Looked after children (LAC) continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups in society with numbers and rates in care increasing year-on-year. The aim of this study was to explore the unique perspectives, perceptions and opinions of experienced social workers on the little explored subject of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in this population. Using purposeful sampling, 10 social work professionals with extensive experience of working with these children were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. A thematic analysis using NVivo software was utilised to analyse, code and identify themes that contributed to the aims of the study. Four overarching themes and sub-themes emerged from the findings: perceptions of NDDs, perceptions of diagnosis, access to service provision and the impact on care settings. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia were the more prominent conditions discussed. Even though these children are embedded in service provision, the findings raise important questions for both health and social care policy. There is a pressing need for research from a nationwide context to further explore areas of prevalence, training, resources, access to relevant specialist support services and the impacts on the already vulnerable LAC with an NDD.

受照料儿童 (LAC) 仍然是社会上最脆弱的群体之一，接受护理的人数和比率逐年增加。本研究的目的是探索经验丰富的社会工作者对这一人群中很少探索的神经发育障碍 (NDD) 主题的独特观点、看法和意见。使用有目的的抽样，10 名具有丰富与这些儿童一起工作经验的社会工作专业人士接受了半结构化访谈。使用 NVivo 软件的主题分析被用来分析、编码和识别有助于研究目标的主题。调查结果提出了四个总体主题和子主题：对 NDD 的看法、对诊断的看法、获得服务的机会以及对护理环境的影响。注意缺陷多动障碍、自闭症谱系障碍、阅读障碍和运动障碍是讨论的更突出的病症。尽管这些儿童参与了服务提供，但研究结果对健康和社会护理政策提出了重要问题。迫切需要在全国范围内进行研究，以进一步探索流行率、培训、资源、获得相关专家支持服务的领域以及 NDD 对已经脆弱的 LAC 的影响。