to think rising levels of neuro diverse children in society is partly due to rising ages of pregnant mothers?

[staydazzling]

im not condeming anything here btw, i would like to make that clear. and i know this may not go down well on here, donning hard hat but whenever theres discussions about how neurological diversity in children has risen ASD, ADHD etc in society, the conversion is often about MMR Ipads or diet, discipline etc which of course all important variables but i feel its unhelpful that a lot of would be mothers are not informed of the risk past 35, of downs syndrome, autism etc, its obviously much better financially to be older and have a family. aibu to feel its the elephant inthe room regarding rising levels of children with ASD, ADHD, Etc??

Extra time in exams could be fuelling the numbers

Yeah right, parents spend years struggling to get someone to take them seriously (and get judged as a shit parent along the way) just to get their kid extra time in exams. You're even stupider than the poster who theorised parents get their kids diagnosed because for the DLA.
Oh and FYI, having an autism diagnosis doesn't automatically mean you get extra time in exams.

I've always wondered about DF (and there fore me and my siblings) - his DM used to sit in the corner and knit and never speak, so sounds rather antisocial. This was in the olden days when quirky behaviour was just quirky behaviour.

Quirky behaviour is still just quirky behaviour. People don't get diagnosed with Aspergers because they're "quirky", not because they're antisocial either. It's perfectly possible to be introverted/not like social interaction/be antisocial and not have Aspergers. There's a bit more to being autistic than not enjoying being around other people.
It really annoys me how people equate not liking social interaction with being autistic. Lots of autistic people actually really like being with people, they just can't cope with it.

My dh, who is early 50’s, gets more like his father as he ages and I’d say he is perhaps mildly autistic, but I’m not sure.

There's no such thing as being "mildly autistic." A person either has it or they don't. And being a hermit or socially awkward/reclusive does not mean a person is on the spectrum. As I said above a person can be those things without being autistic.
It's not over-diagnosis that concerns or annoys me, it's people "diagnosing" their relatives as being on the spectrum just because they're not very social.

"To be clear I am talking about non-high functioning ASD and LDs here. Absolutely agree that HFA is at least 80% genetic."

So you think parents who have a child with LD and ASD have done something to cause it? You do know that anyone can have a child with that type of Asd don't you?

JanMeyer

Yeah right, parents spend years struggling to get someone to take them seriously (and get judged as a shit parent along the way) just to get their kid extra time in exams.

That's not what that poster said, is it? I know several sets of parents who have children who all wanted extra time in exams because it gave them a greater chance of getting better grades. Most claimed dyslexia, which they absolutely do not have, and they know they don't have to prove nor have diagnosed (none of them do). Some claimed parent-diagnosed ADHD, and "attention and concentration problems", and hey presto, the school gave them extra time. Of course parents with children with ASD and ADHD don't do it to get extra time for exams, but it's a scandal that so many children are faking conditions and successfully get more time in their exams than other kids.

There's no such thing as being "mildly autistic."

Well, I know psychiatrists and psychologists who use this phrase, referring to the spectrum and comparative low level impact of autism. A person has it, or doesn't, you're right, but if they have it they can have it mildly or severely.

I don’t get the angst about “mildly autistic”. My OH is borderline according to an eminent psychiatrist in the field. He was diagnosed with another condition but it was noted that he has autistic traits and probably does have it to a degree, albeit not worth paying for an assessment as there’s no treatment on offer and he’s doing ok regardless, in fact it’s beneficial to his career.

I find the adjective “mild” is pretty accurate for him and suspect DD is also “mildly” impacted and is awaiting assessment - already having another diagnosis and referred by her psychiatrist after various diagnostic questionnaires.

"You're even stupider than the poster who theorised parents get their kids diagnosed because for the DLA."

It's all othering. Wanting to believe parents must have done something or are trying it on. Then they can believe it is not something that can ever affect their own lives.

i suggested the MMR and Ipads as being topics brought up, around asd, adhd, i made that pretty clear tbh, didn't say they were good topics.

Why does me having a disabled and sister make no sense? is it not allowed!?

disabled child and sister?

ShastaBeast - i understand what you are saying in that autism can affect people to different degrees and its a spectrum disorder so it effects different people in different ways and there must be some people just below the threshold. However, i think the angst comes from a few things. First the idea of 'traits' and if someone has some autistic traits they are therefore mildly autistic. Autism is a triad of impairments and you need to have problems in all three areas to the point they limit and impair your everyday function to be autistic. If you just have a few traits, particularly if they are limited to one of the areas- its not the same. The best analogy i have read is someone wearing blue saying they are mildly rainbow because blue is on the rainbow spectrum. The second reason mild is difficult is the diagnostic include phrases like 'limit and impair everyday function' so its quite hard to see that as mild if that is your life. However some people clearly struggle more than others. And finally a lot of people with autism have other conditions too so people seem to only see the autism and say that is severe autism not recognising somone with just autism may be just as severe in their autism but not also have learning difficulties.
Its a very loaded phrase, hence the angst.

hey presto, the school gave them extra time.

This is simply not how exam concessions work. If concerns are raised (by parent, child or teacher), tests are carried out to see if that child needs a concession. It isn’t based on diagnosis, invented or otherwise.

Neuro diversity has not increased as much you think, out understand has.

MsJaneAusten
If concerns are raised (by parent, child or teacher), tests are carried out to see if that child needs a concession.

What tests precisely? I know for a fact that all but one of these teenagers claimed they had conditions they did not, and no tests were carried out. The other child was asked to do some writing. He faked struggling, the school fell for it, and he and his parents bragged about how easy it was to pull the wool over the school's eyes, which is how I know about it in the first place.

The thing about getting disabled people into work is a good idea in principle but sucks donkeys in practise - employers need to be able to include disabled people and make reasonable adjustments for this to work.

However, all these fine words tend to evaporate when in an actual job interview. To include disabled people would mean that everyone in an organization is educated on how to do so, from how to make toilets accessible to teaching HR people how to make interviews more accessible and assessing people who have ASD or undiagonised ASD.

It took me 1 year of jobseeking to get a job and this is someone with a track record in STEM and three degrees. I was less of a STEM person and more of a mental gymnastics trainer during that year.

IT's like the inclusion in schools - a nice idea in principle but when disabled children are put in schools without the extra resources they need. It is of no importance if a school sends loads of children to Oxbridge if a significant fraction of students are getting an inadequate education without the resources.

Speaking from the point of view of an ASD person who is married to another ASD person and who has two ASD DC.

What tests precisely? I know for a fact that all but one of these teenagers claimed they had conditions they did not, and no tests were carried out. The other child was asked to do some writing. He faked struggling, the school fell for it, and he and his parents bragged about how easy it was to pull the wool over the school's eyes, which is how I know about it in the first place
What a load of shit my DD saw an OT paediatric consultant. A clinical psychologist an educational psychologist, Speech and language therapist.
Completed a 12 week OT course weekly with after class home exercises, school evaluation.
It takes months on intervention in school to diagnose.
DS saw similar team only change the psychologist to a psychiatrist.
DD was 6
DS was 3
Both to young to fake anything.

@Devereux1
www.jcq.org.uk/Download/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-2019-20

Though, the time to raise your concerns would have been when you thought school was misapplying the rules.

Emeraldshamrock
It takes months on intervention in school to diagnose.

To diagnose what? What are you talking about?
Why have you quoted my post and said it is a load of shit? Do you personally know the teenagers I have referred to then?

I have ADHD and my mum was 24 when she had me.

The school suspect my daughter has ASD and I was 19 when I had her. From our postnatal group, the age range of parents of neuro diverse kids ranges from me at 25 up to women in their 40s.

MsJaneAusten
That's a large document. Perhaps you could say what point you are trying to make by linking to it?

Being quirky with ASD traits does not make a person autistic.
I don't think the DSM even focused on quirks on my DC assessments.
It is like comparing being organised with suffering from OCD.
My Dsis says I can help being organised I have OCD. She doesn't have OCD she just hates clutter. No comparison.
I think the quirky trait myth undermines ASD suffers troubles. Try hand shaking hard, head slapping, feel electricity going through your body as your thoughts take your breath away, do you run wildly, do you curl in a ball, bite the nearest thing for sensory satisfaction. ASD quirky traits are normal traits magnified you will recognise them in most people. It doesn't make them autistic.

Do you personally know the teenagers I have referred to then?
No I don't though I have a fairly good idea of how difficult it is to get a senco neps assessment. Teacher will notice these issues are sudden. They are not daft.
I don't doubt these teens tried to blag it. I find it hard to believe an educational psychologist and teacher fell for it.

there isn't an increase in occurrence of ASD there is an increase in diagnosis
Trying to get extra time or get extra support or getting diagnosis for ASD is long winded & difficult - & it always has been & sadly with cutbacks across ss/schools/ NHS things have become even more difficult so I pp stating they know a teenager who conned other teachers - that doesnt wash because presumably the only reason it would come to being considered would be observation in the classroom over a period of time & reports to the Senco not just parents telling school - (experience as a parent here)

re increase in diagnosis please see my pp posts on this (which include some references/evidence which can be checked)

Emeraldshamrock
Do you personally know the teenagers I have referred to then?
No I don't

So, you're in no position to say it's a load of shit then, are you?

I have a fairly good idea of how difficult it is to get a senco neps assessment.

Good for you. That has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote though, does it?

Teacher will notice these issues are sudden. They are not daft.
Teachers are not allowed to ask for evidence of dyslexia. They certainly were either daft to fall for the fake struggling or knew he was faking it and had their hands tied and had to allow him to cheat ever since with extra time for a condition which he does not have.

That's a large document. Perhaps you could say what point you are trying to make by linking to it?

You’re right. It is rather large. Don’t worry about reading it though. The SENCO who allowed exam concessions for the children you’re judging will have read it multiple times and applied it fairly. If you don’t think she did, then complain to the school. Don’t use exam concessions as another stick to beat parents with.

@Grasspigeons Great post. I love the rainbow analogy.