Currently, there are approximately 67,000 infants, children and young people in the lookedafter care (LAC) system in England, of whom 75% are in foster care and 12% reside in children’s homes, secure units, residential schools, hostels and other specialist placements; the rest reside with their parents but under a statutory care order. Nearly two-thirds of those in care are placed there because of parental abuse or neglect. Epidemiological evidence has revealed that rates of attention deficit hyperactiviy disorder (ADHD), autism and a range of other common neurodisabilities are significantly higher in these children and adolescents compared with rates in the general population. The presence of a neurodisability contributes significantly to the difficulties of these children and, if undetected, may add considerably to the already high rates of emotional, behavioural and formal mental health problems also encountered in this group. Furthermore, such neurodisabilities may contribute to the difficulties in both placing affected children and managing them while in care.