Abstract

This study aimed to examine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children with repeated Special Needs Report for Children (SNRC) applications and to assess child-level and domain-specific changes in diagnoses and special need levels over time. A retrospective review was conducted of all SNRC applications submitted between May 2023 and May 2025. Repeated applications with an interval of at least six months and available diagnostic data were included in the analysis. Among 387 children with repeated SNRC evaluations, approximately one-third exhibited a change in at least one diagnostic domain at the child level, and nearly 40% showed a change in special need level. At the domain level, speech–language and learning-related diagnoses demonstrated lower stability over time compared with autism spectrum and cognitive diagnoses. SNRCs are important tools for identifying children with special needs and guiding their access to support. This study shows that repeated evaluations are valuable in childhood, and larger, longer-term studies are needed to better understand the factors behind diagnostic change.

Key words: Disabilities in children, special needs report for children, neurodevelopmental disorders, diagnostic stability