Alton Towers to remove disability pass for people with ADHD and anxiety

[AnitaRita]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gwgj4xreo
Too many people wanting to join the "Fast pass queue" so you actually end up with two queues rather than one queue and a fast entry! Got to agree with them - if you're too anxious to queue then a white knuckle ride is probably not for you!

I don’t think having ADHD affects anybody’s ability to queue for a ride.

i can totally see why a spoiled person who believes they shouldn’t have to wait for a ride like normal people would exploit it though

And who are you love to tell me what state of being I "inhabit"? As I've said in a PP, I've suffered with mental illness all my life. I'd hate nothing more than being in a queue at Alton Towers, which is one reason why I simply would not go.

And yet , plenty of 3-9 yos were diagnosed as schizophrenic and shipped off to clinics for research treatment. The good old days eh?🥰

What cash incentives are the nhs getting for diagnosing ?

So do I, but I also have a very traumatic background so who knows what’s what? I cope well now, (80% of the time) with a ridiculous amount of (healthy)strategies, routines and making my life quite small (less opportunities for impulsive risk taking activities ). As a child / teen though? Risk taking/dangerous behaviours, self harm , suicidal ,alcohol etc. I’m just lucky I made it through to get to this point. There for the grace of God , go I . I was left to sink or swim, and somehow I swam , or more accurately drifted off (luckily) to safety. Plenty of children didn’t.

In 2025 19.6% of pupils had SEND. Yet back in 2010 it was nearer 21%. Not exactly a rise.

Sigh. The privilege of those who don't understand anxiety

Privilege? This comment just shows how deeply embedded the over medicalisation of negative, albeit normal, human emotions has become.

You do know everyone experiences anxiety, right? It is a completely normal human emotion, like happiness, sadness, fear, excitement etc.

It’s not only the “Fast Pass queue” at Alton Towers that is being clogged up due to this over medicalisation. Services are fast becoming overstretched and eventually they are going to be taken away altogether from those who really need them. Like what has happened here.

We have basically pathologised every day life stressors, in this context, it would be the unknown (I.e. when the queue will end), but it also applies to work, the uncertainty of finding work, social engagements etc. It is completely normal to experience anxiety in these types of situations.

I don’t think anyone would deny that anxiety can greatly affect the quality of life for some individuals, but let’s not pretend that even in those cases, that it isn’t a highly manageable condition.

those figures cant be right, there has definately been a rise in diagnoses
or they have changed how they use SEND,
you dont need a diagnosis for a start.

Data here: https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/secondary/nearly-fifth-ks4-students-recorded-send

Not being able to stand in a queue for hours isn’t only something that affects ND children. Queuing for hours is beyond most children’s capabilities, ND or not.

I’d imagine it’s beyond a lot of adults’ level of endurance.

Some counties refuse to diagnose things like dyslexia for example, so yes, any support is based on need , rather than diagnosis.

Rates of suicide are rising too aren’t they. So I think the increase in SEMH needs (which are included in SEND figures) are major.

Another issue is that so much support in the early years was stripped away particularly from 2010 onwards that problems that would once have been resolved in the early years are now continuing on into primary and then impacting later academic attainment too because of missing time to learn in the primary years. Just one examples of that. Our SALT told me that NHS speech therapy was so aggressively cut back over the last 15 years that it is no surprise speech needs in KS2 and on have gone up so much.

Just a couple of links on SALT alone https://schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-the-extent-of-speech-and-language-therapy-spending-cuts-across-england/

www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/media/Project/RCSLT/rcslt-cuts-to-speech-and-language-therapy-factsheet.pdf

Read through my post and cannot find the phrase “these people” and I’d be grateful if you would highlight it for me as it is a phrase I do try very hard not to use but sometimes fail.
As I explained I cannot evidence that it is too easy to get a diagnosis but the sheer increase in numbers being formally diagnosed does suggest it might be. A view fairly widely shared on this site and generally and even Labour politicians of all people.
The point about the impact on wider society refers to both the financial costs associated with SEND provision to the extent that councils are facing bankruptcy to numerous other areas such as the albeit minor inconvenience of the queue in AT getting longer and children with life altering conditions waiting longer to access scarce resources.
i have no idea why you have then put all this together to come to the decision that I am somehow racist as you have very strongly and not at all subtly suggested.

You are quite right, you didn’t refer to these people, but the whole tone of your message left me feeling quite sick to be honest. If you aren’t a clinician working in diagnosing ASD or ADHD, then you shouldn’t be commenting as to how easy it is or isn’t to get a diagnosis. You certainly shouldn’t be taking the word of labour politicians who know absolutely nothing about the process. Children and people with ASD and ADHD should not be made to feel that they are a burden on society and that is exactly the tone your message created and it’s what’s wrong with the whole system today. Councils are broke for a number of reasons, many of them mismanaged their finances (like Birmingham for example) and many are significantly underfunded. I think it’s important not to listen to the political propaganda that councils are broke because of SEND children, they are broke because like the NHS they are underfunded for the needs of the population. I wonder whether you might be actually willing to consider a different view on this matter, given my comments above.

She can buy a fast pass out of her pip

Absolutely no need for that vile comment was there

My adult DD has diagnosed ADHD and wouldn't dream of asking for special queuing treatment.

What do you mean?

@BeAmberZebra is not being unreasonable.

I have spoken to many SENCOs who say they are referring more and more pupils for ADHD or Autism assessment. They predict this is due to the amount of information now available online so you can look up ADHD traits for example. Many parents notice characteristics in their child's behaviour and then ask the SENCO for a referral. Some parents are very insistent that they want to know so SENCOs will go through the process of gathering evidence. The outcome will often be that there are some autistic traits but as we know these conditions present differently in different children. I don't think @BeAmberZebra was being unpleasant at all!

So if the people who need the passes can queue but need the queue to be a quiet space shouldn’t we campaigning for the theme parks to make the queues more accessible for all ie quiet, no music etc. That way passes wouldn’t be needed as the baseline would be inclusive to start with.

No because then just as many parents will say my child needs lights and noise and music to self regulate.

Would they? Would they really?

Do you honestly think you can make the whole general public agree on something.