New research project by the Council for Disabled Children - UK

"This is an innovative approach to the use of the data from longitudinal studies. It is important that we draw on this work to help shape future policy for disabled children and young people."

The Council for Disabled Children will be undertaking a brand new research project in collaboration with the National Childrens Bureau and the Institute of Education (IOE) at the University of London.

The research will be examining the influence of environmental factors on outcomes for disabled children and young people.

The project, which will last 18 months, commences in January 2013. It will employ an analysis of existing data as well as being informed by the perspectives of disabled young people, focusing on key transition points in their lives. The study will analyse existing data from two major longitudinal studies of children and young people that cover almost the entire span of childhood and youth - the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), which follows around 19,000 children born in the UK in 2000-01, and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), a study of almost 16,000 young people who were first surveyed at age 13/14, and followed up annually for seven years.

Philippa Stobbs, assistant director of CDC, said:

"This is an innovative approach to the use of the data from longitudinal studies. It is important that we draw on this work to help shape future policy for disabled children and young people."

Funding is being provided by the Economic and Social Research Council under their Secondary Data Analysis Initiative.