Childhood disabilities and the cost of developmental therapies: the serviceprovider perspective. 2024

Sabika Shaban, and Hira Amin
College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.

For children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (CWNDs), early diagnosis that leads to early intervention with regular targeted therapies is critical. In Qatar, private therapy centres that address this demand often have highly exclusive prices restricting families from availing them. This paper examines the challenges faced by families with CWNDs, as well as various financial and systemic obstacles, from the vantage point of these centres, all of which culminate in an extraordinarily high disability price tag for disability families in Qatar. This study is based on qualitative, semi-structured, and in-depth interviews with private therapy centres and developmental paediatricians. Therapy centre representatives expressed common struggles in lengthy and cumbersome administration and licencing procedures, difficulty in hiring and retaining high quality staff, and expenses that need to be paid to the state. From their experience, families largely struggle with delayed diagnoses that significantly slow down intervention plans and therapies as well as staggeringly high financial costs with a dearth of funding options. We recommend sincere engagement, dialogue, and cooperation between multiple stakeholders; a supportive ecosystem to balance and distribute the demand that includes schools and parents; as well more efficient administrative procedures and recruitment strategies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010290 Parents Persons functioning as natural, adoptive, or substitute parents. The heading includes the concept of parenthood as well as preparation for becoming a parent. Step-Parents,Parental Age,Parenthood Status,Stepparent,Age, Parental,Ages, Parental,Parent,Parental Ages,Status, Parenthood,Step Parents,Step-Parent,Stepparents
D011780 Qatar A country in the Middle East, a peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. The capital is Doha. Katar,Quatar,State of Qatar
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002658 Developmental Disabilities Disorders in which there is a delay in development based on that expected for a given age level or stage of development. These impairments or disabilities originate before age 18, may be expected to continue indefinitely, and constitute a substantial impairment. Biological and nonbiological factors are involved in these disorders. (From American Psychiatric Glossary, 6th ed) Child Development Deviations,Child Development Disorders,Child Development Disorders, Specific,Developmental Delay Disorders,Disabilities, Developmental,Development Disorders, Child,Child Development Deviation,Child Development Disorder,Development Deviation, Child,Development Deviations, Child,Development Disorder, Child,Developmental Delay Disorder,Developmental Disability,Deviation, Child Development,Disability, Developmental
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D042241 Early Diagnosis Methods to determine in patients the nature of a disease or disorder at its early stage of progression. Generally, early diagnosis improves PROGNOSIS and TREATMENT OUTCOME. Early Detection of Disease,Diagnosis, Early,Disease Early Detection
D019988 Disabled Children Children with mental or physical disabilities that interfere with usual activities of daily living and that may require accommodation or intervention. Child, Disabled,Children with Disabilities,Children, Disabled,Handicapped Children,Children with Disability,Children, Handicapped,Disability, Children with,Disabled Child

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