Massive increase of children with autism

[TickingKey46]

I've noticed since the lock down there is a massive increase in children being assessed for autism and associated conditions. I mean massive.

On the school run parents are often discussing it it's become so routine. I'm really interested in why. Why are so many children being diagnosed with this condition?

I have 2 children with ASD and ADHD (diagnosed before pandemic). All DH's friends have children with either ASD or ADHD (or both). It's almost like a running joke now.

None of them work for GCHQ or in software development, but there seems to be a similar cluster in the city where i live, but in creative circles.

Right so you know all the children in your street well enough to armchair diagnose them with ND. 🤔 Many NT people have traits and always have done. Not seeing 50% of children where I work with ND presentation at all. More like 10%.

Our school is doing 'friendship classes' for certain kids in DSs year due to social skills issues across the group.

Could you name or link to any of these “grants”?

Here are some grants and opportunities for creatives who are "underrepresented". Some of these are specific, eg for POC or LGB, but if they are more general and it just says underrepresented, or includes disasbility, then ND conditions will usually be included. This is just a small selection, these things are the norm at the moment.

https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/resources/opportunities-for-under-represented-writers

https://horrorscholarships.com/diversity-grants/

https://www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes/targeted-funding/createinclusion

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/new-funding-for-creative-projects

I'm not saying things like this aren't a good idea. It's just that they're often box-ticking exercises that actually tend to be open to cynical exploitation at worst, or unintentionally going to the least profoundly affected people (who can manage the applications and schmoozing etc more easily - and before the current situation and self-IDing, wouldn't have been considered ND) at best.

I’ve worked as a SENCO in Early years for 24 years and I have definitely seen a huge increase in children presenting with Autism traits & being referred for assessment in the last 5 years or so.
I agree parents are now much better informed & can spot signs which they would have missed before but I don’t believe this is the case with the vast majority of Sen specialists.
We have always known how to recognise ND behaviour.
The increase can’t all be due to only now recognising traits, SEN staff & teachers really haven’t been missing signs all this time.
Years ago it was unusual to have a child with Autism in our setting, we now always have at least one child & currently we have three.
As to what is causing it, I have no idea.

That's very interesting. My youngest was born with sepsis and had a traumatic birth/first week. He is one of 3 brothers who have autism and he has significantly higher needs. The iv antibiotics were very necessary but I've often wondered if a combination of me being 6/8 years older, being separated from me when he was old enough to be aware and the antibiotics played a part in his needs being higher than his brothers.

Also, my eldest had a very calm birth with very little intervention and although he very obviously has autism, he has a lot less distress than most people with autism I think. As long as everything is planned in advance and he has his coping strategies then he is very happy and he is currently living his best life at college studying his special interest. He has lots of friends, most of whom also have SEN.

My middle child masks a lot and has mental health problems. He hates being the centre of attention so won't use any coping strategies in case people notice. He hates anyone touching him.

@LadyMadderLake You've made multiple accusations that neurodiverse people and their families are dishonestly 'cashing-in'. It's quite a striking set of allegations.

In addition to the general challenges of living in an abelist society designed around the needs of neurotypical people, there are stigmatising consequences of being open about a diagnosis, from ignorant assumptions leading to social exclusion, diagnostic overshadowing in the health system, to prejudice leading to barriers to employment.

Perhaps read what autistic people say themselves about their life experiences? Including whether they support your idea that neurotypical people are able to pick and choose which autistic people actually deserve support. To get you started, Monique Botha has conducted research on the question of autistic stigma. It's a great paper.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2020.1822782

I would love more research to be done into early years. Ds and 3 other children with autism I know were all critically during the early weeks/months of life. There does seem to be some sort of link between very early childhood trauma and autism but then maybe it is coincidental as that idea goes against everything I feel like we do know.

I know researching things are always going to be hard and it’s a very emotive subject but it does interest me. I think often as parents we risk seeing things as judgments of us but when it comes to things like that it’s really out of our hands so it isn’t.

DDis autistic. She had a VSD at birth and I had pre-eclampsia. I'm sure I have read that these factors are common in autistic children but can't find where I read it now.

My dn who was born prematurely is autistic

Based on 4 children you know, there seems to be a link?
Autism is highly hereditary. Childhood trauma might also be present but it doesn’t cause it!

I’m sure there are others that would like to know. Go ahead here.

@LadyMadderLake You've made multiple accusations that neurodiverse people and their families are dishonestly 'cashing-in'. It's quite a striking set of allegations.

I don’t think so, I think that’s a misunderstanding, one that often happens in this kind of discussion.

it’s very like the issue with trans self-ID. Pointing out that trans self ID can be abused by people are aren’t trans, or that there are parents who want their kids to be trans for attention and to feel special, gets people screaming “how dare you say that about trans people”.

it’s not about trans people, it’s about the dangers of self-ID and a condition being seen as desirable for whatever reason (and however mistakenly).

likewise with autism. You can now, in many circles and contexts, self-ID as autistic and you can benefit from this socially and financially. So people do and in some cases I am skeptical. That is what I’m talking about. I think this is a real issue, furthermore it’s a trend that is bad for people who actually do have ND conditions, especially those that affect them more severely, as they get edged out.

if you can explain how this is me making accusations against ND people I will absolutely listen and apologise, but I can’t see how so do go ahead. or as I said just get me deleted as per the usual kneejerk reaction to people raising this real phenomenon.

FWIW I think you make a fair point. Unfortunately human nature as it is there is always someone ready to take advantage and take the piss. The right thing is to call them out and distinguish between them and those genuinely seeking support, if anything this is showing support for ND people.

LadyMadderLake

You are talking absolute baloney. There is not a single way myself or my kids have benefitted financially or socially. Autism has a huge negative impact on both.

You are talking absolute baloney. There is not a single way myself or my kids have benefitted financially or socially. Autism has a huge negative impact on both.

Yes but I'm not talking about you, or even about people who are likely to be autistic at all. I'm talking about people self-diagnosing as autistic and getting grants, publishing deals and jobs out of it. It happens in my industry and I see it happening. I have linked to awards and grants that are for ND people so the opportunity for financial gain is real. (And there's nothing wrong with grants for ND people, and other groups of course, to redress the disadvantages they face. The problem is they are often self-ID based so a free-for-all)

My point is, in the context of a discussion about the apparent rise in autism, that there is a phenomenon of seeking diagnosis and/or self-IDing, in contexts where that will bring rewards, and I think this muddies the waters a lot. It was in response to the PP who talked about a mum who wanted all her children to have SEN, which I've also seen happen.

Noticing this phenomenon is not the same thing as accusing people who actually have autism of being cheaters or scroungers or living the high life on ill-gotten gains. That's not what I said at all.

But you have no proof of that and don’t know the details of peoples lives. Many people self diagnose before diagnosis,why shouldn’t they, they know themselves. I did. The waits are long.

Re “grants” in your line of work that is rare and if people are stupid enough not to request documentation I have no sympathy. The reality is there are zero financial benefits to autism just a whole load of financial pressure.

And as for the mother wanting SENs for her children. That is rare. I work with kids who have SENs and have yet to meet a parent who “ wants” their kid to have an Sen.🤔

@LadyMadderLake How can autistic people benefit financially? We are spending a fortune on counselling for our DS in the hope that he can be taught some strategies for dealing with his crippling social anxiety so that he may, one day, get a job if some sort. Currently we are fully supporting an adult who is unable to function outside of the home.

@Willmafrockfit why wouldn’t they have time to ratify a report - particularly when the private reports coming in are from the same providers they outsource to to get NHS assessments carried out.

Once a report is ratified it is taken by schools the same as an NHS report.

I wonder how accurate the employment stats are as many adults I know who consider themselves autistic either are self diagnosed or much later as adults, they all work but would their data be collected. My son has "severe" autism I'm not sure he will work and he was diagnosed at 2.