Promoting a vision of inclusion and improved health outcomes in childhood disability: the Child-FERST framework

Neurodevelopmental disability encompasses a range of conditions affecting the brain or nervous system that can have lifelong effects on the functioning and participation of individuals. 1 Rooted strongly in western-based biomedical practices of medicine and psychology, these conditions are often identified using neurodevelopmental diagnoses, which can have two important limitations. First, they fail to capture a person’s individual strengths, health and support needs. Second, they overlook broader family and community contextual factors that contribute to how disability is experienced.