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February 19, 2026HRB Open Research0 citationsOpen Access

Disability Service Models for Children with Complex Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Protocol for an Integrative Review of the International Literature

GMGuzmán Morán NONoreen O’Leary KRKatie Robinson

Key Points

Identify key components, principles, and strategies of disability service models for children with complex neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Conduct an integrative review of international literature.
Include empirical, policy, and theoretical papers as per established guidelines.
Perform electronic searches in multiple databases like CINAHL and PubMed.
Screen literature and extract data using a piloted tool.
Apply deductive qualitative content analysis guided by CFIR.
Anticipated synthesis of international evidence on effective service models.
Identification of components and strategies that enhance service delivery.
Contribution to policy and practical improvements in Ireland.

Abstract

Background Disability service models for children with complex neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) have undergone significant change in Ireland in the recent past. Despite the aim of these reforms being to create a more equitable, accessible and family-centered service with clear pathways and integrated interdisciplinary teams, both families and professionals report that current systems are not meeting children’s needs. However, these reforms lack a strong evidence base, and little research has evaluated their implementation or impact. Given the complexity of these needs, identifying evidence-informed service delivery models is essential. This study aims to identify key components, guiding principles, and implementation strategies of disability service delivery models for children with complex NDD. Methods An integrative review of the literature will be undertaken to identify key components, guiding principles, and implementation strategies of disability service models for children with complex NDD. Empirical, policy and theoretical papers will be included in the analysis as per integrative review methodology guidelines outlined by Whittemore and Knafl 1 . Electronic searches will be undertaken of the following databases: CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Grey literature will be identified through Google Scholar and targeted searches of relevant government and professional websites including institutional repositories. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts and full texts against inclusion criteria and extract data using a piloted tool. Deductive qualitative content analysis will be applied, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2 . Conclusions It is anticipated that this review will offer a comprehensive synthesis of international evidence on disability service models for children with complex NDD. The findings will inform future policy and practice in Ireland. They will contribute to the broader evidence base by characterising the components of disability service models and provide actionable knowledge to guide the identification of implementation efforts applicable across diverse contexts.

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