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?

Yeah this is basically my point.

Actually she is correct. There is a massive spike in autism referrals and it is not because of a backlog in COVID.

Country wide it's about a third more, but in urban and deprived areas way more.
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics/july-2021-to-june-2022#:~:text=Between%20July%202021%20and%20June,6%2C500%20to%20just%20over%209%2C000.

Here's info on the sevenfold increase in referrals in Manchester, for example. They continued seeing children throughout the pandemic.
https://www.manchesterworld.uk/your-manchester/manchester/number-of-manchester-patients-waiting-for-autism-diagnosis-increased-more-than-sevenfold-during-pandemic-4087863

Ive never heard of such a link but this is a discussion forum, akin to chatting down the pub, people musing about this and that, its not a scientific debate, quotations and research are not necessary, although often informative, its not a dissertation.

Actually no one knows why the brain develops in the way it does pre birth and post birth and why some disorders occur in humans and some dont.

"There is no definite link between ADHD being caused by trauma. It's considered a neurodevelopmental disorder like ASC. There is some theory around trauma and ADHD."

IMO there's no PROVEN link as yet; does not mean there is or is not for sure as we just don't know either way yet, scientifically.

@RedToothBrush And do these so called records document patterns of female fertility over time? If so, please feel free to present the evidence from a reputable peer-reviewed journal.

Think back to your class at primary school. In mine there was a boy who was always in trouble, wouldn't sit still, always interrupting and shouting over teachers. He had undiagnosed ADHD.

Then there was me and my best friend who had to sit next to the teacher to stop us getting distracted and chatting. I'm now (in my mid forties) seeing the doctor about an ADHD diagnosis and my friend is diagnosed ASD.

If you can remember an annoying bouncy child who never shut up, a weird loner that made people uncomfortable, a very intelligent girl who lost everything and was away with the fairies, chances are some of these had SEN but it just wasn't known back then. Fortunately now people are more aware, which is why I'm fighting for a diagnosis and EHCP for my little boy before he starts school, so he doesn't become that kid who's always in trouble, who other kids don't want to play with and who teachers don't want in their class.

Ditto adhd
so many of my kids friends have adhd and are medicated.
i find it appalling. Most of them from what I can see have manageable symptoms. Odd bit of zoning out. Struggle with school but then no wonder - GCSEs are largely dire.
the reliance on drugs means they don't get to develop coping mechanisms
I have adhd but come from the unmedicated and undiagnosed era. Diagnosed later in life.
Also Confusion of adhd traits with adhd. Maybe it's the same with autism? Teacher suggested my daughter had adhd - I don't think she does. In this specific case I think she was bored in the class. She does have some traits though.
I've become very skeptical . I don't tel people I have adhd anymore.

I work in a specialised ASD school and haven't noticed any increase but from reading the comments it could be Infact that a lot of parents are forever working (which we all have to do, i am in no way bashing working parents! My last job was crap hours and weekends, so I never saw my children!) so after spending all the amazing quality time at home during lockdown they may have picked up on a lot they hadn't before?

This 'jurie's out' argument is nonsense.

There may be more diagnosis because for 2 years education and health care were so disrupted that lots were delayed. There is not more autism because of covid.

There is much more awareness of the ‘milder’ end of the spectrum.
This is leading to adults who previously hadn’t considered they were autistic getting diagnosed.
MC parents are throwing money at getting private diagnoses for themselves or their Dc, these are much quicker to obtain than via the NHS. This was much rarer in the past.
Also masking wasn’t recognised 10 years ago when my child saw a paediatrician. I said that they didn’t demonstrate their usual behaviours at the paediatrician’s office, only to be told that autistic children simply cannot consciously modify their behaviours. Only non-autistic children can do that.

At my children's new school, they get money for each child on the SEN register. I do wonder sometimes if this is why they were insistent on my child having an independent learning plan, which also means he would automatically be put on SEN register. Although no diagnosis of a condition.

you dont get drugs for autism
adhd - imagine how they would be without the drugs?

I also think its to do with the "feminisation" of society. When I was at school the whole set up of school and education in general was geared towards very male ways of learning (rote learning, end of year exams, a general culture where maths and science were regarded as "good" and the arts, drama humanities etc were regarded as "bad"). Boys in particular with autism would just be praised for their great work in maths etc and no one would think to diagnose them with something like autism.

Another long in the tooth primary school teacher here. Agreeing that it's not more awareness now, but a significant shift with the data going upwards.

My first reception class in 2000 was difficult as I had a boy who later went on to be diagnosed with ASC. There was one other child in the school who presented as ND as he did. My last mainstream reception class in 2017 had 4 boys with significant behaviours that would go on to be diagnosed. As had the reception class for the previous three years.

I now work in a special school, specialising in ASC. We're getting children start our reception who historically would have gone to the higher needs SEN school down the road. They're overwhelmed, so we're given the surplus children displaying severe ASC behaviours . Which means our historically typical cohort with less severe ASC behaviours, who need a special school place, are allocated mainstream. It breaks my heart doing tours for prospective parents, as I know we've got X places and I do X + 50 tours. Most of those +50 would thrive at our school as it's the right place for their needs.

I'm in touch with a few mainstream senco's and they are pulling their hair out trying to do the very best job they can for these children who they know should be with us.

Is the woman who felt the need to tell me my 5 year old was far too old to be in his special needs pushchair yesterday in the shop queue on this thread by any chance? 😂

More awareness

Ok here's something really cynical.
my kids are at a private school and shed loads of the kids have diagnosis of adhd and dyslexia. Particularly in year 9.
tbis means they get half an hour extra in their GCSEs or use a typewriter. My sons maths tutor teaches at a well known boys private school and said twenty per cent of the kids had diagnoses and he felt it was mainly to game the system and get extra time. This extra time is not recorded on their GCSE results. It causes real resentment among the other students

Surely anyone is allowed to decide not to have kids because they know they couldn’t cope with a child with severe disability who would never be independent and they don’t want to risk that. Aren’t they?

Of course, I think it’s rude at the very least though to say “if I was autistic I wouldn’t have children in case they were severely disabled”.

I'm sorry to hear that 🙁

Absolutely agree with this

I think society is physically and emotionally unhealthy for virtually everyone at the moment and that will be exacerbated for those who cant use NT strategies and abilities to manage it (and thats hard enough)

No longer do we value people with niche interests or specialisms or with hobbies or intricate knowledge, they are derided, there is a 'too cool for school' mentality in most of the population. Wanting to be quiet or being an introvert is looked down on.
Conversely, everything is really fake, not socially accpeting or engaging, very little is genuine. For those with social and sensory processing difficulties its a nightmare.

I get what you are saying and I think the word 'autism' is problematic. What does it actually mean? Find it baffling that my non-verbal son with MLD shares this descriptor with a university professor or TV presenter with a successful career. WTAF? We need nuance and differentiation. I also think that for high functioning individuals, it is not a disability as such, but a difference that needs to be recognised and accommodated.

"There is no definite link between ADHD being caused by trauma."

I haven't heard many people suggesting that adhd or autism are caused by trauma, but instead many professionals are noting that trauma can manifest in the same way with the same symptoms.

In one way that almost doesn't matter since the person needs similar adjustments at work and school. But in another, the problem with misdiagnoses is that they might mask root causes and stop you really confronting or exploring them in ways that might be better for you long term. ADHD is often treated with medication but if you stop it, the symptoms return, and meanwhile there's no treatment at all for autism so why even try changing something.

Personally, even in the last few months, from reframing my mind from "I'm diagnosed autistic and adhd" to "I'm traumatised and actually I can tackle toxic stress", I have felt more empowered, I've tackled some things I didn't think were possible.

I dont even think there is, just an increase in referrals because lots of kids have become socially delayed due to isolation... many however will adjust and catch up fine.

Some will be diagnosed, due to modern awareness and the greater numbers of referrals might mean many 'passing' autistic people that otherwise might not have been referred will be picked up so this will be higher than the past but its not an increase in 'autism'.

don't think there is an increase, think it's being diagnosed more and parents are pushing more for diagnosis where previously a kid with a mild quirk would be just let get on with it