«Med ADHD eller autisme faller man mellom to stoler»

En kvalitativ forstudie om erfaringer med funksjonsvariasjon i barnevernet

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study is to examine how disability is addressed within child welfare services. The study seeks to generate knowledge about which groups of children with disabilities child welfare workers engage with, and what they identify as challenges in this work, both in relation to inter‑service collaboration and in their direct encounters with children and families. Interviews were conducted with ten child welfare employees to identify themes warranting further research. The participants report increasing challenges related to children and young people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Diagnosis (ASD) and Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They describe uncertainty about how to provide adequate support, a need for greater diagnostic knowledge, and difficulties collaborating with child and adolescent mental health services (BUP), habilitation services, and schools. The report, therefore, primarily focuses on how child welfare services respond to the rising number of children and adolescents with ADHD and ASD.