Respite care for children with severe intellectual disability and their families: who needs it? Who receives it?

Need for, and receipt of, respite care services were examined in a representative sample of 103 5–11-year-old children with severe intellectual disability and their families. Children for whom respite care was wanted had significantly more severe disabilities and behaviour problems than those whose parents felt they did not need it; their parents also reported significantly higher levels of stress. However, among those who wanted respite care, none of these factors appeared relevant to whether or not they had received it. The results suggest the need for greater account to be taken of the severity of the child's behaviour problems and intellectual disabilities in the allocation of respite care services, and also for measures to improve the supply of respite care placements capable of managing children with more challenging behaviour.