is sn on the increase?

[spritefairy]

Now this is not to offend anyone with a child with sn but every other post seems to have someone who has a child with sn be it disabled or autistic. This makes me wonder.
Is sn on the increase or is it just diagnosed more than it used to be due to medical advances?

And people used to be restrained partly because of a lack of appropriate drugs. When you have someone in a violent psychosis, it is extremely difficult to manage them without drugs.

One of my friends has an aunt in her 40's who was 'retarded' and friends gran came under huge pressure to put her in a home. I'm not sure what the actual dx is, but she's not even severe, just developmentally more like a particularly naïve early teen, and as a child was just mentally behind. And yet only in the 70's her mother was getting abuse hurled at her for keeping a 'retard' amongst the normal people.
Another older person I know had a sibling in the 50's with downs, the mum also refused an institution and got huge grief because of it, but what I find really scary is that in the late 90's, the nt siblings were still getting comments about had they considered a home, for an adult who was definitely at the high functioning end. So comments motivated purely from having an sn, not because the family were struggling to meet needs.
Dd (nt) is 11 and over the years has come across nasty names such as mong, retard, spaz etc. Usually from other kids who don't actually know where it comes from and see it as a harmless variation on silly, idiot, poo-face etc. Although unfortunately sometimes from kids who know full well the meaning. What is nice though is that once the origin is explained and therefore why we don't use them, dd and the majority of her peers are shocked that anyone ever did think it was ok to insult someone about having sn. Because like the kkk etc, it's beyond their comprehension.
Although unfortunately even now dd has come across kids young enough they can only be mirroring parents that have some sickening attitudes, so I don't dispute for a minute there's still a hell of a long way to go. But it's hopeful for the future that we're now raising a generation where many nt kids are disgusted by the attitude of some peers towards those with sn.

This has been a really illuminating thread. Made me think a lot.

Those of you who have children with additional needs, and I'm sorry you have to deal with such much wankery on the internet and everywhere else. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences here and helping me to understand a little better.

I wonder if there are more diagnosed children now because parents are more informed (via the internet and from other parents on SN boards etc), so are better placed to "fight" for help or understanding. We are also in an age where generally we don't believe everything professionals tell us and take it as gospel truth.

My son appears NT at school, slightly naughty and rude, but certainly not causing any concern. At home he is extremely challenging, sweary, violent and often a danger to himself, us and his siblings. It's been said a few times that he presents like a girl, holding things in so well.
Even though things have moved on and more people understand that children can hold in their feelings at school, there is still great ignorance amongst teachers and sadly amongst the professionals who are supposed to help.

I'm reading a book called Isobel's World, about ASD from an anthroplologist's point of view. ASD was always there, but was "labelled" differently, psychopathy, schizophrenia etc.
When autism was described and professionals started to have an understanding of it, it was blamed on parents. Sadly, we have found that professionals still come first and foremost from a position of parents being at fault and somehow causing their children's behaviours.

On the whole though, I think diagnostic techniques have got better. These children were always here, but they were labelled naughty or disturbed or something equally negative.

That was my DD's experience. At school she was as good as gold but the minute she was home the restraints came off and she fell apart. None of the professionals saw that side of her and they wouldn't take my word for it. There were signs there for them but they were much more subtle.

Even after diagnosis I felt her school (new school) didn't really believe it. They were helpful and did everything they needed to but I could tell there was something missing. Then when she was 17 I had to go away for a family emergency. Without that release at home she couldn't maintain her public mask. For the first time ever school got to see the real DD and it terrified them. They were ringing me several times a day in a panic about everything. They never doubted her diagnosis after that.

Hedgehogs, we had videos and diaries galore, but they were all ignored as apparently it's common for parents to make stuff up and set up situations to show violent meltdowns

When I first cottoned on to the right 'label' and sorted out an assessment my DD, 14 at the time, said 'If the say I do have autism, does that mean I won't have to pretend anymore?'. How sad is that.

When I was 17 I was waiting on my Uni course starting and got a job as an auxiliary nurse in a local "hospital". This was in 1985. I use the term "hospital" but it was an asylum. What I saw in that God forsaken place will haunt me forever. I saw patients dragged screaming to go for electric shock therapy, patients restrained to beds and the brutality was horrendous. I lasted 4 weeks. I started teaching in 1989 and have seen huge changes (and much needed improvements) in how SN children are treated in schools. Diagnosis can be a slow process in many cases but I find more professionals are now aware (and much more accepting) that certain conditions now exist. I've worked in schools that many Headteachers simply considered children "naughty", "disruptive" etc etc when it was clear to see parents were struggling to be heard. I'm glad to say that in the school I'm now HT of parents are listened to and SN children are supported to the best of our ability. Things have thankfully changed from years ago.

there is still great ignorance amongst teachers and sadly amongst the professionals who are supposed to help

I would agree with this in some schools. When I took over the school I'm at now I was shocked by the lack of awareness of SN by the staff.

As well as institutions and asylums there was approved schools and reform schools, many many children who were disruptive or aggressive were sent to these schools, that disruptive or aggressive behaviour could well have been the result of undiagnosed sn such as high functioning autism, Asperger's syndrome, PDA, ADHD, SPD, dyslexia etc.

I can remember a few local kids that ended up in approved schools, borstal or prison and as recently as 3 years ago all were diagnosed with Asperger's and/or ADHD.

Having a child with SEN can lead to a long and difficult fight for a diagnosis and then its another fight to get an adequate education and if/when mainstream education fails it's another battle to get a suitable school placement, and then there is the annual struggle to keep that placement, sometimes these placements are many miles from home and are either residential or where daily travel can take up to 1.5 hours each way, it can and does break families both financially and emotionally. I know of one family who have remortgaged their house in order to pay the costs (in excess of£20,000) of taking their LEA to tribunal just for an adequate education for one of their children, I myself am dreading the possibility of having to do the same.

The internet has brought families with special needs children, siblings, friends etc closer together, it has made information easier to find and has helped families to familiarise themselves with the law surrounding special educational needs instead of it being hidden away as in the past. The system is still a long way from perfect and it is a long slow process.

Op I don't know whether SN's are on the increase, I've not had time to research that, I've been too busy working, raising a family and fighting the system.

Hedgehogs I am glad that you got the outcome you needed from the school. Mainstream schools are still hit and miss, some are fantastic, with really good provision, some are still back in the dark ages of yore. I have known my friend, ever since dd and her ds were 2, they are both 8 now. I always knew there was something with her ds, but like Hedgehogs dd, he wore a mask all the way through to year 3 when he had to transfer to another school for juniors, as the previous school only went to KS1. Last term in year 3 it slipped. He was violent, aggressive, hit teachers and headbutted them at his new school.

I think the change of school, and the staff changes tipped him over the edge. The school is in Ofstead 3, so not good. Instead of finding out the cause of his behaviour, they are treating him like a naughty boy, using manipulative, and controlling to describe his behaviour. He was excluded permanently at the end of last term, just before the holidays, and is now in a PRU. The way the school have handled this is appealling and my friend and her dh are lodging a complaint with the LEA and have IPSEA involvement. They have been referred to a Paed and have Family Practice and Behaviour specialist involvement.

I know a lovely man (probably in his early 60s) who was sent to a boarding school for 'maladjusted' boys. He has never recovered. I think things have moved on from there and although some parents feel they are fighting the system now at least they can and organisations like IPSEA exist to help them. I don't suppose his parents' wishes were considered at all because in those days 'professionals' knew best

talking about the internet is interesting.
I think it can work both ways if you have a disabled child, it can be really helpful or it can make you feel really isolated.this thread for instance. starts about sn....ends up about one type of sn(I have no issue with that so not a dig at anyone posting) but it can make others...who perhaps have a child with a different disability feel they don't belong.

Forget diaries - video it. Professionals DO pay attention to videos.

I don't think it's about one type of disability Samcro. Ds1 is diagnosed with ASD but is nothing like most of the young people and children described on this thread with ASD. It's a huge diagnosis, covering many different autisms. I know kids with DS diagnosed with ASD, kids with CP diagnosed with ASD. Ds1 tends to share more with kids with severe learning disabilities (which he also has) than kids with ASD.

As someone said upthread it's autisms (and I said it's a fairly meaningless diagnosis as it's so broad, and encompasses many different conditions).

Friend of mine video-ed. Paed declined to view as it violated the child's privacy.

i have never got why if you have CP you need to get DX of ASD as well.my child has CP and has so may ASD "symtoms" but of course they would as its all about the brain

Paed sounds an arse Bishop!
Actually SS told me not to video once (they didn't want to see it, as they would have had to have responded with support), but everyone sensible has said videoing is useful

Yes I agree really Samcro. But I think it's what happens when you mix politics (& access to funding) with clinical funding. Personally I'd like to see the ASD spectrum split in ways that tells you something actually useful about the child. If someone tells me about a service 'set up for autism', I don't assume ds1 will be able to access it - he can't access most services for autism as he is simply not able enough. I do tend to assume he can access services for severe learning disabilities though. Even though he is the classic example of someone with severe autism.

*clinical diagnosis not clinical funding!!
I'm getting my words mixed up - it's bedtime! Night all!

Saintly I'd agree Paed is an arse. It's symptomatic of the local 'get rid, discharge' ethos I'm finding.

We were asked for videos by the autism team at our local hospital and were given a blank DVD to put them on. They didn't watch it, then when we asked them to, told us that parents set up situations so it's pointless watching them as they don't show anything meaningful.

God how depressing.....

When I first started using video it was pre smart phone days. So very novel. But thinking about it I used it a few months ago & both the psychiatrist & paediatrician were really interested & it changed their plans for ds1. They asked me to get more as well. So there are still sensible people out there!

bishop what bull is the paed. When dd was first referred to the paed we in the info with the letter, we were told to video any behaviour that could help the paed. The paed looked at all our videos, any decent paed would.