Why so many ND now?

[Jumpking]

Had much with 4 friends yesterday. All the ladies told me they're waiting for ASD assessments for their children.

I know so many parents of ND kids.

I don't think I'm unique.

There was around 5 or 6 ND children in my primary school growing up. Now this is per class, minimum. The children weren't in special schools, they just didn't exist in such high numbers.

What do you think has been the sea change in our society that means there are now far more ND children than there were 30 years ago?

(And it isn't because they weren't diagnosed 30 years ago, or we weren't aware... There really weren't children in my school, or the school's of friends I've discussed this with, who had sensory issues, or clothing issues, or only beige and/or dry food, or toileting issues, or obsessive interests issues or all the other ND things which are so prevalent with children today)

Had lunch with 4 friends....

That's a superb typo!!!

Were they all hidden away more 30 years ago?

Are more ND people having children? There is a genetic link.

We were ignored or misdiagnosed. I remember my mum being told that my brother was just a spoilt brat. sure Schizophrenia was mentioned too. I was misdiagnosed with depression and OCD.

I work in a job that is compatible with being ND.

There are a number of people in their 20s who are diagnosed as ND. There are also a number of people in their 40s who I strongly suspect are ND but are not diagnosed.

1. We know more about neurodiversity, and how it affects learning, etc. We know that most ND kids have a “toe over the line” and exhibit certain traits that if not supported, can leave them with anxiety, depression, learning, social issues, etc.

2. Once upon a time, kids with ND traits were labeled “slow” or even “retarded.” Some were the “naughty kid that will never learn to behave.” Prisons and orphanages were full of people who would hopefully be diagnosed today and have help available.

At least 56% of the population could be diagnosed as ND. This is because it is a spectrum that includes many, many symptoms. This means that a majority of humans are ND, not NT. It keeps us interesting.

Diagnosis is better these days before we were just considered thick daydreamer bad children beaten into submission

Of course there were children with undiagnosed needs 30years ago. It’s really strange that you claim that wasn’t the case. 30 years ago hardly anyone had heard of autism, definitely not all the other neuro diverse conditions that are well known now.

I can’t think of anyone at primary school who was diagnosed as neurodiverse. But we know that at least 20% of people have additional learning needs.

I was at school in the 80s/90s I can absolutely pick up a few kids I went to school with who probably were neuro divergent when I look back.

There was always the ‘odd’ kids, ones that misbehaved or created in the classroom, those who were hyper, loners, those who couldn’t keep up with work or were in low sets. Some of these probably would be diagnosed now. I suspect some others were masking too. We also had other schools where the ones who more clearly had learning difficulties/complex needs went to.

People generally are more aware and now pick up on early signs wether it’s parents, family or professionals involved.

I have friends in their 40s and 50s who weren't diagnosed until 10-15 years ago.

1 in 68 is the current figure for those who have Autism. No idea about other NDs.

I dont see what you see. Admittedly my school days started 40 years ago not 39, but I saw lots of people in class who would now be ND and there were many more special schools.

I look round adults my age and there are loads that are clearly ND. Lots of undiagnosed dyslexia, dypraxia, adhd and autism. Loads are seeking diagnosis as an adult.

The only things that might have lead to a slight increase are more slightly older parents and more premature babies surviving but I am not convinced there is an increase anyway.

I suspect it is for numerous reasons. Autism is a hidden disability, many people who live with autism mask it very well.
I have two children with asd. On reflection I also believe I have asd (dc doctor actually mentioned I should think about getting tested). I also believe that my dad has asd too.
At school I was the quiet one. Didn't tell people my frustrations but had a meltdown when I got home. I took packed lunches as I was a fussy eater. I was particular about my clothes but apart from my parents nobody knew. In short all these traits were hidden and only came out at home.
Dc2 has not told anyone that she is autistic and her friends haven't said anything as she hides it very well and has a meltdown when she gets home.
In the past people just weren't tested enough, professionals weren't educated enough to pick up the signs and getting assessed was even more difficult than it is now. The Internet has made it easier to research and inform people. Asd is less of a taboo subject thankfully.

We weren't diagnosed. Huge swathes of my friends are getting diagnoses of ADHD and ASD in our thirties, forties and fifties. We just masked a lot at school, were sometimes bullied for being weird/geeky/slutty/clumsy etc, or were loners and often ended up self-harming, with eating disorders, taking drugs, getting pregnant very young or developing other destructive strategies to cope. The people I know also tended to be clever, so we generally masked very well.

I agree no one had heard of autism et al 30 years ago.

But I cannot remember my primary, or secondary school, having more than a handful of what were then considered "quirky" children.

Don't remember anyone refusing to eat food... School dinners were served around the tables of 8 children, with the 11yr olds cutting up pies, serving them, then stacking plates. Not a care in the world if anyone got gravy on their hands. Every child would eat most of what was given to them every day.

Children all wore school uniform. No adaptations allowed due to sensory issues, and none of my friends used to moan about the clothing causing them issues.

Exam anxiety...we all got on with it. All accepted it wasn't great, but had to do it. Didn't seem to cause breakdowns or school refusal at the time.

The growth has been phenomenal and there is absolutely no way there were at least 56% of the school population who were ND in the mid 80s.

I'm in my 60s; I can recall several kids at school who were clearly 'different' , I can see now that they were definitely on the autistic spectrum , I have an adult child with this and my late husband clearly was high functioning. I also think DH had ADHD too .for lots of reasons. If a child had a learning disability, no-one really bothered to do anything. The child would sink or swim. There were also clearly kids with dyslexia and or dyspraxia. I knew one lad who we used to say 'could have found a brick in a 20 acre field and fallen over it' He was very,very clumsy but looking back he had dyspraxia.
I think we should be glad that we have moved on and can at the very least investigate for learning disabilities . My friends at school had no idea why they were 'different' and spent the whole of their lives out of step with the world.

I agree op. I've spoken to my husband and friends about this before too. There was one girl in my whole school who was ND and hat was due to a brain injury. Now it seems to be roughly 20% of each class in my childrens school.

i wonder whether the way that education has changed has led to more children being diagnosed? Primary school is so much duller than it was and with so much pressure to get all children to a particular standard (measured in a very narrow way). Education is much more about conformity now than it was 30-40 years ago, and formal learning starts at such an early age.

I don’t for a moment think that would explain all of the growth, but I do think if the shoe gets tighter, then more feet feel pain.

I do think there's a behavioural element that's different now. Schools in the past had strict behavioural policies with strong consequences so those at the lesser end of the scale who were able to "mask" would do so (although it would have cost them). Now they don't need to so much because they're unlikely to be beaten with a slipper/ruler if they don't.

Also, there are a lot of poorly disciplined children. This makes it harder for teachers to tell who is ND and who is just naughty so lots of children end up having assessments and not receiving a diagnosis.

Classically women just floundered and would later be diagnosed with depression.

One person that you know of. As mentioned, so many of us were just ignored. Can probably think of a few at both primary and secondary who'd probably be ND.

I'm not convinced that people hadn't heard of autism 30 years ago. We are talking about the 1990s here.

I was the camp cook at a cub camp in 1977, and one of the boys was autistic. The support from the other kids was awesome.

The penny dropped for me quite recently about DH. He has always been unsociable, scatterbrained and reluctant to make new friends. We both did an online ADHD test that a mumsnetter had posted a link to. My score was very low and his was very high.

Awaiting assessment doesn't mean they will be diagnosed though, some people want a label for their child to excuse away some behaviours- others self diagnose for the same reason. Of course there vast majority of parents fight the arduous process because they're genuinely concerned and want them to rightfully have access to the support they need and deserve; but yeah this is the case across mental health in children as well.

Yes but a small school where everyone knew everyone else. They may be hiding it but no one else displayed any behaviours like they do today hence saying only one.

I agree school now is so dry and boring compared to back then that it is hard for children to engage.

The education system has changed a lot and it does create issues for large numbers of ND children so those issues become more

Also wonder If the ND children were hanging out with each other and not with Jumpking

I agreed with you until your final bracket paragraph OP, but that bit I can’t agree with. Also it is rather dismissive and rude to people with a genuine diagnosis to say back in the day we just got on with it. I do understand what you mean due to the increase in diagnosis now, but it sounds quite dismissive, ie well I’m not afraid of spiders so you can’t be either, just get on with it.
Back in the day only massively obvious things were picked up on. My eldest brother has CP and schizophrenia, he really stood out. But I did have classmates in the 80’s with both ADHD and autism now I look back. There was one kid who couldn’t write with anything but one particular pencil. There was another who refused to wear anything but “soft” clothing. There was the obnoxious one throwing chairs whenever he was told no. There was the one who burst into tears every time the classroom got a bit loud. These things happened but we all rolled our eyes at it and it was the teachers problem.
But if your sole point is that more people get diagnosed now, I 100% agree. And a very small minority try to get diagnosed to excuse bad behaviour. But that’s not the norm, they just give others a bad name.

One thing I have started wondering is whether ND children are more affected (for want of a better word) by their surroundings now. When I think back to my childhood (1980s in a northern town), it all seems very ‘dull’ compared to now. The classrooms were more regimented and less decorated; shops and shopping centres were plainer/ more boring; advertising wasn’t as full-on as now; we only had 4 TV channels plus radio; there were newspapers and magazines but no internet bombarding you with information. Life was expected to be a bit boring, especially for children (we rarely went on days out and there was no soft play or anything).

Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed when I’m out and it’s busy and noisy, so I can wonder if ND children are being overwhelmed in situations (eg: at the shops) that wouldn’t have been overwhelming before. So a child that might have been borderline/ high-functioning (for want of a better word) in the past struggles more in the current environment?