Neurodivergent children, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, are overrepresented in healthcare systems and face elevated risks of mental health difficulties, yet their specific needs remain under recognised in policy and practice. With the launch of the new Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) campus, and Barretstown’s expanding services for neurodivergent youth, there is a critical opportunity to use existing data to develop neuro-inclusive healthcare strategies.
This secondary data analysis project asks: Can healthcare systems better identify, support, and improve outcomes for neurodivergent children by understanding their prevalence, associated mental health challenges, and the role of cultural engagement in supporting wellbeing?
Drawing on three major longitudinal datasets (Growing Up in Ireland (cohort ’98 and cohort ’08, Millennium Cohort Study), this project will use hierarchical linear modelling, latent class analysis, and multilevel mediation to examine relationships between neurodivergent status, physical and mental health outcomes, and participation in cultural and leisure activities. These analyses will quantify the prevalence of neurodivergence in clinical populations, identify risk profiles for secondary mental health challenges, and evaluate whether cultural engagement predicts improved outcomes across development.
The project is structured around four interlinked work packages. WP1 strengthens collaboration with CHI, Barretstown, Neurodivergent self-advocates, and UCD to ensure clinical and contextual relevance. WP2 constitutes the secondary data analysis. WP3 builds capacity for secondary data use among health professionals. WP4 translates findings into practical training, co-designed guidelines, and policy recommendations for neuro inclusive practice.
Deliverables include academic publications, workshops and practice guidelines to promote awareness of creative health approaches at CHI, and Barretstown. By leveraging existing datasets, this project delivers high-impact, cost-efficient insights directly aligned with national healthcare transformation goals. It will generate actionable, robust population-level evidence to inform CHI’s neurodiversity strategy and contribute to the design of inclusive, preventative models of care for neurodivergent children in Ireland.