A Children's Disability Network Team is a HSE-funded multidisciplinary team providing therapy services to children with complex needs, organised by area rather than by diagnosis.

Who can refer my child to a CDNT?

A GP, public health nurse, school or Assessment of Need outcome can refer, and in most areas parents can refer directly.

Do I need a diagnosis for a CDNT?

No. CDNTs work on the basis of complex need rather than a specific diagnosis.

Disability Services

Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNT)

Children's Disability Network Teams are where therapy for children with complex needs sits in Ireland. Understanding how they are organised makes the wait a little less bewildering.

HSE disability services

In short

There are 91 CDNTs across Ireland organised under the Progressing Disability Services model...

How CDNTs are organised

There are 91 CDNTs across Ireland, organised under the Progressing Disability Services model. Each team covers a geographic area and serves children with complex needs arising from any disability, rather than being organised by diagnosis.

A team typically brings together occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, social work and nursing, with a named key worker as your main contact.

Getting referred

Referrals can come from a GP, public health nurse, school, or from a completed Assessment of Need. Parents can also refer directly in most areas.

Being referred and being seen are different steps. Staffing shortages mean many teams have long waits, and some disciplines within a team have much longer waits than others.

What a first appointment is like

The first contact is usually about getting to know your child and family, not a decision or a diagnosis. Expect questions about daily routines, what is hard, what helps, and what you want to change first.

Bring your notes, any reports, and a short list of your top three priorities. Teams work on goals with you rather than treating everything at once, so knowing your priorities shapes what happens next.

Ask who your key worker is and how to contact them. That one question saves a lot of chasing later.

If you are stuck

If you have heard nothing, contact the team directly and ask for your child's status on the list, and ask for it in writing.

Every HSE service has a complaints process, and your local Disability Services manager can be contacted about delays.

The closest UK comparison is a community paediatric or child development team, with therapy delivered through local NHS services.

Common questions

What is a CDNT?: A Children's Disability Network Team is a HSE-funded multidisciplinary team providing therapy services to children with complex needs, organised by area rather than by diagnosis.
Who can refer my child to a CDNT?: A GP, public health nurse, school or Assessment of Need outcome can refer, and in most areas parents can refer directly.
Do I need a diagnosis for a CDNT?: No. CDNTs work on the basis of complex need rather than a specific diagnosis.

You don't have to work this out alone

The first months after a diagnosis or referral, with parents a little further down the road. Join the Newly Diagnosed group — post anonymously if you'd rather.

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