among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). This study aimed to estimate and compare the rates of dental hospital admissions in a near-national population of children aged ≤ 14 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disability or any NDD after accounting for key confounding variables.

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Background: Previous studies of community priorities for autism research have been limited by low representation of autistic people and thus a bias toward the views of families and professionals. We aimed to determine the first community-led priorities for autism research in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ).

Methods: Autistic people were essential partners in the project, from inception and design through to methods and outputs.

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Chronic health conditions (CHC; e.g., cystic fibrosis, type 1 diabetes) in children are associated with disease-specific physical symptoms that contribute to a high prevalence of sleep problems.

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Purpose: The prevalence of sleep difficulties among children with rare genetic neurodevelopmental conditions (RGNC) is high. Behavioral interventions are commonly used in the treatment of sleep difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, however, research is scarce in children with RGNC. The range of co-occurring complexities within this population, means there is a need for research to not only determine the effectiveness of behavioral sleep interventions, but also which components might be the least restrictive (i.

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