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It should be remembered that children with disabilities are children first and foremost, and have the same rights to protection as any other child. People caring for and working with disabled children need to be alert to the signs and symptoms of abuse.

If children are competent and able to give consent for themselves, you should seek consent directly from them.

There are many issues you can face when safeguarding disabled children such as a disabled child's dependency on parents and carers for practical assistance in daily living, including intimate personal care, which increases their risk of exposure to abusive behaviour.

View our list of useful resources for practitioners around safeguarding disabled children.