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Review Enow V. A. Eta, PhD* Department of Nursing, University of Buea, BP63 Buea, Cameroon * Corresponding author Enow V. A. Eta, PhD Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, University of Buea, BP63 Buea, Cameroon; E-mail: ayambaenow@yahoo.com Review | Volume 8 | Number 1| 1 Copyright 2022 by Eta VEA. This is an open-access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows to copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and reproduce in any medium or format, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited. cc ABSTRACT Developmental disabilities (DDs) refer to a group of conditions that influence the early development of children and cause changes in their normal developmental pattern affecting their physical, language and mental abilities or behavior. Children with DDs just like normally developing children have health issues that need to be addressed. This special group of children especially those having autism frequently suffer from associated conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, eating and feeding challenges, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety among others. These health problems affect the health of these children in different ways and extent. Thus, children with DDs need to access healthcare services and receive quality medical care just like their normally developing peers. However, the health needs of children with DDs particularly autism are not being met as required even though this special population are more likely to seek medical care due to their disabilities and associated conditions. Children with autism and other DDs experience disparities in health and healthcare service utilization. Autism is linked to many health conditions such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal problems and other mental disorders. These health problems affect each individual with autism in a unique way negatively affecting his/her existing social interaction and communication impairments. Again, health facilities and medical equipment are not disability-friendly making it difficult for this special group to effectively have access to quality care. In addition, most healthcare providers do not possess adequate knowledge and skills required to make critical decisions regarding this very special group of persons. Furthermore, due to cultural differences certain diagnosis and treatment regarding autism and other developmental disabilities may not be welcomed. The public health sector of all nations has the duty to promote health and prevent diseases for all including persons with disabilities. Keywords Developmental disabilities; Children with autism; Health conditions; Disparities in health; Disparities in healthcare service utilization. INTRODUCTION Developmental disabilities (DDs) refer to a cluster of disorders that affect children early in their lives due to abnormal development. Autism, learning disabilities, visual impairment and down syndrome among others are some examples. These disorders alter children’s normal developmental pattern and affect their physical, language and mental abilities or the way they behave.1 With some disorders such as Down syndrome, the abnormal development may affect both physical and mental abilities of the child. Children with DDs just like the normally developing children have health issues that need to be addressed. This special group of children especially those having autism frequently suffer from associated conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, eating and feeding challenges, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety among others.2 These health problems affect the health of these individuals in different ways and extent. Thus, children with DDs need to access healthcare
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