Child: Care, Health and Development
Voices for Change: Stakeholder Perspectives on Childhood Diagnostic Delays in Western Australia
ABSTRACT Background Timely access to developmental assessment services for children is essential, yet diagnostic delays persist even in nations with advanced healthcare systems. In Western Australia (WA), a recent parliamentary inquiry revealed over 17 000 children awaiting developmental assessments, with median wait times for specialist appointments reaching 15.1 months. Method Using a qualitative design underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology, this study examined the perspectives of parents ( n = 17) …